Phrases that may destroy your cover letter

In the modern world cover letters don’t have a strong reputation and most of the candidates think they are not necessary. They consider cover letters as a formal way of being polite, like ‘bless you’ after sneezing or ‘thank you’ when someone opens the door for you.

In most of the cases, employees write such a letter to be on the safe side. However, it is definitely worth more attention and is able to improve your chances of being hired. By filling your cover letter with important and personalized information, tailored according to the vacancy, you show the potential employer that you are serious and willing to devote your time to their company.

Considering the fact that your cover letter may be a reason why the hiring manager puts your resume aside, you need to learn five most awful phrases almost every candidate uses. Delete them as soon as possible!

1. “To whom it may concern”

If you were the employer, would you want to continue reading such a letter? It sounds more like a newsletter or a generic spam, which should definitely end up in a bin. If you want to impress the hiring manager, try to find out the person you are addressing and refer to him or her by direct name. If it is impossible, you can at least indicate the name of the company or its department.

2. “My name is”

Imagine how many cover letters and resumes a hiring manager gets every day. He or she only needs five seconds and the first line of your letter to decide whether you are a suitable candidate. Do you really want to use such an opportunity to start with your name?

If you want, you can indicate it in the subject bar but always make your first sentence remarkable. If you were stuck in an elevator with the hiring manager and only had 10 seconds to impress him, what would you say?

3. “I am writing to show my interest”

This phrase may not be a killing one but it definitely has no point. Obviously, your cover letter shows that you are interested in the vacancy and there is no need to make the same statement twice. Instead you can show why you are excited about the vacancy and write that you have been following company’s news for a while. Be very specific and write why you are so positive about the offered opportunity. Your aim is to show that your letter is not generic and you are genuinely interested in their company.

4. “I have attached my resume and outlined my qualification for you to consider”

The whole point of a cover letter is to be a sort of an introduction to your resume, giving a hiring manager a chance to understand whose story will come next. There is no need to restate that you have enclosed your resume, as it is obvious that you use email for your cover letter as well.

Instead you need to try and show why your personality deserves their attention and explain the key features, which are not suitable for a brief and professional resume.

5. “Probably I am not the best candidacy but…”

This is probably the worst phrase any candidate can use, when writing a cover letter. It may sound as a reason for the manager not to consider you as a potential employee. Of course, you should stay humble but it doesn’t mean that you should program yourself on a failure. Instead you need to concentrate on the reasons why the company should hire you and let them decide whether you are the best candidacy or not. Believe us, managers read hundreds of cover letters, so if you decide to give them a reason to throw your resume away, they surely will.

Now you are well aware of the main phrases, which can kill even the best resume. Delete them from your cover letter and be sure it will significantly improve your chances of being hired.