5 Most Common Graduate

Cover Letter Mistakes

Table of Contents
The Purpose of a Cover Letter

04

Graduates and their Cover Letters

04

5 Common Cover Letter Mistakes

05

Final Thoughts

12

Tell Us What You Think

14

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Introduction
Cover letters are a unique part of the application process. Most of the cover is spent recapping things that the
employer probably already knew, and the entire document must conform to a certain style that has existed in the
corporate world for decades.
Yet cover letters are also one of the most important parts of the application process. They are your only chance to
actually speak to your potential employee directly, and although they may not say very much, what they say may be
the difference between you getting a call back for an interview and being left behind.

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The Purpose of a Cover Letter

Cover letters are designed to complement the resume. Rather than simply mention the same items found in your
resume, the cover letter is designed to make those items come to life or address any additional benefits to hiring you.
Resumes discuss what you have done in the past. They go over where you have worked and where you received your
education. Cover letters allow you to discuss the present. They allow you the opportunity to share what qualifies you
for the position with the employer. They are your way of making sure that the employer looks at your resume to see
how you fit into the role, rather than looking at the resume as though it is a bunch of facts on a piece of paper. There are
employers who will immediately reject all resumes without cover letters. Always send a cover letter with your
resume as a sign of respect and a chance for you to introduce yourself on paper.

Graduates and their Cover Letters

Recent graduates tend to have the most problems with their cover letters. This is mostly due to inexperience with
cover letter writing. Writing a great cover letter is a skill. If you do not know how to write the cover letter correctly, you
will harm your chances of getting the job. In this guide, we will go over many of the common mistakes that recent
graduates make when they write up their cover letters, and hopefully by avoiding these mistakes you will put yourself
in the best position for landing the position.

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The cover letter is a

standard format
summary; it is not War
and Peace.

5 Common Cover Letter Mistakes

Improper Cover Letter Format

The most common mistake graduates make is not formatting their cover letters
correctly. Cover letters have a strict format. They are expected to follow a specific
style. They are expected to look a certain way and have information in specific
places.
Cover letters are probably too strict, but until they are changed, you should expect
to write your cover letter using the same old boring format in the same manner as
everyone else. Hiring managers read cover letters and look to see if you were able
to follow the rules, because your ability to follow the rules is going to be a part of
your future career.
It is widely believed that cover letters should be wordy documents that go on and on
about how great you are for the company. This is not the case. Cover letters should
be short and to the point, and should be no longer than one page. There are two
reasons for this:
Hiring managers have limited time in general, so reading long cover
letters is not one of their favorite tasks.
If your cover letter is too long, you should question whether it is in
the right format or written correctly.

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A one page cover letter may not give you enough room to truly describe or sell yourself on paper. However, do it right
and your chance of getting a call for the interview will increase. You can then sell yourself at the interview. At this
point your goal is to get a call for the interview.

How the Cover Letter Breaks Down

Cover letters start with a basic format. First you must put down contact information, dates, etc., followed by the actual
letter and end with a closing farewell. Below is how your cover letter should be written:
Your Contact Information The first thing you should do is put your name and address on the top of the
cover letter.
Date Make sure if you are reusing the same cover letter that you remember to change the date.
Employer Contact Information It is traditional to put the employers name and address on the cover
letter, even if you are emailing it in.
Greeting If you know the person that is receiving the letter, you should write Dear Mr(s). Name. If you
do not, you can start with Dear Hiring Manager or To Whom it May Concern.
Body of the Letter The body of the letter is broken down into three paragraphs. Each paragraph serves
its own purpose and is expected to be written exactly in this style containing this same information.
First Paragraph All you include in your first paragraph is the position you are applying for, where
you found the job listing, the name of someone within the company that recommend you apply (if
any), and a very brief sentence about what they will see about your candidacy (I am confident that
my work experience, education and goals make me the perfect fit for your company.).

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Second Paragraph The second paragraph is where you start to explain why you are a great
candidate. You should address how your qualifications meet the needs of the open position, using
specific examples, expertise, skills, accomplishments, etc. DO NOT RAMBLE. It is here that many
graduates start to become overly wordy. Try to keep this between 3 and 5 sentences.
Third Paragraph Concluding your letter should be short and to the point. Quickly (within one
sentence) recap why you are perfect for the position and mention how they can contact you and
when you are available for an interview. It is best to be fairly open with your schedule.
Sign Off Sincerely, or Respectfully, are good endings to the letter. Underneath you should hand type
your name and hand sign the letter if you are sending it in by email.
Only the second paragraph of the cover letter provides you with an opportunity to show why you are perfect for the
role. There is not a lot of room to truly explain how you fit. Still, one paragraph is all you need. Keep it brief and to the
point, and you will have no problems getting the employer to read your resume.

Stick to the Format

Cover letters are admittedly limiting, but following the correct style is your way of showing hiring managers that you
know how to follow the rules. While a long cover letter may give you the best opportunity to share all of your thoughts,
hiring managers are short on time and want to know that you know how to present yourself correctly. Following the
format ensures that you meet both of those goals.

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When Good Experience Sounds Like Bad Experience

Another common mistake among graduates is mentioning experience that may have been a useful, but doesnt
sound useful at first glance. An important thing to remember is that no matter how great your cover letter is. it is only
going to be briefly glanced over, and the hiring managers that read it will have already looked at dozens of other cover
letters.
That is why it is important that everything you place in your cover letter sounds like a great experience. All of the jobs
you reference should make yourself sound like a better candidate to everyone that reads your cover letter.

The Graduate Cover Letter Mistake Average College Jobs

As you write your cover letter, you are no doubt going to try to make your work experience sound as though you are
absolutely qualified for the position. However, when you were in college there is a good chance that your jobs were
pretty average. Thats fine; most college students have to take any job to pay for tuition. Unfortunately, no matter how
proud you are of them, many college jobs simply do not impress modern day corporate employers.
Example: I have a great deal of leadership experience as Manager of Lavatory Services at Als Chicken and Ranch
Emporium.
Your leadership experience may actually benefit you at this job, but the hiring manager is going to take one look at that
sentence and throw your resume in the no pile. These jobs are not going to help you find employment. Focus instead
on the aspects of your history (work and education) that will impress modern corporations.

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Devaluing Education

The previous section leads directly into this section. Some recruiters believe you
should try to show how your work experience makes you perfect for the role.
Graduates tend to take this to the extreme, focusing only on work experience and
not enough on education.

You can never be over

dressed or over
educated
Oscar Wilde

Because you are a recent college graduate, you are not expected to have an
interesting or unique work history. In fact, some employers do not expect you to
have a work history at all.
What you have is a recent education, and that education can provide value to a
company:
You have been recently trained in some of the modern theories in
the field, and can provide new perspectives.
You have been recently learning and you are more open to
challenges and more information to analyze.
You have been unaltered by the corporate world and unlikely to
come into the workplace with a bad attitude.
Companies value youth and they value education. When your work history is sparse
and you are unable to come up with real, useful work experiences that are
okay,focus instead on your education. Mention what you learned in your advanced

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All you need is

ignorance and
confidence and
success is sure
Mark Twain

classes, the research you participated in, and your internships. Mention anything
that shows employers you have been trained and are ready for the role. Employers
will not dismiss graduates that do not have any adequate work experience. They
may even prefer them.

Acting Coy, Shy, or Apologetic

Graduates often feel intimidated when they first apply for jobs. They look at their
work history and they look at the job requirements and they think to themselves I
need this job, but I dont know if I am qualified for it.
That doubt can lead to cover letters that are filled with apologies or the
downplaying of their accomplishments. It is common to see graduates write cover
letters that contain such sentences as I know I dont have much experience working
in. You should refrain from these types of sentences. These sentences make you
sound timid or frightened, and they help give the impression that you are not
qualified for a position that you may very well be qualified for.
Always talk about yourself like you are the best applicant in the world. You are
perfect at everything and your experience and abilities will help you become the
model employee that will someday lead the company into success.

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No Personality

This is a tough one. How do you put personality in your cover letter? You only have roughly one paragraph to describe
why you are right for the role, and you are supposed to remain professional throughout the letter. How do you put
personality in your cover letter while still conforming to the set style?
Its not easy. The key is to simply make a cover letter that does not sound like it was written by a robot. You need your
cover letter to sound like a real person with great personality and experiences vying for a real position. Here are
examples:

Bad example:

Good example:

I would be a successful nurse because I am good with

people. I have a lot of volunteer experience that has helped
me learn about how hospitals work. I have worked with
surgical care, psychiatric care, obstetric care and long term
care. I believe that my experience working with elderly
patients has trained me to be ready for a career as an
assistant nurse.

In order to be successful in nursing, you must be equipped

with strong interpersonal skills, a desire to ensure all patients
are comfortable, knowledge in medical techniques and
practice, and an energy to easily undertake the hours of hard
work that are required to care for patients. I have been well
educated in basic care techniques, hospital safety, obstetric
care, long term care, surgical care and psychiatric care. I am
confident that these experiences have prepared me to work
as an assistant nurse at Hospital XYZ.

Notice the difference. One simply lists things in a boring manner. The other actually engages the reader and shows
the employer that you did not simply cut and paste that cover letter from online samples. Showing personality in your
cover letter is tough, but you want to try your best to sound as though you are a real person.

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Final Thoughts

Image: Rido, Dollar Photo Club

Cover letters are an important part of your application to employers. They are the first and only chance you have to
speak to the hiring manager directly and introduce yourself. They also compliment your resume and make it more
than just a list of facts and work history.
Yet cover letters require a lot of work. Graduates with very little cover letter experience may find it difficult to write a
cover letter correctly. However, since youve already spent a lot of time on your resume, spend equal amount of time
to make sure your resume does not end up in the reject pile.

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It is important that you remember to avoid these common mistakes that occur with graduate cover letters:
Writing the cover letter in the wrong format.
Mentioning work history that may not be impressive to employers.
Assuming your education does not make you a great candidate.
Apologizing or otherwise downplaying your accomplishments.
Making your letter sound like a robot just wrote it.
Avoiding these common mistakes will increase your chance to land the job. Cover letters may seem like they are not
important, but if you do them correctly they may be the most important tool for getting called in for an interview.
Remember that there are employers who will immediately reject all resumes without cover letters. Since you have
put in the effort to do your resume properly, and apply for the position, you might as well give your cover letter the
extra care and attention. You cover letter is competing with other applicants cover letters, and not acknowledging
how important cover letters are will put both your cover letter and resume in the reject pile.

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Tell Us What You Think

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