The Internet has changed how people apply for jobs and higher education. No longer do we need to submit applications by post or fax, nor do we need to do interviews in person – online applications, LinkedIn profiles and Zoom have dynamically shifted this process… although not necessarily for the better, as certain institutions and businesses have devised grueling gauntlet-style applications to find the “perfect” candidates.
While the Internet has certainly made things more convenient for pursuing new paths, the competition for those positions has also increased greatly. Your qualifications will get you through the initial screening, but it’s your cover letter that ultimately gets you through the door. Before you submit your next application, join Wordsmith as we explore what you should and shouldn’t do when drafting your cover letter!
Give it the old college try
College and university applications are often the first time we get asked to write a cover letter. For prestigious schools in particular, the admissions officers use these letters to vet their applicants’ motivations and interests… good grades will only carry you so far if your personality and/or drive are lacking. These principles also apply to cover letters for job applications!
Brennan Barnard, Forbes contributor and college admission counsellor and expert, consulted senior admissions officers across the United States to compile this list of the most common errors found in college applications:
Skip the psychoanalysing
This is a tip that we’re guilty of recommending. It’s apparently not a good idea to background check the admissions officer and tailoring the content of your letter to them – “Too often the focus is on what they think we want,” says Peter Hagen (executive director of admissions at Syracuse University).
He makes a good point, because Googling a person’s profile will only get you superficial details. It takes time to get to know somebody and learn about what impresses them. Attempting to psychoanalyse via a university bio and an article or two will lead to assumptions… and assumptions can be dangerous when your dream career or degree hinges upon it.
There’s also the risk of someone else being in charge of handling your letter and application. With so many uncertainties involved, you’re better off just being honest about your passions and interests and writing as you would normally. Imagine how bored the admissions officer would be if every letter had the same style and narrative!
Limit AI use (or skip it entirely)
It takes little to no effort to ask ChatGPT to crank out a cover letter for you, but putting your faith and future into the “hands” of a machine is both “unethical” and “unintelligent” describes Barnard.
Rick Clark, the executive director of strategic student success at the Georgia Institute of Technology, points out that “much of a college application is devoted to lines, boxes and numbers. Essays and supplements are the one place to establish connection, personality and distinction. AI, in its current state, is terrible at all three.
ChatGPT can make a decent first draft if you curate the prompt carefully, but you must also spend the time and effort to edit said draft. As Clark says, AI-generated material tends to be devoid of soul and personality – a bad look for you if you submit the draft as is, since your cover letter is likely the one and only chance for the admissions officer to get to know you!
Pick a story, but keep it concise and relevant
Cover letters offer a piece of insight into your life – the key word being piece. You should never try to fit your life story because there’s simply no way to do so in about 250-400 words – trying would be equivalent to Disney condensing the Star Wars original trilogy into a 30-second YouTube short (many details will be glazed over, background context would be nonexistent and it would most definitely suck).
Despite what some online websites may promise, Barnard argues that any article that promises to divulge the “magic topic” are simply false – just because a topic resonated well with one recruiter may not mean the same for the next.
Instead, you need to be adaptive and choose a topic that you think will be appropriate for the instance. “Some of the favourite essays I’ve read have been episodic, reflecting on the way you’ve found meaning in a seemingly ordinary experience, advice you’ve lived out, a mistake you’ve learned from, or a special tradition in your life,” writes Michael Stefanowicz (vice president for enrollment management at Landmark College).
If it ties in with a skill or requirement needed for the job posting, then even better!
However, don’t feel obligated to use the same story across every letter you send out. Your story about childhood hardship may demonstrate independence and self-motivation, but is that story relevant when you are expected to work with a big team 90% of the time?
Don’t get lazy
Cover letters should always be customised accordingly with where you are applying. We understand how incredibly frustrating it is applying to multiple places at the same time, and having to draft a new letter for each place definitely adds to your already overloaded plate, but do not fall into the trap of using a template letter and submitting the same letter with each application.
While crafting your letter, think about how you can link specific elements of your life with the job or school’s requirements – a lesson learnt, an event witnessed, a story passed down from your family… regardless what it is, make sure it’s something that the recruiter can’t just immediately find from your CV or LinkedIn profile.
Mind your edits
It’s tempting to want to edit your letter over and over until you get it just right, but overediting can actually damage the tone and “personal shine” out of your message, comments Whitney Soule (vice provost and dean of admissions at The University of Pennsylvania). This is especially true if you are the kind of person to ask for input from multiple people – as the old saying goes, too many cooks spoil the broth.
If you must ask for outside help, consider asking only one or two trusted friends or colleagues for input. This ensures that your personal voice and perspective stays intact.
At the same time, keep your edits simple and to the point. You don’t need to put on a flashy display with grand words or philosophical quotes to show off, nor are you obligated to put in funny quips if that isn’t how you write/talk in real life.
“In the new world of the hyper-fast college admission process, it’s become easy to overlook the essential meaning of the college application,” describes Anthony Jones (the vice president of enrollment management at Loyola University New Orleans). “It’s meant to reveal Y O U, the real you, not some phony digital avatar… the few lines you’re given to explain your view should be a slow walk through unrestrained expression chock full of unapologetic nuances, crevices of emotion and exactness about how you feel in the moment. Then, and only then, can you give the admissions officer an experience that makes them want to tune in and listen for more.”
Avoid negativity
Last but not least, talking down about someone else or a prior place of employment immediately trigger red flags for the recruiter. Granted, most of us enjoy reading juicy gossip, but cover letters (and interviews) are not the place for it. “Don’t be negative about other people, be appreciative of those who have supported you, and be excited about who you are and what you will bring to our campus,” explains James Nondorf (vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid at The University of Chicago).
However bad your experience may have been, being negative and critical are not a good show of your character – instead, be smart about it and reframe the negatives into positives. Did you hate your job despite enjoying working alongside a particular colleague? Talk about the importance of having supportive/competent colleagues in the face of difficult challenges. Did you feel drowned by the loads of work from too many different clients? It was an opportunity to work with a wide range of clients across industries.
Cover letters are brief glimpses of insight into your life. You might think yourself deserving of a position because of everything you’ve been through – but to a complete stranger, you can’t pen an entire biography in just a few hundred words. Much like a dating profile, you only have one shot to make a good impression with your limited resources. Don’t waste the chance by trying to be someone you aren’t!