Cover Letter Mistakes That Cost You Job Opportunities

Most cover letters are so bad that even a slightly good one stands out.

Here are the five mistakes that make yours look like everyone else’s — and how to fix each in five minutes.

Mistake 1: Restating your resume

The worst cover letters are just a prose version of the resume the reader already has. If your first paragraph could be pasted onto any application, delete it.

Fix: Open with a specific reason you want this role at this company, not any role at any company.

Mistake 2: “To whom it may concern”

This phrase tells the reader you didn’t care enough to look up their name. Two minutes on LinkedIn or the company’s About page usually solves it.

Fix: Address the hiring manager by name. If truly unfindable, use “Hi [Team Name] team.”

Mistake 3: Excess humility

“I hope you’ll consider my application, though I know there may be more qualified candidates…”

Nobody responds to that.

Fix: Match the confidence level of the job posting. Not arrogant. Not apologetic. Just direct.

Mistake 4: No proof point

Most cover letters describe traits (“hard-working, detail-oriented”). Good ones show one specific thing you did that maps to the job.

Fix: Pick one story that took under 30 seconds to explain and clearly applies to the role. That’s the middle paragraph.

Mistake 5: No call to action

The last paragraph shouldn’t be “thank you for your time.” It should tell the reader what you want next.

Fix: “Happy to walk through my [X] project in a short call — I have availability Tue/Wed next week.” Small, specific, easy to say yes to.

Use a workflow, not a template

Cover letter templates encourage all five of the mistakes above by design. The Cover Letter Generator workflow is structured to produce a specific letter tied to a specific role — with a proof story and a call to action baked in.

Pair it with the Resume Builder and the Job Application Assistant so the whole application reads as one consistent, tailored story.

The 60-second rewrite

Read your current cover letter aloud in 60 seconds. If the reader would still know nothing specific about you at the end of that minute, rewrite it. Everything else — formatting, length, sign-off — is a rounding error.