9 Cliches to Cut From Your Cover Letter Right Now

9 Cliches to Cut From Your titel Letter Right Now9 Cliches to Cut From Your Cover Letter Right Now9 Cliches to Cut From Your Cover Letter Right NowWhen writing your titelseite letter, be creative - not cliche.A word to the wise Actions speak louder than words, and no, you cant judge a book by its titelblatt. But at the end of the day, when applying for a job, its still better to be safe than sorry, bite the bullet, and submit a titel letter.Wait.Before you think were actually being serious with that monster sentence chock-full of cliches were not. Were making a point its time to cut cliches from your cover letter.Cliches are overused expressions that were once original but now fall flat. Since these phrases are worn out, they lack the punchiness and personality required to tischset your cover letter apart from other candidates.Then why are cover letters a breeding ground for cliches? For whatever reason, when were not quite sure what to write, we use cliches as crutches. Theyre com fortable, and hey, maybe theyll make us sound more qualified or maybe hit all the vague points the hiring manager is looking for. Yet by relying on cliches, were not showcasing our full potential or our unique experiences effectively.For this reason, heres a list of nine common cliches that tend to make appearances in cover letters and should never appear again.1. To whom it may concernWere jumping right in with this one. Before you even start writing your cover letter, take a look at to whom youre addressing it.Whenever possible, personalize your cover letter salutation. Even if you cant find the hiring managers name immediately, put in the work and do some digging. Need some extra help? TopResumes career advice expert Amanda Augustine shared her tips on how to address a cover letter.2. My name isIf youre formatting your cover letter correctly, chances are your full name already appears at the top of the page in bold letters. Plus, you probably emailed your cover letter or filled out an application, so your name is all over the place. Theres no need to waste time (and space) by restating it with a bland Hello, my name is greeting.Instead, launch into something thatll capture the readers attention. Get creative and describe yourself in another way. Maybe youre an email-marketing specialist or maybe you have a Ph.D. in poetry. Whatever it is, set yourself apart with details and specific identifying characteristics.3. Im writing to applyIts a bit obvious youre writing to apply for a job, right?Instead of starting with Im writing to apply, shake things up. Maybe you can mention where you saw the job listing. Better yet, if someone within the company suggested you apply or is passing along a recommendation, drop his or her name.4. Ever since I was a little girl or boyYoure not diving into a childrens bedtime story youre applying to a job. Although its great to weave a story into your cover letter, you dont need to set it up in this manner.Instead, exercise some creativity and craft a scene. What did you do as a little girl or boy? Maybe when you were seven, your mom caught you mesmerized in front of the TV watching the 5 oclock news. She couldnt get you to come into the kitchen for dinner or for a bowl of ice cream. Thats when you knew you wanted to become a news anchor.Describe that scene instead of making a one-dimensional statement.5. As you can see on my resumeDont resort to regurgitating your resume and especially dont point out that youre regurgitating your resume.Instead, note specific projects youve worked on or challenges youve been able to overcome within the workplace. Your cover letter is a great space to reveal those colorful details that didnt fit into your resume.RelatedHow to Write a Catchy Cover Letter6. *Insert company motto here*Imagine applying for a job at Nike and writing something like, Im ready to Just do it. Maybe youre applying for a job with Allstate, so you write, I know Ill be in good hands with a job at Alls tate.These are examples are a bit extreme, but they help exemplify this point Dont cough up surface-level details about the company. Thats information anyone could have pulled from its homepage.Instead, research the company youre applying to work with. Check to see if its been in the news but stick with the positive headlines. Check to see if the company has won an award or has completed a huge project and note that.Showing youve done your research which requires more than just glancing over a homepage means a lot to hiring managers.7. Im the perfect fitAnyone can throw out claims like this. Also, what makes you the perfect fit out of everyone else whos saying the same thing?Rather than describing yourself with vague superlatives, show why you think youd be the perfect fit. If you already have 10 years of experience in the given field, mention that. Perhaps you just completed a certification course thatll help you bring new industry information to the department. Explain more.Div ing into why youre the perfect fit without declaring it will help beef up your cover letter.8. I have excellent written and oral communication skillsOther related cover letter cliches Im a hard worker. Im a problem-solver. Im a team player. I think outside the box.Why do we fall back on these cover letter catchphrases? Its probably because the job listing uses them.Again, its important to show and not tell when it comes to cover letters. By showing specific examples of how you work and what you can accomplish, youll be able to dodge these coined terms everyone else is using.9. This job would be a dream come trueNot only is this a tired, tired phrase, but its also not true in the literal sense. For many of us, we pray our insane stress-induced dreams dont come true, right?Theres no need to dive into dream interpretations right now, but instead of ending your cover letter on such a generalized note, explain exactly what itd mean for you to join the company or to hold such a job titl e.Remember though that you dont want to beg or become overly sentimental that can just get awkward.The bottom line is this Be specific, do your research, write outside your resume, and remember to show not tell.Click on the following link for more resume and cover letter advice.Before you can write a cover letter, you need a job-winning resume. Request a free resume critique to see how yours stacks upRecommended ReadingAsk Amanda How Do I Write a Great Cover Letter?Elevate Your Cover Letter With 3 Simple Tests5 Things to Say in Your Cover Letter If You Want to Get the Job