Job Hunting Tip #11: Cover Letter Blunders

Shockingly many candidates make ridiculously stupid mistakes on their cover letters and resumes. Let me give you one great hint: ditch the cover letter. It can only work against you. Here are some of the examples of cover letter blunders that have been sent to me in the past:

1. “I have an extraordarily eye for detail.”
2. “I have excellent finance skills and have worked on $432 million of office projects and $209 million of retail projects, totaling $661 million.”
3. “My due dilligence skills are well-honed” (notice the spelling error).
4. “I speak fluently English.”
5. “I wish to start my career with a company that allows me to utilize my degree while gaining a lot knowledge that I don’t currently have.”
6. “I want to ask am I qualified for this position given my very limited experience.”
7. “I am very detail-oriented and make sure that I dot all of my eyes.”
8. “In addition to my education, I am a really good person.”
9. “I know that I have had a lot of jobs recently but the companies I join keep going out of business.”
10. “Before I apply for your position, does you company perform a background check?”

The above makes you look pretty good as a candidate, doesn’t it!