When a potential job-seeker decides to do a job search, he updates his resume. What about the Cover letter? Before a recruiter goes through your resume, he would come across the Cover Letter to have an idea abut your personality. A well-drafted cover letter has the potential to even earn you an interview call, so it's crucial to take this document seriously.

Let's see some of the common mistakes to be avoided while making a cover letter.

1. Inability to personalize - Avoid saying ‘Dear Sir or Madam' and take the initiative to find out the correct name of the concerned person. You could give a call to the company and know the person concerned. This will show that you are resourceful and interested in the job.
   
   
2. Starting off weak - Your first paragraph should be able to capture the reader's attention so rather than just saying "I am applying for a web designer job posted in XYZ.com” follow it up with "My 4 year experience in the field of web development and web designing matches your requirement" Be sure to mention the name of the mutual contact so that it may further tempt the reader to read it completely.
   
   
3. Making a cover letter too long/short - In the case of an e-mailed cover letter, the content shall be in the parameter of an e-mail styled cover letter and must finish in two paragraphs. However, a faxed or mailed letter should not exceed three to five paragraphs.
   
   
4. Being generic- Avoid sending the same kind of cover letters to all the companies. Take some time off and do some research to at least make 4-5 styles of cover letters.
   
   
5. Go over the resume- Make a detailed study of your resume and see if the content of your cover letter matches with the content of your resume.
   
   
6. Under estimating your talent- Give enough reasons to hiring managers to call you for an interview. Instead of saying you have got such and such skills, try to give them an account of the real things you have done so far. Thus, stop underselling your talent and start giving them the real push wherever required.
   
   
7. Trying to be witty- Avoid being plain witty and humorous to show that you are really cool. This won't work. Try to stick to the regular format of the cover letter. Using Mr. and Mrs. Shall help you get the right kind of exposure as far as the interview call is concerned.
   
   
8. Focusing too much on self- Avoid putting lines in the cover letter that starts with "I". More than doing that, you need to put it otherwise and emphasize on content of the resume.
   
   
9. Deleting contact information- Don't delete any contact information from your cover letter thinking that you are giving too much importance to self. Rather put a valid phone number and e-mail address where you could be reached easily after the interview.
   
   
10. Failing to proofread- Last but not the least, don't forget to proofread your resume and cover letter. No one likes to see any kind of errors whatsoever and that too in a resume or a cover letter. Thus, make sure you are proofreading the content before sending it to print.
    

There are some common cover letters mistakes that must be avoided in order to be job-ready and enhance your chances of getting the all important interview call in a flash.