Cover Letter Mistakes That Get You Rejected
The common cover letter errors that sink applications before a recruiter finishes the first paragraph—and how to fix them fast.
Most cover letters fail for boring reasons: they are generic, hard to scan, or misaligned with the role. Fixing a few habits usually matters more than polishing every adjective.
Recycling the same letter for every job
Recruiters spot template letters immediately. If you could swap the company name and nothing else changes, rewrite the middle paragraph around that role’s priorities.
Opening with biography instead of value
Starting with your degree or a long career summary delays the “why you” answer. Lead with impact tied to the job.
Ignoring keywords the posting repeats
If the listing mentions “activation,” “B2B SaaS,” or a specific stack three times, those terms should appear where they fit. Silence looks like a mismatch to both ATS and humans.
Padding with soft claims
Phrases like “team player,” “passionate,” and “detail-oriented” rarely help. Swap them for one outcome you owned.
Broken or placeholder contact details
A letter that still says [Phone] or points to a dead LinkedIn URL looks unfinished. Export only after your real sign-off is complete.
A faster path: generate a first draft with EzCoverLetter, then edit for voice and one sharp proof point per paragraph.