When you meet someone new, what is the first thing you notice about them?  Maybe you'd notice a nice smile, a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, or beautiful brown eyes.

Now imagine someone has a piece of spinach between their teeth, toilet paper stuck to their shoe, or is avoiding eye contact. While these may not be the kinds of things you'd hold against someone, an employer may not be as forgiving if their first impression is not a good one.

Before an employer sees your resume or meets you in person, they begin forming an impression about you from your cover letter. Here's a sample which includes mistakes we've seen in actual cover letters: 

Dear Sirs: 

I saw you're ad. This is the kind of job I've been looking for. I'm pretty sure I would enjoy it and it would be good experience for me. I've already sent out a bunch of resumes without much luck so I hope you'll hire me. As you can see I have everything your looking for. Its you're loss if you don't hire me. Call me at 5555-1234. 

Andy Applicant

1.  Don't address the letter "Dear Sirs". The person reading your letter may be a woman who won't be impressed with this salutation.  Instead, find out the name of the person who will be reviewing your resume by contacting the company's human resources department, or address your letter "Attention:  Human Resources Department" if they won't give you a name.

2.  Don't forget to say which position you are applying for. Many companies advertise more than one position at a time.

3.  Don't send a cover letter that has not been thoroughly proofread.  Typographical and grammatical errors (such as confusing "you're" with "your") create a poor impression.

4.  Don't focus on what you want. In this case the applicant said he thought he'd enjoy the job and get experience. Focus instead on what value you can bring to the employer such as increasing revenues or cutting costs.

5.  Don't send a generic letter. You can make a much better impression by mentioning the company name and doing a little research so you can say something flattering about the company. You can learn what companies pride themselves on, including their products and achievements, by checking their websites.

6.  Don't appear desperate. Avoid comments such as "I've already sent out a bunch of resumes without much luck." Employers may wonder if there's a good reason why no one else has hired you.

7.  Don't challenge them to hire you. Employers will be turned off if you say something like "It's your loss if you don't hire me." Instead, show them, with examples of your accomplishments, why you would be an asset to their company.

Remember, to leave a good impression, treat your cover letter as if it were the first meeting with your potential employer.  Not many employers will give you a second chance (i.e. an interview) if you leave them with a bad first impression.  So, make your cover letter count even if you have some left over lunch stuck between your teeth while you are typing it up.

Click here to find the career of your dreams.

Tag and Catherine Goulet are founders of FabJob Inc. Visit www.FabJob.com to discover how to break into the career of your dreams. 
 

Sisters Tag and Catherine Goulet are the Dream Career Experts. In 1999 they founded FabJob, a publisher of guides on how to break into a dream career, which is now visited by tens of millions of people per year. They have been featured giving career advice in media from ABC to Oprah.com and Woman's Day to the Wall Street Journal online, and their career advice appears frequently on the career pages at MSN.com and AOL.com. They are authors of the forthcoming book Dream Careers: How to Quickly Break into a Fab Job! Visit www.FabJob.com to discover how to break into a dream career.