In-house recruiters, in particular, who may receive hundreds of letters for a single job opening, can be turned off by a clichéd salutation (“Dear Sir/Madam”; “To Whom it May Concern”) and never make it to the next line. If the letter is addressed to you or to one of your HR colleagues, keep reading.
Other pitfalls to look for: “I’d like to apply…”, “I believe I’m an ideal candidate,” and other platitudes like “I love your company” accompanied by accolades about your firm and buzzwords like “I’m a team player” or “I’m detail-oriented.”
On the other hand, effective language and turns-of-phrase that can and should catch your eye include: a letter that sounds confident: “I am a recognized manager or marketing professional”; quantitative as well as qualitative evidence of capabilities: “I grew sales in my division by 15% over three years”; “I led a team of five professionals, with no turnover during my tenure in my last position”; an interesting anecdote up-front about the candidate’s experience with your company or its products, not a gush of compliments to your firm.
They want you to hire them, not date them. Candidates who can demonstrate their credentials without sounding like they’re filling out a form letter are the ones to put in the “yes” (or “maybe”) pile.