One thing people who are applying for jobs dread most is writing a cover letter. Even if you are a good writer, it can be a chore and a pretty stressful process. Plus, if you aren’t one to frequently write formal letters, it can be difficult to know how to be polite without sounding dated. It doesn’t help that we live in a world of texts, IMs and emails that rely on informality, abbreviations, slang and the occasional emoticon to get our messages across quickly. Writing a letter to anyone that comes across well, not to mention a prospective employer, can be hard to do.
Below is a chart of some expressions I recommend avoiding when you write a cover letter. They can make you appear outdated or unfamiliar with modern language usage. I’ve also included some alternatives to help you out. If you have any suggestions for what to add to this list, please let me know in the comments section below. I’m always looking for new ideas.
| AVOID WRITING: | ALTERNATIVE: |
| “Enclosed herewith, please find” | “Enclosed is” |
| “At your earliest convenience” | Give a specific date. |
| “I am in receipt of” | “I received” |
| “Thanking you in advance” |
“Thank you”
|
| “It is quite apparent that” | “Apparently” |
| “Will be duly forwarded” | “Will be sent” |
| “As soon as possible” | Give a specific date. |
| “As per our conversation” | “As discussed” |
| “Attached hereto, please find” | “I have attached” |
| “In the not-too-distant future” | Give a specific date. |
| “In the event that” | “If” |
| Due to the fact that” | “Due to” or “Because” |
| “At the present writing” | “Now” or “Currently” |
| “Respectfully submitted” | “Sincerely” or “Thank You” |
| “Needless to say” | If something is needless to say, don’t bother! |
| “For your information” | Of course it is for their information—that is why you are writing to them! |
| “Please rest assured” | Umm…how else would they rest? |
| “As you know” | “Why are you pointing out that you know that they know? Don’t bother. |
| “As you are aware” | If they are already aware, why do you need to remind them of it? Don’t bother with this. |
For more great resume advice from Premier Placement, Inc., click here.
