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As soon as you write a cover letter, it feels tempting to press the send button quickly. No matter how much time you have left, please don't send a cover letter without checking seven essential things. I'm sharing a COVER LETTER CHECKLIST with you. 

No matter you are writing one letter or multiple, review every letter against the list of items I added to this list. If you are wondering why? Well, haste makes waste.

All the efforts you put into the company's research, job descriptions, and writing will go down the drain if you don't remain careful.

You might have an application deadline to meet, but please spend 10 minutes performing seven checks on your cover letter.

Cover Letter Checklist - 8 Things to Check Before Sending a Cover Letter 

Here are some points to pay attention to while reviewing your cover letter.

1.Always Proofread

Read your cover letter aloud. Copy and paste your cover letter in Grammarly.com so that you know if there are some grammar or spelling mistakes in your work. The more you review, the better idea you will get. Maybe some lines don't sound great and don't make any sense. Sometimes, you misspelled some words and skipped some vital details.

You won't proofread once; it's better to read once to check how it sounds. Not in a mood to read? Get help from Google Assistant or ask your partner to read it aloud. A second opinion on your cover letter helps you get an objective view.

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2.Double-Check Important Details

Are you addressing the hiring manager or recruiter? Double-check spelling. Sarah and Sara may sound the same, but it spells differently. No one likes to address with wrong or misspelled names. 

You always add some Call-to-action like your email id or phone number in your cover letter at the end. It's time to review these details. You want the recruiter to connect with you on the given details. How can he approach you when details are wrong? A little typo of E and A will leave an adverse effect on all the efforts you have made so far.

Employers like to hire tech-savvy employees. If you have a personal website or portfolio, please share its link in your cover letter. The purpose is to leave a good impression on your client's mind and make him contact you. On that website, you will have your social account and phone number details already for quick connection.

3. Be Careful about Salutations

When it comes to business writing, mainly cover letters, the way you address recruiters says many things about you. To whom it may concern tells that you have little or no idea of whom you are trying to connect with. And it would help if you used it only when you couldn't find a way to get the hiring manager or recruiter's name.

Salutations like Dear Mr.Smith or Respected Ms. Smantha are more impactful than most respected hiring managers. 

Prefer  Dear Hiring manager over To whom it may concern- for saving the day.

4.Never Generalize it All

When you don't have a job, you try your luck at every possible opportunity. It might seem an ideal way, like throwing all darts in the air so someone would stick to the target. But trust me, it won't work until you try a specific approach.

In other words, sending the same cover letter to every company seems like an excellent idea as it saves your time and energy, but it won't help you land on a job fast.

Do you know why? Well, hiring managers can easily distinguish a  general cover letter from a specific one. So, you better write a different cover letter for different companies and try to generalize it less.

Also, if you are applying for multiple jobs and have different cover letters, make sure you send the right letter to the right company. The whole effort of creating a unique letter will go in vain when you send the proper letter to the wrong company. The effect of this blunder would cost you a great opportunity. So, please never mix it all up.

5. Recheck Keywords

Your cover letter is ready. You want to send it, but please consider the most important cover letter checklist point, aka matching keywords with the letter. 

In case you are wondering what the keywords are. Well, they are skills and main requirements for the job. If you have skills that the hiring manager mentioned in the job ad, you better mention them in your cover letter. 

Chances are you read many ads, so that you might mix your keywords between your cover letter. So, in the end, match keywords with ads so that the right keywords are added in the right letter for a specific job.

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6. Recheck Test Words

Sometimes job descriptions are quite lengthy. Candidates have a tendency to read half of the ad and then send the application. They don't read it completely and can't understand all requirements. To prevent this speedy or irresponsible attitude from candidates, many recruiters use smart techniques of identifying those who read the post from those who are careless. So, they add some test words in the job descriptions. A candidate who applies these words makes it clear that he pays attention to detail and doesn't apply without reading the full description. 

It's always suggested to read a complete job ad, check what's required and what you need to do. If more than eighty people of requirements match with your talent, you will be able to get that job through a well-designed cover letter. During reading, check test words and add them to your application to boost your chance of getting hired for a job.

Read: How to Write a Cover Letter for Bank Jobs

Not adding a test word in your application means getting ignored by the hiring manager right away. It's because he will try to find it first and then read the rest of your letter. 

7. Pick the best File format

Some people like the visual aspects of a letter, so they try to send their application in a PDF format. However, you should try to save and send a .doc format file. It's because everyone can open and access it without the need for any other application. What if your recruiter opens the file from a cell phone? As he doesn't have a supportive format of pdf on his smart device, he will mind downloading an app. A busy one would prefer skipping your profile rather than wasting time on downloading. So, please be mindful of what format of cover letter document you choose.

8. Make it Concise

A recruiter has to deal with the demanding job of screening multiple job applications to find the best fit for the job. Four paragraphs of a cover letter are good enough. Please don't exceed the length of your cover letter. You might have achieved a lot and done many great things, but try to keep it short, engaging, and to the point. A lengthy cover letter is a huge turn-off for a client. So, one of the most essential cover letter checklists is to read the document and demonstrate your eligibility for this job in a few yet impactful words.