You Don't Want to Make When Looking for a Job David C. James 10. Use a poorly crafted cover letter. Your cover letter should be substantive, not merely a transmittal letter. It should explain why the employer ought to interview you, and it's your first writing sample. If it's not a good one, you will diminish everything you enclose with it.
Many applicants adopt a stilted style, a variant of legalese.
Showing you can write legalese is not a qualification for the job. To favorably impress employers, write in plain English. Confuse one employer with another. It never ceases to amaze me how many students write to me and refer to my office by the wrong name. Even in interviews, some applicants consistently refer to my office by the wrong name.