When a cover letter goes wrong, it rarely fails loudly. It just gets skimmed and forgotten. The good news is that most failures come from a handful of predictable mistakes you can avoid with a quick review before you hit send.
The mistakes that cost you
- 'To whom it may concern.' Find the team or hiring manager's name, or address the specific team.
- Repeating your resume line by line instead of adding new context.
- Making it all about what you want, rather than what you offer.
- Forgetting to change the company name from your last application — an instant rejection.
- Generic praise any candidate could write: 'I am passionate and a fast learner.'
- Going over one page or writing dense, unbroken paragraphs.
The 'last application' trap
The single most damaging mistake is leaving the wrong company name in the letter. It tells the reader you are mass-applying and not paying attention. Before every submission, search your letter for the company name and confirm it is correct everywhere it appears.
Lead with them, not you
Reframe each claim around the employer. Instead of 'I want to grow my skills,' write 'Your team is scaling its analytics function, and I have done exactly that twice.' The same fact, pointed at their need, reads completely differently.