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If you’ve been doing a job hunt for some time now, perhaps you have sent out several job applications via email already. But what if none of those you sent your resume and cover letter to has responded to your application? What could you be doing wrong that’s making it almost impossible for you to receive a job offer?
Here are possible mistakes in your cover letter that are silently sabotaging your chances of getting hired.
1. You attach your cover letter to your email.
You might be wondering it is a mistake to attach your cover letter to your email. How else could you send it anyway? Well, according to studies, most hiring managers go straight to applicants’ resume when both their resume and cover letter are attached to the same email. This means that they are not likely to open your cover letter and read it.
If you want to make sure your cover letter gets read, then it is recommended that you copy and paste it into the body of your email. This way, it has a better chance of being read because the receiver of the email doesn’t have to open an attachment for the second time.
2. Your email contains almost your entire life story.
When you include your cover letter in the body of your email, make sure to keep it short and to the point. There is no sense in going overboard with details. Hiring managers are not willing to spend a lot of time reading emails, so keep it short.
3. You provide information that’s not relevant to the work you are applying for.
There is nothing wrong with letting the recipient of your email know about your experience; in fact, it is necessary. But you can’t keep talking about the jobs you have had in the past and the details of each job. Instead, talk about your experiences most relevant to what the employer needs. Your ultimate goal is to give the hiring manager a clear idea of what you can offer them in relation to what they are looking for.
4. You exclude data or information that has been specifically asked from you.
Depending on what position is being filled, employers might require you to submit a sample of your work, your salary requirements, your hours of availability, and so on. Whatever is being asked of you to include in your email, be sure to have it. Otherwise, your application will end up not even being considered because you fail to follow instructions.
5. You do not use a cover letter at all.
When you send an email to a hiring manager, your purpose is to sell yourself, which you cannot successfully do if you only include a short introduction about yourself. The purpose of your cover letter is to let hiring managers know who you are, what you can do, and why they should consider you for the position in their company. Your cover letter must also contain whatever it is the employer wants to know.
6. You use a boring closing statement.
Avoid using a boring closing line. A good example of a more daring cover letter closing that can easily attract hiring managers is “Call today, do not delay.” This line shows how confident you are, and it is so unique that it could catch any hiring manager’s attention. When you come up with a more interesting closing statement, you are putting yourself in a better position to be noticed by any hiring manager .