The Do's and Don'ts of Cover Letters

Do’s and Don’ts of Cover Letters

Reprinted with permission from The Ex-Offender's Job Search Companion (Cambridge Educational, 2005) p. 50.

DO address your letter to an individual.  Use his or her correct title and be sure the name is spelled correctly.

DO describe duties and responsibilities that you have accomplished in the past. 

DO mention special skills you have learned (e.g. welding, software packages you have          mastered, etc.)

DO use simple words and short sentences to get your message across quickly and clearly.

DO mention that you are a fast learner if you think you lack some of the qualifications for a   particular job.

DO check your letter carefully before mailing for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and   sentence structure. 

DO have another person read your letter.  A fresh viewpoint can be very helpful.

DO keep a copy of every letter you send.

DO mail a second cover letter and another copy of your resume if you don’t receive a           response in two weeks.  Resumes are sometimes lost, misplaced, or buried.

DON’T give reasons for anything suspicious on your resume, such as lapses in employment.  Save this discussion for the interview.

DON’T discuss salary.  Salary discussions belong in the interview.  Stating past earnings or    making salary demands before you know all the details of a job is not a good idea.

DON’T bad-mouth previous employers.  Any criticism makes employers nervous.  Your ex-      boss may have been the biggest jerk in the industry, but don’t spread it around.  It      could backfire.  A prospective employer is apt to consider your grievances “sour     grapes,” making him wonder if he will eventually get the same treatment.

DON’T set conditions and make demands regarding travel, relocation, expense accounts, or   education.  Questions about health insurance and other benefits should only be      raised when you are close to being offered a position.

DON’T list references in a cover letter.  You don’t want to take the chance of references      being contacted until you get to know more about the company and the job.

DON’T give your age in a cover letter.

DON’T volunteer information about yourself that has no relevance to your qualifications.       Too much information can keep you from getting a job.

DON’T exaggerate.  You may be considered overqualified.