Why Your Cover Letter Gets Rejected (5 MISTAKES TO AVOID)

Summary

This video script offers a candid look at common cover letter pitfalls and how to avoid them. It highlights five key mistakes, such as impersonal openings, grammatical errors, weak hooks, lack of tangible results, and poor cover letter hygiene. The speaker provides actionable advice, including using LinkedIn for research, incorporating quantifiable achievements, and keeping the letter concise. Bonus tips include avoiding full addresses and jargon, ensuring a cover letter is a polished reflection of the candidate's attention to detail and fit for the role.

Takeaways

• 📬 Address the cover letter to a specific person, ideally the direct manager of the role, rather than a generic title like 'Deloitte recruiter'.
• 🔍 Use LinkedIn to find potential contacts and research the team structure to personalize the cover letter appropriately.
• 👀 Look for mutual connections on LinkedIn who might introduce you or share common interests that can be leveraged in a cold message.
• 🚫 Avoid grammar mistakes and typos, as they are often the top reason for rejection in cover letters and resumes.
• 🔍 Use a ChatGPT prompt to find and fix grammatical errors and typos, ensuring a polished final document.
• 🎣 Spend a significant amount of time crafting an engaging hook for the beginning of the cover letter to capture the reader's interest.
• 🙅‍♂️ Avoid self-centered openings; instead, highlight why the company stands out or addresses a common pain point in the industry.
• 📈 Include tangible results and quantifiable metrics in the cover letter to demonstrate the impact of your previous work experiences.
• 🔢 Use prompts to help quantify vague descriptions and provide measurable outcomes to showcase your achievements.
• 📝 Be mindful of 'cover letter hygiene' by not including your full street address, avoiding industry jargon, and keeping the letter to two pages or less.
• 🛠️ Utilize existing cover letter templates as a starting point to create a strong application, but customize them to fit the specific role and company.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to discuss the five critical mistakes made in a cover letter that can lead to rejection and to provide advice on how to avoid them to increase the chances of landing a first-round interview.

Why is addressing the cover letter to an actual person important?

Addressing the cover letter to an actual person, such as the direct manager of the role, shows that the candidate has done their research and is more likely to make a positive impression on the reader.

What is the ideal approach to finding the right person to address the cover letter to if the direct manager is unknown?

The ideal approach is to find the most senior person on the team. Using LinkedIn to search for managers at the company and location can help identify potential recipients.

What is the significance of having mutual connections on LinkedIn when addressing a cover letter?

Mutual connections can introduce the candidate to the recipient or provide a talking point in a cold message, which can help the candidate stand out and get noticed.

Why are grammar mistakes and typos considered deal breakers by hiring managers and recruiters?

Grammar mistakes and typos are seen as deal breakers because they indicate a lack of attention to detail, suggesting the candidate may not be detail-oriented and could be a risky hire.

How can a candidate ensure their cover letter is free of grammatical errors and typos?

A candidate can use a ChatGPT prompt to find and fix grammatical mistakes and typos, and also ask at least five other people to read the cover letter, including an intentional mistake to test their attention to detail.

What is the importance of having a strong hook in the cover letter?

A strong hook is important because it engages the reader and encourages them to continue reading the cover letter, increasing the chances of making a positive impression.

What is the common mistake people make when writing the opening paragraph of their cover letter?

The common mistake is being too self-centered, focusing on oneself rather than addressing a relatable pain point or showing a unique understanding of the company or role.

Why is it important to include tangible results in the cover letter?

Including tangible results quantifies the impact of the candidate's actions, providing concrete evidence of their abilities and achievements, which can be more persuasive to hiring managers.

How can a job seeker find quantifiable metrics for their vague descriptions in their cover letter?

A job seeker can use a ChatGPT prompt to suggest ways to add quantifiable and measurable metrics to their descriptions, making their accomplishments more specific and impressive.

What are some cover letter hygiene tips mentioned in the video?

Some cover letter hygiene tips include not including a full street address, avoiding industry-specific acronyms and jargon, and keeping the cover letter to no more than two pages.

What is the bonus mistake mentioned in the video regarding creating a cover letter?

The bonus mistake is creating the cover letter from scratch without referencing examples or templates, which can lead to common errors and a lack of impact.

How can watching the video and following the advice help job seekers?

By following the advice in the video, job seekers can avoid common mistakes, create a more effective cover letter, and increase their chances of getting noticed and landing interviews.

Outlines

00:00

📨 Addressing the Cover Letter to a Specific Person

The video script discusses the importance of addressing a cover letter to a specific individual rather than using a generic greeting. The speaker shares a personal experience of having their cover letter rejected due to an impersonal opening. It is suggested that the cover letter should be addressed to the direct manager of the role or the most senior person on the team. The use of LinkedIn to find potential contacts and mutual connections is recommended to personalize the application and demonstrate research into the company. The speaker emphasizes that a personalized cover letter can leave a strong impression on the reader.

05:01

🔍 Avoiding Grammar Mistakes and Typos

The script highlights the critical nature of avoiding grammar mistakes and typos in a cover letter, as they are often the top reason for rejection. The speaker cites data showing that 80% of hiring managers find spelling errors to be deal breakers. A prompt for using ChatGPT to find and fix grammatical errors is provided, which also offers a before-and-after comparison. Additionally, the speaker suggests having multiple people review the cover letter and including a deliberate mistake to test the reviewer's attention to detail.

🎣 Crafting an Engaging Hook

The paragraph emphasizes the importance of spending time on the initial hook of the cover letter to engage the reader. A test is proposed to check if the hook is specific to the target company, and if not, it suggests that the hook is not effective. The speaker contrasts a self-centered opening with one that highlights a relatable pain point and curiosity to encourage the reader to continue reading. A ChatGPT prompt is provided to help identify the biggest challenge of the position and generate ideas for engaging hooks, making the cover letter more appealing and relevant to the company.

📈 Including Quantifiable Results

This section of the script advises job seekers to include tangible results in their cover letters instead of vague statements about their experiences. The speaker points out that quantifying one's impact with specific numbers or metrics can significantly enhance the说服力 of the cover letter. A ChatGPT prompt is introduced to help convert vague descriptions into quantifiable achievements, demonstrating the value the candidate can bring to the company. The emphasis is on the effort to find numbers rather than the exactness of the numbers themselves.

📑 Cover Letter Etiquette and Structure

The final paragraph of the script covers various aspects of cover letter etiquette and structure. It advises against including a full street address due to potential discrimination risks and the irrelevance of mail in modern hiring processes. The speaker also warns against using industry jargon that may not be understood by all readers. Additionally, the script stresses the importance of keeping the cover letter concise, ideally not exceeding two pages, to demonstrate the candidate's ability to prioritize relevant experiences. A bonus tip is provided about creating a cover letter from scratch, with a link to a good example offered for reference.

Keywords

💡Cover Letter

A cover letter is a document sent along with a resume to a prospective employer, outlining the applicant's qualifications for the job and interest in the position. In the video's theme, the cover letter is central to the discussion as the presenter discusses mistakes made in previous attempts and how to improve them to increase the chances of securing an interview.

💡Mistake

The term 'mistake' in this context refers to errors or oversights made in the creation of a cover letter that can lead to its rejection. The video outlines five specific mistakes made in the past, which are then used as teaching points to guide viewers on how to avoid similar errors in their own cover letters.

💡Deloitte

Deloitte is one of the 'Big Four' accounting organizations and is used as an example in the script to illustrate the process of addressing a cover letter to a specific person within a company rather than using a generic greeting. The script suggests using LinkedIn to find the appropriate person to address, such as a managing partner or senior manager.

💡LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform used in the script as a tool for researching potential recipients of a cover letter. It is suggested to use LinkedIn to find the direct manager of the role or the most senior person on the team to personalize the cover letter and demonstrate thorough research.

💡Grammar Mistakes

Grammar mistakes refer to errors in spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure that can detract from the professionalism of a cover letter. The video emphasizes that such mistakes are often the top reason for rejection, with studies showing that they are considered deal breakers by a majority of hiring managers.

💡Tangibility

Tangibility in the context of a cover letter refers to the inclusion of concrete, measurable results or achievements that demonstrate the applicant's impact in previous roles. The video advises against using vague statements and instead suggests quantifying actions with specific metrics to show the value an applicant can bring to a position.

💡Hook

A 'hook' in writing, especially in the context of a cover letter, is an engaging opening statement designed to capture the reader's interest and encourage them to continue reading. The video script emphasizes the importance of spending a significant amount of time crafting a compelling hook that is specific to the target company and not easily replaced by a competitor.

💡Personal Connection

A personal connection in the context of job applications refers to a direct relationship or introduction between the applicant and someone within the company. The video mentions that most cover letters are read after a personal connection has been made, suggesting that networking is an important aspect of the job application process.

💡Acronyms and Jargon

Acronyms and jargon are specialized terms or abbreviations often used within specific industries. The video advises against using industry-specific acronyms and jargon in a cover letter to avoid confusion and to ensure that the letter is accessible to a broader audience, including those who may not be familiar with the specific terminology.

💡Cover Letter Hygiene

Cover letter hygiene refers to the practice of maintaining a professional and appropriate tone and content in a cover letter. The video mentions several aspects of cover letter hygiene, such as not including a full street address, avoiding industry jargon, and keeping the letter to a maximum of two pages.

Highlights

The video discusses five critical mistakes made in cover letter writing and how to avoid them.

Mistake one is not addressing the cover letter to an actual person, which shows a lack of research.

Ideally, the cover letter should be addressed to the direct manager of the role or the most senior person on the team.

Using LinkedIn to find the right person to address the cover letter can also help in networking.

Mistake two is having grammar mistakes and typos, which are often deal breakers for hiring managers.

Basic errors indicate a lack of attention to detail and make a candidate seem risky.

A ChatGPT prompt is suggested to find and fix grammatical mistakes and typos in a cover letter.

Involving others to review the cover letter can help catch overlooked mistakes.

Mistake three is not spending enough time crafting an engaging hook for the cover letter.

A good hook should be unique to the company and not interchangeable with competitors.

A relatable pain point can be used to create an effective hook that makes the reader curious.

Mistake four is not including tangible results in the cover letter, which quantifies the candidate's impact.

Vague statements should be replaced with quantifiable metrics to prove the candidate's abilities.

Mistake five is being unaware of cover letter hygiene, such as not including a full street address.

Avoiding industry jargon and acronyms makes the cover letter accessible to a broader audience.

Keeping the cover letter to two pages or less shows the candidate's ability to prioritize.

Bonus mistake six is creating a cover letter from scratch instead of learning from examples.

The video offers a free PDF version of a good cover letter for reference.

The importance of networking is emphasized, as most cover letters are read after a personal connection is made.

Transcripts

when it comes to writing a strong cover

letter there's no better way to show you

what not to do than go over a cover letter

that got me rejected from almost every

company back in the day in this video

we'll cover the five critical mistakes I

made and what you should do instead to

maximize your chances of Landing that

first round interview so let's get

started mistake number one not

addressing a cover letter to an actual

human being dear Deloitte recruiter

right off the bat the reader will see

this impersonal opening and know the

candidate did not do any research but

you might say Jeff most of the time we

don't know who to address it to and

you'd be right according to Austin

Belcak one of the best career coaches

out there ideally you want to address

the cover letter to the direct manager

of the role and if that doesn't work

find the most senior person on that team

in my Deloitte example the reporting

line Looks like senior consultant

manager senior manager director partner

managing partner so using the LinkedIn

search bar I type in manager filter for

people current company Deloitte Digital

location Hong Kong and here is a

list of people I can address my cover

letter to Pro tip I would take this

advice a step further and click into

these profiles to see if you have mutual

connections who can introduce us or mutual

interest I can bring up in a cold

message to learn more about the role

check out my LinkedIn videos to learn

how whether or not you took that extra

step now no matter who reads your cover

letter they'll know you did your

research and trust me addressing it to

the managing partner as try hard as that

sounds is better than Deloitte recruiter

number two grammar mistakes and typos

let's first start with the data Studies

have literally shown eighty percent of

hiring managers and recruiters find

spelling errors to be deal breakers in

fact it's the number one reason resumes

and cover letters are rejected but maybe

you're not trying to work for a stack-up

corporation a couple of typos shouldn't

matter right it's about your skills

here's what Ali Abdaal has to say after

reviewing 2 000 plus resumes when hiring

for his team okay so a bunch of spelling

and grammar issues there like this is

really obvious stuff Ali a full-time

YouTuber isn't someone we normally

associate with being professional or

businessy but even he knows that basic

errors represent a larger problem the

candidate is not detail-oriented and

therefore a risky hire here's a ChatGPT

prompt you can use to find and fix

all the grammatical mistakes and typos

in your cover letter and it will even

tell you every single thing that has

been changed in a before and after

column I'll link this in the description

Pro tip I always recommend asking five

other people to read your cover letter

as well and to make sure they're paying

attention insert an obvious mistake

towards the end if your friend doesn't

say anything they're probably not a

reliable friend mistake number three not

spending enough time on the hook here's

a litmus test if you replace your target

company with a competitor and the

beginning paragraph still makes sense

you do not have a good hook fifty

percent of your time should be spent on

an engaging hook because there's no

point writing the rest of our cover

letter if they don't read past your

first paragraph the most common mistake

people make including myself is being

too self centered I'm writing to

introduce myself I learned of this

opportunity I believe I am well suited

just imagine if I started off this video

with before we get started please like

And subscribe you'll be really helping

my channel out and when you're down

there please comment and follow me on

Instagram see what I did there unless

you're my mom who thinks I'm God's gift

to humanity you couldn't care less so

compare this self-centered opening with

this one everyone tells me the entry

level position in any of the big four

firms is going to be the same however

after attending five Career Fairs and

speaking with over 20 professionals it

has become clear to me EY stands out

from the rest you're not probably

feeling a little bit curious why is EY

different so you feel like you have to

keep reading and this hook works because

the candidate highlights a relatable

pain point for Big Four firms there's a

perception that all entry level

positions are the same to find a pain

point for your situation use this prompt

in ChatGPT based on this job

description what is the biggest

challenge someone in this position would

face day to day give me the root cause

of this issue and paste the job

description now you have the complexity

or pain point you can ask ChatGPT to

generate ideas for engaging hooks I

won't read the entire prompt it'll be

linked down below but basically you're

asking ChatGPT to relate your current

role and Industry to the role and

Company you're applying for by the way

neither Deloitte nor UI is sponsoring

this video so KPMG PWC hit me up but it

is supported by those of you who

subscribe to my paid productivity

newsletter on Google workspace tips Link

in the description if you want to learn

more mistake number four not including

tangible results back to the body

paragraph of my cover letter I

highlighted things like my one year I'm

an engagement experience in operational

strategy and my ability to build and

maintain client relationships the

problem with all these vague statements

is that I'm describing what I've done

when I should be quantifying my impact

but another way what was the result of

my actions and can I attach a number to

that result to prove to you every job in

the world can have qualifiable impact

I'll use this sentence that ends with my

ability to build and maintain client

relationships which can't possibly be

measured right paste that into

ChatGPT with this prompt I'm a job

Seeker I don't know how my success is

measured I'll describe what I do and

your task is to give me suggestions

where and how I can add quantifiable and

measurable metrics for each of my vague

descriptions ChatGPT gives a specific

example of how I can quantify my actions

using this as an example I could change

my original sentence to something like

our project received a 96 client

satisfaction score as measured in a

quality assurance survey compared to a

company-wide benchmark of 85 I received

recognition for being a day-to-day

contact at the client site I could

already see some of the comments will

you be able to identify a perfectly

accurate number each time no should you

lie definitely not but trust me when I

tell you hiring managers care more about

the effort you took to find the numbers

than the actual numerical values mistake

number five being unaware of cover

letter hygiene I learned this first one

a bit late but never include your full

street address in your cover letter

because number one they're not going to

send you mail number two there's a risk

of discrimination if they know know

where you live second thing to be aware

of avoid industry-specific acronyms and

jargon I didn't really make this mistake

here but I've seen cover letters from

marketers that say as a PMM working on

SAS CRM Solutions I have only full

funnel customer Journey from KV ideation

to execution I mean enough said third

don't go over two pages even if you have

a lot of work experience keep your cover

letter short and to the point shows a

reader you're able to prioritize the

most impactful and relevant experiences

for the role you're applying for bonus

mistake number six creating your cover

letter from scratch to reward those of

you who watch until now I'll include a

link down below to the good cover letter

I went over today the pdf version will

be for free so you can reference it when

creating your own after that's done make

sure to check out my LinkedIn videos on

how to network effectively because

Studies have shown most cover letters

are read only after a personal

connection has been made with the reader

see on the next video in the meantime

have a great one