• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Career / 10 Cover Letter Myths Debunked

10 Cover Letter Myths Debunked

June 26, 2015 //  by Erika Bell

Shares51FacebookTweet

Imagine that only one other candidate sits between you and your dream job. Your credentials line up equally impressive and it all comes down to the cover letters. Your letter regurgitates the same skills, jobs and clubs from your resume, while your opponent is witty, passionate and creative. Who’s getting the job?  Not you. Dust off one of your cover letters and grab a red pen: These 10 cover letter myths reveal why you didn’t get the job.

1)  It Shouldn’t Be Too Eager

giphy
giphy.com

Employers can sniff out passion as soon as they read your cover letter. Research the company and show your interest in helping it grow. Be open about why you love the company, your previous job experience and where you see your future  heading.

2) It Should Rework my Resume in Letter-Format

tumblr_inline_mxlxt2W3wh1qas1wd
coalitionmus.tumblr.com

Your resume makes you shine, but your cover letter should align yourself with the mission of the company. Chances are the employer already read about your involvement with Glee club─you don’t have to keep mentioning it. Mercantile Bank Human Resources employee Misti Stanton, said the cover letter and resume should have a distinctive relationship. “You don’t want something totally different from the resume, but it has to connect and be a counterpart. Keep me eager to where I wish I could turn the next page and want to meet you and interview you,” Stanton said.

3) It Should Follow a Standard

The three-paragraph rule is not the golden key to an awesome cover letter. If you’re applying for a position that requires creativity or innovation, show your employer that you’ve got it. Create a website, YouTube video or infographic to show off your skills. University of Maryland alum Drew Snadecki took the unexpected route and rapped his cover letter. “The idea came from my employer’s requirement to give a 2-3 minute audio track with my cover letter describing who I was. It was either this internship or nothing, which gave me the courage to be like, ‘Screw it.’ I wrote raps in high school and poetry as a fun hobby for myself, so I decided to just merge my skill with rap with this cover letter track,” Snadecki said.

 4) It Should Greet With “To Whom it May Concern”

Hello-My-Name-is-Yingye-Yang-e1384805444602-560x386
social.eli.ubc.ca

Do whatever you can to find out who will read your cover letter. Scour your company’s website high and low and research the names of hiring managers who may be reading your letter. “To Whom It May Concern” sounds like you’re contacting an estranged family member, not someone you want to hire you.

5) It Won’t Ever Be Read

615x200-ehow-images-a01-v4-aq-write-resume-security-guard-job-800x800
ehow.com

Yes, it will. The cover letter shows employers how you can rub their backs, as opposed to what they can do for you. During my internship search, several companies made uploading a cover letter optional. My laziness swooped in and convinced me to click submit with no cover letter attached. I saved time, but I lost an opportunity to stand out from other applicants.

6) It Shouldn’t Be Too Personal

im-just-being-honest
troll.me

Turn down the opportunity to monotonously list your talents and passions. Instead, share a short story about how you came across the company or your journey working up to this position. Instead of statistics, give potential employers a taste of who you are.

 7) It Shouldn’t Take a Risk

image
businessinsider.com.au

Analyze the position you are applying for, and if it’s a position that understands a little witty humor, take the risk. Companies are looking for applicants with vibrant personalities, not clones with the same stale cover letters…who wants to read that? Snadecki’s risky rap was well-received by maDCap hirer David Ross. “Not to make fun or anything but almost like, did this kid really just rap his cover letter?  I was sold immediately. It was creative. It was bold.  And that’s exactly what we were looking for,” said Ross.

8) It’s All About ME

ca5ad0c0fa7672b69076f7dbbc286675
pinterest.com

You’ll have your time to brag if you get an interview, but demonstrate how familiar you are with the company by spitting some impressive facts. Do they have any great products? Have you been obsessed with them since you were ten? Let them know…in a non-creepy way. “In my mind the cover letter answers two questions: why are you interested, and why are you qualified? Of course the why are you qualified portion is important, but make sure you don’t skip over why you are interested. It’s your opportunity to make your argument as to why you are a great fit for the company,” said Chelsea Greene, a career coach at the University of Michigan Career Center.

9) It Should Be Brief

giphy.com
giphy.com

Keeping it short and sweet is good for speed dating, but your cover letter is the place to lay everything out on the table. Cover letters should be around 1-2 pages, so make sure you say everything you want. Format your letter so that it follows a cohesive structure and avoid getting off topic.

10) It Should Tell Employers What They Want to Hear

70-I-know-it-may-look-like-Id-become-a-bitch
sharegif.com

Chances are you don’t know exactly what they want. Your best bet is to be honest as to why you’re interested in the company and how you can be an asset to the team. Faking it ‘till you make it will only force you to live up to something you’re not.

Shares51FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Career Cover Letter How to Write a Cover Letter Jobs & Internships

About Erika Bell

Erika is a senior Communication Studies major at the University of Michigan. She enjoys reading, photography and binge-watching A Different World on Netflix.

You May Also Like

Painting strokes image

CM Creates: How to Become a Professional Painter

5 Tips for Getting Your Social Media Ready for the Professional World

resume styles

College Magazine’s Guide to Resume Styles for Landing the Job

Community College Professor walks through the halls

Higher Education: Why Teaching Community College Makes the Ideal Career

College Magazine’s Guide to the Engineering Major

Writer

How to Use Your Creative Writing Degree: 10 Tips and Tricks

corporate

7 Insider Tips on How to Climb the Corporate Ladder

career development

How Your College Career Center Can Land You a Job During COVID-19

how to become a software engineer

College Magazine’s Guide to Becoming a Software Engineer

CM Guide Health Science

College Magazine’s Guide to the Health Science Major

Overview of three people at a desk working

Work in the Way? 10 Guilt-Free Reasons To Leave Your Job

10 Office Ethics Commandments That Apply to Daily Life

What Is a Good Credit Score and How Do I Get One of Those?

10 Invaluable Skills You Get from Learning and Working Virtually

future teacher

CM’s Ultimate Guide to the English Education Major

Finance Managers

Become the Next Warren Buffett: CM’s Guide to Portfolio Management

cover letter

The Cover Letter: Your Secret Weapon into the Professional World

peace corps

Top 10 Well-Kept Secrets to Succeeding in the Peace Corps

online portfolio

10 Steps to Building an Impressive Online Portfolio in 2020

woman on the phone

Bridge the Gap: CM’s Guide to the Interpreting Profession

internships

How To Make Your Internship Work For You

professionals working together

CM’s Guide to the Public Relations Major

doctors medical school good majors for medical school

10 Good Majors For Med School that Aren’t Biology

woman working a remote job

Remote Job Offers: 10 Tips to Help You Make Up Your Mind

Previous Post: « 16 Summer Jams for your Next Road Trip
Next Post: Dance Floor Predators: Dealing With The Groin Approach »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

CampusLife_sm
53

CM’s Top 10 Schools Doing Residential Life Right

coffee w heart
14

A Barista’s Guide to Making Delicious Coffee Drinks at Home

6

5 Tips for Getting Your Social Media Ready for the Professional World

Featured Chapter: UCLA

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.