• Home
  • Services
    • Resume Writing & Coaching
    • Courses and E-Books
    • Corporate & Group Services
    • Free Resources
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Blog
Hollywood Resumes
  • Home
  • Services
    • Resume Writing & Coaching
    • Courses and E-Books
    • Corporate & Group Services
    • Free Resources
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Blog

Why you shouldn't make broad generalizations about a company or industry in your cover letter

5/25/2017

 
Picture
Let’s talk about the purpose of a cover letter. It’s to a) explain your intentions in applying for a certain position and b) concisely summarize the skills and experience that make you qualified for the role. But we sometimes see cover letters that have extra sentences like, “In an ever-changing media landscape, it’s important to create properties that can be adapted into multiplatform content that is accessible on a variety of screens. Netflix’s commitment to providing high volumes of on-demand programming on multiple devices has led to the success of its premium content and has made the company an industry leader.” How do these statements fit in to our two main components of a cover letter? They don’t. Making broad generalizations like these is a huge (and very common) cover letter mistake.

There is nothing more annoying than being schooled in your own industry or company when reading a cover letter. If you take this approach, the reader will roll his eyes at your assessment of his company. You also run the risk of being wrong in one of your assertions. You might admire Netflix’s content, and by your standards, it could be a successful company. You may even have a guess as to the strategy that led to its achievements. But you don’t work there. How could you possibly know the complex decisions that were made that contributed to a company’s success or demise? You don’t even know how that company measures “success.” You might love one of its programs and think it’s doing well because all your friends talk about it, but in reality, it may be underperforming with its intended audience. If you’re making incorrect assumptions about the company in your cover letter, a hiring manager will wonder where you got your information and if you even understand what type of job you’re applying for — will you be happy at a company whose mission you’ve completely misjudged? Even if you’ve made an accurate statement, it’s basic information the hiring manager already knows — you’re just stating the obvious and wasting his time. Current employees presumably understand their company function and industry best practices, and they don’t need you to remind them.

This brings us to our next point — sweeping generalizations are a waste of space in your cover letter. The hiring manager wants to hear about YOU, not some tidbit that you could have found on Wikipedia. A cover letter is not the place to go into depth about your knowledge of an industry — save that for the interview. If there’s something specific about the company’s mission or culture that you read about on its website or heard about from a friend that works there, and you can tie it into your background, it’s fine to (briefly!) mention that in a cover letter — that's highlighting your passion and unique perspective. But stay away from more general statements. Spend those precious sentences speaking about your experience and qualifications instead.

--Angela Silak & Cindy Kaplan


Comments are closed.

    Hollywood Resumes

    ​Welcome to our career tips blog!  To receive our updates via email, sign up for our weekly newsletter.  You'll also get access to exclusive discounts, offers, and resources! 

    Sign up now!

    Categories

    All
    ASK HR
    Assistant Life
    Bios
    Career Coaching
    Cover Letters
    Industry Spotlight
    Internships
    Job Applications
    Job Interviews
    Job Search Tips
    LinkedIn
    Networking
    Personal Statement
    Professional Development
    References
    Resume Help
    Salary
    Script Coverage
    Social Media
    Thank You Notes
    Work Life

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    RSS Feed

Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter to receive career tips, discounts, and access to our resource library!
SUBSCRIBE
Photos used under Creative Commons from Jimmy Benson, 401(K) 2013, christiaan_008, televisione, Dai Lygad, MarkMoz12, Krists Luhaers, Nguyen Vu Hung (vuhung), Hollywood_PR, State Farm, Joe The Goat Farmer, HandsLive, Glyn Lowe Photoworks., thedailyenglishshow, dno1967b, flazingo_photos, jmrodri, cliff1066™, Joe The Goat Farmer, flazingo_photos, starmanseries, anitakhart, jimmiehomeschoolmom, Glyn Lowe Photoworks., hfb, gminguzzi, thedailyenglishshow, Visual Content, mkhmarketing, Peat Bakke, Visual Content, vlauria, flazingo_photos, flazingo_photos, cafecredit, StockMonkeys.com
  • Home
  • Services
    • Resume Writing & Coaching
    • Courses and E-Books
    • Corporate & Group Services
    • Free Resources
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Blog