Learn from these Cover Letters Gone Wrong

A good cover letter (or cover email) can pique a prospective employer’s interest enough to get her to look at your resume. A bad cover letter, on the other hand, can put an end to the process before it even begins.

In the interest of helping you avoid the latter, we got a hold of the following snippets from real cover letters received by employers. When drafting your next cover letter, avoid coming off as …

… Self-Centered

I'm interested in seeing what your firm can do to help me find new clients  …

Working at a great company can bring you many rewards, but at this point in the process focus on what you can do to benefit your prospective employer.

… Desperate

I’m currently looking for any paying position freelance, part time or full time.

You won’t get a job simply because you need a job. Use your cover letter to talk about why you want to work for that specific company.

… Irrelevant

I'm married and at the present time, live in a farm located on the countryside … from where I attend to my clients online, grow organic vegetables and raise my two small daughters.

Injecting some personality into your cover letter is fine, but don’t waste space with totally irrelevant details.

… Careless

… and would love to offert my skills.

Small mistakes in spelling and grammar make you look careless. Proofread, have a friend proofread then proofread again.

… Lengthy

Some of the cover letters were more than 1,000 words long. A novel-length letter will turn off a prospective employer. Keep it short – three to five paragraphs max – and break things up with bullet points to list skills or accomplishments.