A cover letter's job is narrow: explain why you specifically, for this specific role, right now. Most cover letters fail at exactly that job. Here are the mistakes that show up most often, and what to do instead of each one.
Restating your resume in paragraph form
If your cover letter just re-lists your work history in sentence form, it adds nothing the reader hasn't already seen. Use the letter to explain the "why" behind your experience - why this role, why this company, why now - not to repeat the "what."
Opening with "I am writing to apply for..."
This is true of literally every cover letter ever submitted, so it wastes the most valuable line in the letter - the first one, which determines whether the reader keeps going. Open with something specific: a relevant accomplishment, a genuine point of connection to the company's work, or a clear statement of what you'd bring to the role.
Generic enough to send to any company
If you could swap the company name and the letter would still make sense, it reads as generic - and experienced hiring managers can tell within a sentence or two. Reference something specific about the company or role that you'd only know from actually reading the posting and doing a little research.
Being overly formal or overly casual for the context
A cover letter for a formal, established industry (finance, law, government, and - as covered on our cover letter generator page - German university applications) should read more formally than one for an early-stage startup. Mismatching register in either direction can read as poor judgment about the context you're applying into.
Making it about what you want, not what you offer
"This role would be a great next step in my career" tells the employer nothing about why they should hire you. Reframe around what you'd contribute: "My experience leading cross-functional launches would let me hit the ground running on your Q3 roadmap."
Ignoring the actual DIN 5008 or formal structure required for certain applications
For German university motivation letters specifically, using an American-style casual cover letter structure instead of the expected formal DIN 5008 format (address blocks, right-aligned date, bold subject line, formal register) can read as not having done basic homework on the application's conventions.
Excessive length
A cover letter should generally run three to four paragraphs - enough to make a real case, not so long that it duplicates the resume or loses the reader's attention. If you're struggling to keep it tight, that's often a sign you're restating the resume rather than adding a new angle.
Typos and copy-paste errors
The most damaging version of this: leaving in a different company's name from a previous draft. It's a fast, credible signal to a reader that the letter wasn't actually written for them.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cover letter still necessary in 2026? Many applications don't strictly require one, but including a genuinely tailored one when the option exists still differentiates you from candidates who skip it, particularly for competitive roles.
How specific should I get about the company? Specific enough that the letter couldn't be sent unchanged to a different employer - a real detail about their product, mission, or the role's actual responsibilities, not generic praise.
Should I mention salary expectations in a cover letter? Generally no, unless the posting specifically asks for it - that's a conversation for later in the process. See our salary negotiation guide for when and how to actually have that conversation.
CVIEX's Cover Letter Generator drafts a tailored letter based on your actual resume and the specific job or program you're applying to - a useful starting point to edit and personalize further, not a substitute for that final personal pass.