9 cover letter mistakes that will annoy any hiring manager

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Cover letters can be a pain.

You've essentially got to write a new one for every position you apply to. They're less succinct than résumés. And they can turn out fairly badly, if you don't know what you're doing.

Still, if you want a shot at the job, you've got to get yours right.

Some common errors will raise red flags, but won't immediately land you in the rejection pile.

Other mistakes, however, will prompt any hiring manager to rip your cover letter to shreds, set the scraps on fire, and throw the ashes out the nearest window.

Well, maybe not. But it will probably get your cover letter tossed with a second thought.

With that being said, here are nine mistakes to avoid at all costs:

You leave in multiple typos and grammatical errors

Typos are a really easy way to land your application in the "no" pile.

"Your communication skills are perceived according to how well the letter is written," Executive career coach and founder of Résumé Writers' Ink Tina Nicolai says. "If a typo or grammatical error is present, the reader may think you were 'too busy' or lazy to check your work or don't care enough about this job to take the application process seriously. Or worse, they'll think you just don't know how to spell."

Never rely on spell check. Ask a friend or family member to look it over before you submit the cover letter to the employer.

You keep things generic

The hiring manager will know if you're using a "one size fits all" cover letter. And they won't be impressed. "Customize each cover letter targeting the specified job description," advises Nicolai. "A master cover letter is fine to use as a template or outline, but always remember to tailor it."

You adopt a whiny tone

In Business Insider's previous roundup of ghastly cover letters, one of the applicants complained about the fact that they typically send out cover letters and never hear back.

Clearly, they never stopped to consider that they were the problem.

Cover letters are not a space for you to gripe about your old boss, your old career, or the woes you've faced in your job search. Keep things positive and focused on the present.

No one wants to work with a complainer.

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