7 Cover Letter Phrases That Could Ruin Your Job Application

Forbes

10-06-2025

Your cover letter creates your first impression with potential employers, yet many professionals unknowingly sabotage their job applications with tired, overused phrases. According to a ResumeLab survey, 83% of recruiters consider cover letters important for hiring decisions—and a compelling one can land you a job interview even when your resume falls short. Research conducted by ResumeGo finds that applications with tailored cover letters yield just over 50% more interviews compared to those without.
Here are seven phrases that hiring managers flag as instant deal-breakers, plus alternatives that will make your job application stand out.
This outdated greeting immediately signals that you haven't taken the time to research the company or position. Since Resume Genius reports that 41% of hiring managers consider the introduction to be the most impactful part of a cover letter, starting with "To Whom It May Concern," wastes your most valuable real estate.
These examples are effective, demonstrating an effort to understand the company's structure and hiring process.
This opening states the obvious. It also represents a missed opportunity to immediately capture the reader's attention with something compelling about your background or enthusiasm for the role.
Remember that hiring managers often decide within the first few sentences whether to continue reading your cover letter. Generic openings fail to create the immediate engagement necessary to sustain their attention through the remainder of your job application.
These phrases represent the most common cover letter clichés, appearing in countless job applications across all industries and experience levels.
Concrete examples provide hiring managers with evidence they can evaluate, while generic claims offer nothing substantive to differentiate your job application.
This phrase demonstrates dangerous overconfidence or a lack of self-awareness. If you claim perfection, hiring managers will look for gaps in your job application that contradict this assertion.
These alternatives convey confidence without arrogance, showing you understand both your strengths and the requirements of the role.
Claiming passion for every aspect of a role or industry immediately raises credibility concerns. When candidates express equal enthusiasm for all aspects of a position, hiring managers question whether they truly understand the role's realities or are simply trying to appear agreeable.
Specific enthusiasm demonstrates thorough research and genuine interest, providing valuable talking points for potential job interviews.
This phrase focuses on what the company can do for you rather than what you can contribute to their success. When you emphasize how the role will help your career, you signal that your primary interest lies in what you'll gain rather than what you'll give.
This reframing demonstrates ambition while maintaining focus on organizational value rather than viewing the role as purely transactional.
The phrase "I think" immediately undermines your credibility by suggesting uncertainty about your qualifications. This tentative language signals self-doubt and invites hiring managers to question your suitability for the position.
This approach provides specific, verifiable information that hiring managers can evaluate objectively, transforming your job application from a collection of opinions into a compelling case for your candidacy.
Using thoughtful, tailored language leads to more job interviews and stronger first impressions with potential employers. By eliminating these seven phrases, you transform your cover letter from a generic document into a strategic communication tool that gets you closer to your ideal role.
"You never know who values cover letters and who doesn't, so unless a company explicitly indicates they don't want a cover letter, submitting one is worth your time and effort," says recruitment consultant Mike Peditto, Director of Talent at the career growth platform Teal. "In a world where every resume is beginning to look the same, a personalized cover letter can make you stand out."