A cover letter should be made for every resume you submit. While a few may think that a cover letter is unnecessary considering that a resume already details all the required skills and experiences, it actually helps on complementing the submitted resume.

A good cover letter should focus on the key competencies and experiences relevant to the role and should clearly erase any doubt from the employer that you are the right candidate for the job. To achieve this, you need to avoid these common cover letter mistakes that can cost you the possible interview and the job.

Cover Letter Pitfalls

1. Misspelling the company name or the addressee. The address line of a cover letter is immediately noticeable. Any errors or misspellings are easily spotted and will send the message that you have not done your research and are not very attentive to detail. As much as possible, avoid using generic greetings in your cover letter. Take the time to know who the appropriate contact person should be.

2. Focusing on what you can get out from the role than what you can offer to the company. A good cover letter should clearly send the message that you have the right skills and competencies that will be valuable in performing the role and helping the company. It's not good telling them that the particular role can boost your career. The company is more interested in what you can offer, not the other way around. Point this out in your cover letter.

3. Repeating details stated in your resume. In structuring your cover letter, don't just enumerate the information already found in your resume. The cover letter is there to encourage the employer to read on and review your application more closely. Simply repeating resume details in the cover letter won't help them in deciding whether they need to invest time interviewing you. Highlight key competencies in your resume but align it with your career goals and how these can benefit the company.

4. Using "I" as the opening word for each sentence in your cover letter. Come on. Employers need to be impressed with your communication skills. Starting every sentence in your cover letter this way will obviously not make that impression.

5. Closing the cover letter with the generic "call me for an interview at your most convenient time". If you are genuinely interested in working for the company, show your interest by stating that you will call them up to follow up on your application. It is best to close the cover letter by informing the employer that you will contact them and how you intend to do so. This demonstrates that you are genuinely interested and knows how to take charge.

While your cover letter is only one part of your job application, doing it right by avoiding these common cover letter pitfalls can bring you one step closer to landing that dream role.