What Not to Put in a Cover Letter

Short answer: Don't put a generic greeting, a copy of your resumé, your salary history, personal details, negative comments about past employers, or the same letter you sent to another company. Don't go over one page. And don't send it without having someone else proofread it. Every line should show why you fit this one job.

A cover letter is short, so every line counts. Here’s what to leave out, and what to write instead.

1. “Dear Sir or Madam”

Alberta’s alis career site says to “address a specific person, not Sir or Madam” (alis, Cover letter outline). Look for the hiring manager’s name on the posting, the company website or LinkedIn.

Instead: “Dear Ms. Chen,” or, if you really can’t find a name, “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear [Company] Team.”

2. A copy of your resumé

The University of Calgary’s career services says: “Don’t repeat the information from your resume; instead, link items from your resume to larger themes” (University of Calgary). alis says to “focus on highlights and leave the facts for your resumé.”

Instead: pick two or three examples that match the posting, and explain why they matter for this job.

3. The same letter for every job

If you could send your letter to any company by changing the name, it’s too general. The University of Calgary says to “write your letter to fit the specific job.”

Instead: name the job and the company, and refer to something specific from the posting.

4. The wrong company name

This happens when you reuse a letter. It’s the fastest way to the “no” pile.

Instead: before you send, search your letter for every company and job name and check each one.

5. “I’m a hard-working team player”

Everyone says it, so it doesn’t stand out. Words like “hard-working,” “motivated” and “passionate” don’t prove anything on their own.

Instead: show it. “I covered 6 extra weekend shifts during our busiest season, and trained two new staff while doing it.” (Fictional sample.)

6. Your salary history or expectations

Unless the posting asks for them, leave them out. Bringing up money first can work against you.

Instead: if the posting asks, give a range in one short sentence near the end.

7. Personal details

Leave out your age, marital status, religion, health and family details. Job Bank, the Government of Canada’s job site, advises leaving personal details like these off your resumé (Job Bank), and the same goes for your cover letter. Never include your Social Insurance Number.

8. Negative comments

Don’t criticize a past boss, coworker or company, even if it’s true. It makes the reader wonder what you’d say about them.

Instead: if you need to explain why you’re leaving, keep it short and forward-looking: “I’m looking for a role with more room to grow in project coordination.”

9. More than one page

alis says a cover letter should be “brief” and no longer than one page (alis). The University of Calgary suggests two to three body paragraphs.

Instead: three or four short paragraphs, about 250 to 400 words.

10. Typos and an unprofessional email

The University of Calgary says to use a professional email address, include a greeting, closing and signature, and have someone else proofread your letter.

Instead: use an email like firstname.lastname@, read your letter out loud once, and ask someone else to read it before you send it.

Two small email mistakes

If you’re sending your letter by email, alis says you don’t need a “Re:” line (your subject line does that job) or an “Enclosure” line (that’s only for paper letters sent with a separate resumé).

Sources

All accessed 2026-10-29.

Government of Alberta, alis. Cover letter outline. https://alis.alberta.ca/look-for-work/cover-letters/cover-letter-outline/
Government of Alberta, alis. What should I include in my cover letter? https://alis.alberta.ca/tools-and-resources/questions-and-answers/what-should-i-include-in-my-cover-letter/
University of Calgary, Career Services. Cover letters. https://ucalgary.ca/career-personal-development/advising/job-search-resources/cover-letters
Job Bank (Government of Canada). How to write a good resume. https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/findajob/resources/write-good-resume