Dear Applicant,

A few pointers to make your next job search more successful.

First, don’t tell me you’re passionate about x, y, and z in your cover letter when x, y, and z are items directly associated with the field in which you’re applying.  People are passionate about film, chocolate, books, friendships, etc… not about making sure the accounts balance at the end of the day, or that students have the best possible experience in their residence hall.

Second, I’d ask that you quickly glance at the space between the start of this sentence and the end of the previous one.  See that gap?  It’s called a paragraph break.  We use them to end one train of thought and begin another.  You might try using them, too.

Thirdly – and this is really important – the Thesaurus feature found in your word processing software can be a helpful tool on rare occasions, but should not be the crutch you lean on for every.  single.  sentence.  Remember, you’re writing a cover letter, not a Doctoral Dissertation.

Lastly, keep it brief.

Sincerely,

A Frustrated Reader