Job Hunting Tip #4: Watch Out for those Cut and Paste Cover Letters

I received a cover letter last week that included three different fonts (sizes and types). It was quite evident that that candidate had cut and paste from several other cover letters to respond to my job posting. It was ridiculous that the candidate did not even bother reformatting the text. Additionally, the cover letter accidentally referred to the job as “an analyst position working in the manufacturing industry” as his dream job.

I don’t personally like to receive cover letters as I generally can ascertain immediately from a resume whether or not somebody has the skill set to perform the job that I am looking to fill. The one example of when cover letters do help is when the candidate who is applying for the position has been referred by a close friend or business associate of mine. Otherwise, I believe that cover letters can do more harm than good.