Career Tools: Cover Letters: Cover Letter Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t: Address a letter, "To Whom it May Concern." Get on the web and find out who is in charge of hiring for the position you want. If you can’t find a name on the web, get on the phone and call the company. And once you think you know who to address the cover letter to, double-check the spelling of the person’s name. If you don’t know how important this small detail can be, just think about how you handle the random mail that comes to your dorm with your name misspelled.
Don’t: Try to break the mold. Recently, there’s been a big push in cover letter writing toward a more casual form of correspondence. Student job seekers have been encouraged to jazz up their letters by being creative and unconventional. As we’ve noted before, the creative always trumps the tedious but don’t get carried away with your literary prowess. A cover letter is not the place to prove you are another John Steinbeck — or Charles Bukowski for that matter. For instance, don’t write two paragraphs about how working at Ernst & Young last summer was like working on the Starship Enterprise. Or how your boss was the second coming of Captain Spock. And don’t end sentences with exclamation points as a way to show your effervescent enthusiasm to start working!
Don’t: Be too cute. Writing a letter by hand is not a way to extend your personal touch. Using colored paper is not the best way to grab attention. You are trying to send a neat, clean, distinctive letter, not a gaudy personal advertisement. And don't overload your letter with industry buzzwords to make yourself seem knowledgeable. Well-placed buzzwords are fine but lots imply that you’re trying too hard.
Do: Include a statement early in your cover letter that conveys the intention of your letter and why you are qualified for a position. Think of this as something similar to the job objective you have at the top of your resume. Be very careful with the words you select. The goal is to be specific so an employer doesn’t view you as vague and unsure, while not being too explicit so that you are passed over for job openings you might want to be considered for. A narrow tightrope, we know.
Do: Talk about accomplishments, not about responsibilities. Employers are more impressed with what you actually did versus what you were supposed to do. Be specific with your claims. Quantify them with numbers or give examples of awards you received because of them. There is nothing wrong with this type of boasting.
Do: Send your cover letter electronically if an employer asks for it. There’s nothing wrong with submitting a cover letter via email and more candidates do so every year. The same rules that apply to paper letters apply to digital ones. However, if a company specifically instructs you to mail — listen to it. Also, keep in mind that emailed cover letters are the most impersonal forms of communication and they require a “live” follow-up, usually by telephone.
