Avoid These 7 Killer Cover Letter Mistakes

The applicant's resume was impressive. The formatting was impeccable, the content was excellent, and he did a great job of focusing on accomplishments instead of job duties. I am an employer, I was impressed. Then I looked at his cover letter and thought about tossing that perfect resume into the trash bin. Many college students and recent grads destroy their resumes by accompanying them with halfhearted or downright terrible cover letters. While some employers don't bother reading cover letters, most do. And they will quickly eliminate you if you make these cover letter mistakes:

Using the Wrong Cover Letter Format

The applicant's cover letter looked more like a cut-and-paste email than a business letter. It had no recipient information, no return address and no date. The letter screamed unprofessional. Be sure your cover letter uses a standard business-letter format. It should include the date, the recipient's mailing address and your address.

Making It All About You

It may seem counterintuitive, but your cover letter, like your resume, should be about the employer as much as it's about you. Yes, you need to tell the employer about yourself, but do so in the context of the employer's needs and the specified job requirements.

Not Proofing for Typos and Grammatical Errors

Employers tend to view  typos and grammatical errors as evidence of your carelessness and inability to write. Proofread every letter you send. Get additional cover letter help by asking a friend who knows good writing double-check your letter for you.

Making Unsupported Claims

Too many cover letters from college students and recent grads say the applicant has "strong written and verbal communication skills." Without evidence, it's an empty boast. Give some examples for each claim you make. Employers need proof.

Writing a Novel

A good cover letter should be no longer than one page. Employers are deluged with resumes and cover letters, and their time is scarce. Make sure your cover letter has three or four concise but convincing paragraphs that are easy to read. If your competitor's letter rambles on for two pages, guess which candidate the employer will prefer.

Using the Same Cover Letter for Every Job and Company

Employers see so many cover letters that it's easy for them to tell when you're using a one-size-fits-all approach. If you haven't addressed their company's specific concerns, they'll conclude you don't care about this particular job. It's time-consuming but worthwhile to customize each cover letter for the specific job and company.

Not Sending a Real Cover Letter

Some job seekers -- college students, recent grads and even those with years of work experience -- don't bother sending a cover letter with their resume. Others type up a one or two-sentence "here's my resume" cover letter, while others attach handwritten letters or sticky notes. There is no gray area here: You must include a well-written, neatly formatted cover letter with every resume you send. If you don't, you are unlikely to be considered for the job.

Online Applications to Camp Scully

Finally, we've caught up with the times. On the website now are staff applications that can be completed online and emailed to the Director's inbox. If you are new to Camp Scully read this page to give you an idea of what it's all about. If you've worked at Camp before and were just waiting, wondering what you were going to do for the next 5 minutes, fill out your returning application now!

Were you an LIT last year? Are you ready to work at Camp? Here's your form.

You will need Adobe Acrobat to complete the forms. Click the link to down load the free reader.

A word on signatures though. If you are returning we will still need your John Hancock (signature) so you'll have to print the form after completing it and then scan and email or mail it you with a stamp and envelope and all that. Or you can come into the office and sign it.

New applicants and LIT graduates will be able to sign it when they come in for an interview. We hope you enjoy the changes to the application process.

Almost finally, Camp has a shiny, new handbook for your information. We strongly suggest you download it and read it.

Finally, the application is the only form you need right now. You won't need a medical form or anything else until you are hired. We'll send you a lovely little letter stating that you've been hired. It will also state your salary and start date and all the other forms you'll need will be with the letter.

Ten reasons to be thankful that there is a Camp Scully

I recently posted a series of 10 reasons to be thankful that there was a Camp Scully on Facebook. I did one reason every couple of days. The idea for this was prompted from our observance of Veteran's Day and the sacrifice that those veterans have made enabling things like Camp Scully to exist. One of my camp mentors and good friends, Stuart Jones from Outpost Summer Camps, suggested I post the list in its entirety and I thought what better post could I have for Camp's inaugural blog. So here it is, thanks Stu.

(BTW, check out Stuart's Camp with the link above, its fantastic!)

1. Children and staff take on a new, positive personality at camp. If they arrive withdrawn and shy, they end up leading songs, acting crazy and hugging new friends before they leave.

2. If a child is homesick on Sunday, that child will be the one most likely to cry about leaving on Friday.

3. Camp Scully's community is a very powerful force for good in a young person’s life.

4. Camp songs stay with you and are never really forgotten.

5. Time to be in nature and unplugged is a powerful and an amazing gift.

6. People make very close friends at camp who will stick together beyond high school and college. People are very grateful to have had a place to make such close friends.

7. Long distance vision is a rare thing in a person and in life. You can hone your long distance vision at camp kayaking on Snyder's Lake, experiencing The Candlelight Ceremony or building a fort in the forest. The experiences will carry you through the school year and bring you back next year.

8. Every summer at least several counselors and many children will tell me that this was “the best summer of their lives.”

9. In addition to a wider range of skills and higher confidence levels, many young people end up with more money working at camp than they do taking a summer job and paying for transportation, lodging, meals and their own entertainment.

10. Camp helps prepare young people for the world that they are going to inherit.