Common cover letter mistakes include sending a generic letter, making unsupported claims and overlooking the employer’s application instructions. A useful cover letter explains why you are interested in this particular role and backs up your suitability with relevant evidence.
This guide covers 10 mistakes to avoid, with practical fixes and examples. No wording can guarantee an interview, but a clear, accurate letter helps an employer understand what you could bring to the role.
Need a starting point? Use the AI cover letter generator, then check and personalise the draft before sending it.
1. Writing a Generic Opening
“I am writing to apply for…” is not automatically a bad opening. It clearly states your purpose. The weakness is stopping there without explaining why your experience fits the vacancy.
How to fix it: Name the role and connect it to a relevant skill, achievement or genuine reason for applying.
Generic: “I am writing to apply for the Administrative Assistant position. I believe I would be a great fit.”
More specific: “I am applying for the Administrative Assistant position at [Company]. My experience coordinating appointments, maintaining records and supporting a busy reception team matches your need for organised office support.”
The example illustrates a structure. Use it only if those responsibilities reflect your own experience.
2. Sending the Same Cover Letter to Every Employer
Changing only the company name can leave you discussing skills that matter little to the advertised role. It also increases the risk of accidentally naming a previous employer.
How to fix it: Read the vacancy and identify two or three priorities. Choose examples that address those priorities, and explain one specific reason you want to work for that organisation.
Avoid vague praise such as “your esteemed company”. Refer instead to a service, project or responsibility you have actually researched.
3. Repeating Your Resume Without Adding Context
A cover letter loses its purpose when it simply turns your resume bullet points into paragraphs. The reader already has your employment history.
How to fix it: Expand on one or two relevant examples. Explain the problem, your contribution and the outcome.
Resume-style statement: “Responsible for customer enquiries.”
With context: “When customers contacted us about delayed orders, I checked delivery information, explained the available options and coordinated with our warehouse team to resolve the issue.”
For a complete structure, read our guide on how to write a cover letter.
4. Making the Letter Too Long or Difficult to Scan
Long introductions, repeated points and dense paragraphs can hide your strongest evidence.
How to fix it: For a typical job application, aim for one page with three or four short paragraphs. Around 250 to 400 words is a useful guide, rather than a strict requirement. Follow the employer’s instructions if they specify a different length or format.
Remove sentences that repeat your interest without adding information. Give each paragraph a clear purpose: introduction, relevant evidence and closing.
5. Making Claims Without Evidence
Descriptions such as “excellent communicator” or “strong team player” tell the employer little unless you show what those qualities looked like in practice.
How to fix it: Replace broad claims with a specific example. Include numbers when they are accurate and relevant, but do not invent results to make the letter sound impressive.
Vague: “I have excellent communication skills.”
With evidence: “I explained technical issues to customers in plain language and wrote clear handover notes so colleagues could continue support without asking customers to repeat themselves.”
A clear example can be useful even when you do not have a measurable result.
6. Focusing Only on What You Want
It is reasonable to mention your motivation or interest in developing your skills. The letter should also explain how you could contribute to the employer’s work.
How to fix it: Connect your career goals to a need described in the vacancy.
Instead of only saying “I want to gain experience in marketing”, explain how your writing, research or project experience could help with the team’s campaigns. Keep the contribution realistic for your level of experience.
7. Ignoring File and Formatting Instructions
Submitting the wrong document type or using a complicated layout can make your application harder to process. Applicant tracking systems vary, so there is no universal format or keyword formula that guarantees acceptance.
How to fix it:
- Use the file type requested in the vacancy or application portal.
- Choose a readable font and a straightforward layout.
- Avoid placing important information only inside images.
- If you submit a PDF, check that its text is selectable and the layout looks correct.
- Use relevant job-description terminology naturally when it accurately describes your skills.
- Check any word or character limits before pasting into an application form.
Do not add keywords simply to increase their frequency. Your letter still needs to make sense to a human reader.
8. Leaving Typos, Wrong Names or Placeholders
A typo does not automatically mean rejection, but incorrect company names, missing placeholders and inconsistent details can undermine an otherwise strong application.
How to fix it: Check the company name, job title, recipient, contact details and every bracketed placeholder. Read the letter aloud and review the final exported document, not just the draft.
Use spelling tools as an additional check. They may not recognise a correctly spelled word used in the wrong context.
9. Including Irrelevant or Inaccurate Information
Unrelated personal details take space away from your suitability for the role. Exaggerated qualifications, invented achievements and unchecked AI-generated claims create a more serious problem: the letter no longer represents you accurately.
How to fix it: Keep information relevant to the vacancy and make sure you can explain every claim in an interview. If you lack direct experience, use honest examples from study, volunteering, personal projects or previous responsibilities.
Browse our cover letter examples for approaches suited to different roles and career situations.
10. Ending Without a Clear, Professional Closing
“Thank you for your consideration” is a perfectly acceptable closing. The issue is an abrupt ending, an overly demanding request or a final paragraph that introduces unrelated information.
How to fix it: Briefly confirm your interest, invite a discussion and thank the reader.
“I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience in [relevant area] could support [Company’s team or goal]. Thank you for considering my application.”
Finish with a professional sign-off and your name. Avoid implying that the employer owes you an interview or a reply.
Cover Letter Checklist Before You Submit
- The company name and job title are correct.
- The opening makes your purpose and relevance clear.
- The letter addresses important requirements from the vacancy.
- One or two examples support your main claims.
- Every achievement and qualification is accurate.
- The letter adds context rather than repeating your resume.
- The length, file type and layout follow the application instructions.
- All placeholders have been replaced.
- The final document has been checked for spelling and formatting.
- The closing is polite and professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “I am writing to apply” a bad cover letter opening?
No. It is a clear introduction. Follow it with a specific reason your background suits the position rather than relying on generic enthusiasm.
Can one typo ruin a cover letter?
There is no universal rule. Employers assess applications differently. Proofreading matters, especially for names, contact details and roles requiring careful written communication.
What should I write if I have no work experience?
Use relevant examples from education, volunteering, projects or other responsibilities. Explain what you did and how it relates to the role. Do not pretend to have experience you lack.
Can I use AI to avoid cover letter mistakes?
AI can help organise and draft your letter, but it can also produce generic wording or inaccurate claims. Review the output against your experience and the job description before submitting it.
Draft Your Cover Letter, Then Make It Your Own
The CoverQuick cover letter generator can help you create a starting draft. Add accurate details about your experience, review the result and use the checklist above before sending.
For more help, explore our cover letter examples by job or follow the complete cover letter writing guide.