2 Things Recruiters HATE To Read On Cover Letters

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With the way the hiring process is these days, recruiters are flooded with thousands of cover letters. Trying to sift through them all can be a daunting process. On top of this, most cover letters are generic and tell the recruiter nothing about you.

But there are a couple of things recruiters really CAN'T STAND when it comes to cover letters. Career expert and Work It Daily founder J.T. O'Donnell is going to share what those things are and why you should stop doing them NOW...

#1: To Whom It May Concern

# 2: Recap of your resume.

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[blytherobbins]

I'm burned out on the cover letter. I understand it's importance, however, I am tailoring a resume and a cover letter to every job I apply for. When I'm applying for at least a job a day, most of my day is writing twice. Yes, I can cut and paste and share across jobs, but you still have to tailor both. It's exhausting and frustrating and leads to burn-out. I'm almost to the point of "Dear Hiring Manager, Here's my resume, read it. K. Thx. Bye."

[ndruark]

I am really bad at “selling myself”. I feel I have a lot to offer a company, but it’s awkward trying to describe it all.

[aliciajohnson]

Cover letters are especially tricky when you have low self esteem and are feeling cynical. It can then feel like you're lying about your level of enthusiasm and just brown-nosing your way into a job you don't know much about. Why can't we just say, "I want job plz. Sincerely, an unemployed noob. Thx."

[HHHPedigrees]

Spend two hours on a cover letter per job posting just to get an email 6 months later that they have moved forward with another candidate

[vincenthaegebaert]

Not knowing whom to address the letter to. Indeed, Linked-in Monster etc do not list a name, it's kind of a crock this whole process, the job-seeker is supposed to be all personal and bubbly and try to make a human connection, meanwhile the company is this cold, impersonal, unfeeling institution who only looks at the data, such a crock.

[art-byfayleif]

The hardest part is actually finding who it should go to

[KayGee_yt]

"Why do you want to work for us?"

Because you want to pay me money

[joegarvin]

You asked for opinions on the worst part. For me the worst part is trying to be original and different then the 100's if not 1000's of other applicants and trying to figure out what appeals to the particular culture of this particular organization. Seriously considering just starting my own business and getting out of this ridiculous game!

[castillobain]

Its hard to make a cover letter personnel to the company when your sending out 100s of resumes

[rhetta]

Even with a template cover letter, the time it takes to put it together...the details, coming up with a story specific to the company.

[ketofitforlife]

Least favorite part? Taking the time and energy to really try and speak to the employer, cover letter or otherwise, only to get no response at all. Then, learning what to do and what not to do through content like this, repeat the application process 500 times (seriously) with this new 'technique', to get either no response, bad management, or employers who don't realize that you can't put your life on hold for 3 months waiting on them to make a decision: ESPECIALLY, if you live in California.

[cherieallgood]

I found this video by typing a search "I hate cover letters". Why why why can't people just read the resume?! I have always felt stupid writing a cover letter because EVERYTHING I need to say is ALREADY in my resume! I hate that it often seems like the only things to write ARE INDEED regurgitation of the resume. I have had to pick and choose candidates myself, and a cover letter is something I NEVER WANTED TO SEE. Their resume was just fine.

[genesiscruz]

Lollll me: “dear hiring manager just hire me I’M WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR”

[THEGAMINGHELP]

"To whom it may concern" is old school amd in personal.... Proceeds to recommend a diferent set of words that are no less in personal...

[mightygamer]

I find it hard maintaining motivation to write letters begging for a job that is gonna underpay me, especially given the condition the condition of the world. It seems useless some days.

[TheKWilson]

J.T., the biggest challenge on writing a cover letter is trying to match my tone (enthusiasm, knowledge, etc...) versus the reader. I don't want to come off as a know-it-all & not humble, but at the same time I don't want to seem over excited and not genuine. That's for your post J.T. & WID.

[ruthiminza]

Writing a cover letter is exhausting and frustrating especially when you suffer from low self esteem and more when you don't know your potential. I don't know what to put in it.

[IsThisAvailable]

I'm 59 and have worked for over 40 years
The worst part for me is having to rewrite a CV for the many hundreds of companies (or in most cases, an employment agency, not knowing the *actual* end client)
one of my CV's is 12 pages long, but I like to only send one two pages long.
I have to 'dumb down' most of my career, because too often, I get told I'm over qualified, or if I chase them through, I'm asked why I'm going for a position that I used to manage for...
I've managed to get about 30 years of my career down to 2 or 3 lines.
About half of the last 20 years have been in contracting (many companies, short term)

[Melisa-vcmy]

It takes fooorrrreevvveerrr to do a cover letter. But thanks for all of your free tips, it's been invaluable x

[pkc]

Points covered in this video:
#1. Don’t use “To Whom it may concern”. Instead use: “Dear Hiring Team” or “Dear Hiring Manager”
#2. Cover letter should not be A recap of your resume