TailorLetter
Most cover letters are not rejected for one big reason. They die from a stack of small, avoidable mistakes that each cost you a little credibility until the reader stops caring.
The good news: every one of these is fixable in minutes. Here are the eleven that get applications binned, and exactly how to fix each.
The mistakes that kill you in the first 10 seconds
1. Opening with "I am writing to apply for"
It is the most common first line, and it tells the reader nothing. They already know you are applying.
Fix: Open with a specific reason you fit, or a sharp observation about the company. Lead with signal, not formality.
2. Addressing it "To Whom It May Concern"
It reads as a mass send. It signals you did not spend two minutes finding out who reads it.
Fix: Find the hiring manager on LinkedIn or the job page. If you truly cannot, "Dear Hiring Team" beats the dusty alternative.
3. Making it about what you want
"This role would be a great opportunity for my growth" centers you. The reader is asking what they get.
Fix: Flip every sentence to their benefit. Not what the job does for you, what you do for the job.
The mistakes that waste the body
4. Repeating your CV line by line
If the letter just narrates your resume, it earns no space. The reader already has the resume.
Fix: Pick one or two achievements and go deep: the context, the action, the result. Add, don't echo.
5. Staying vague and generic
"I am a hard-working team player with great communication skills" describes nobody. It is invisible.
Fix: Replace every adjective with evidence. "Hard-working" becomes a concrete thing you shipped under pressure.
6. Writing a wall of text
A dense, unbroken block signals effort to write and effort to read. Most readers skim, then bounce.
Fix: Short paragraphs, two to three sentences each. White space is a feature, not a waste.
7. Forgetting to tailor it to the company
A letter that could be sent to any employer will impress none of them. Reusing one template is obvious from the first line.
Fix: Name the company, reference something specific about them, and connect it to you. One tailored sentence changes the whole read.
The mistakes that lose you at the finish
8. Typos and the wrong company name
Nothing undoes a strong letter faster than "I'd love to work at [Company]" left unfilled, or a competitor's name pasted in.
Fix: Read it out loud once. Then check the company name appears correctly everywhere.
9. Being too long
If it runs past one page, the reader assumes you cannot prioritize. Length is not effort, it is friction.
Fix: Cut to under 350 words. If a sentence does not earn its place, delete it.
10. A weak or missing close
Ending with "I look forward to hearing from you" is passive. It hands all the initiative to them.
Fix: Close with a confident, specific line: what you would bring, and a clear willingness to talk it through.
11. No clear ask or next step
Many letters just stop. The reader is left without a reason to act now.
Fix: State plainly that you would welcome an interview, and that you are easy to reach. Make the next step obvious.
A real example
Here is the difference between a generic line and a fixed one, same candidate:
Before: "I am writing to apply for the Marketing Manager role. I am a results-driven professional with excellent communication skills."
After: "Monzo grew without a traditional ad budget, which is exactly the kind of growth I like building. At my last role I ran a referral campaign that cut our cost per signup by 40% in one quarter."
The second version names the company, shows a real result, and reads like a person. Same length, completely different signal.
Fix the pattern, not just one letter
You do not need to memorize eleven rules. They collapse into one habit: every sentence should earn its place by being specific to you and useful to them.
Read your next letter and mark any line that could appear in someone else's application. Those lines are the mistakes. Replace or cut each one, and most of this list takes care of itself.
Generate your letter in under a minute
Paste the job listing, upload your CV, and TailorLetter writes a letter tailored to that role.
Try it freeFrequently asked questions
What is the single worst cover letter mistake?
Sending the same generic letter to every employer. It undoes everything else, because the reader can tell in one line that it was not written for them.
Do typos really cost you the job?
Often, yes. For roles where attention to detail matters, a single obvious typo is an easy reason to move you to the no pile.
How long should a cover letter be?
Under 350 words, one page maximum. Shorter and specific beats long and thorough almost every time.
Should I use AI to avoid these mistakes?
Yes, if you feed it real details about you and the role. AI removes the generic mistakes fast, but only you can supply the specifics that make it land.