• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
LiveCareer
  • For Employers
  • Sign In
  • welcome
    • My Dashboard
    • Settings
    • Help & Support
    • Contact Us
    • Sign Out
  • Resumes
    • BackResumes
    • Resume Builder
    • Resume Examples
    • Resume Samples
    • Resume Search
    • Resume Templates
    • Resume Tips
    • Resume Services
    • Resume Formats
    • Resume Review
    • How to Write a Resume
  • Cover Letters
    • BackCover Letters
    • Cover Letter Builder
    • Cover Letter Examples
    • Cover Letter Services
    • Cover Letter Templates
    • Cover Letter Samples
    • Cover Letter Formats
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • Other Letter Samples
  • Interviews
    • BackInterviews
    • Interview Questions
    • Interview Tips
    • Interview Videos
    • Interview Game Plan
  • Jobs
    • BackJobs
    • Job Search
    • Job Tips
    • Job Apply Tool
  • Company
  • Resources
    • BackResources
    • Career Tips
    • Salary Calculator
    • Career Test
    • Job Descriptions
    • CV Templates
  • For Employers
Home > Career > Career Advice > Cover letter Tips > Looking for a Job in the U.S. from Australia? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
Cover letter Tips

Cover letter Tips

Now Reading Cover letter Tips

View Tips Hide Tips
  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. from Canada? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. from India? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. From Kenya? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. From Malaysia? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. From Pakistan? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes

Looking for a Job in the U.S. from Australia? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes

  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. from Canada? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. from India? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. From Kenya? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. From Malaysia? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
  • Looking for a Job in the U.S. From Pakistan? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes

by LiveCareer Staff Writer

Your cover letter and resume are your tickets to a job in the U.S. from Australia. They are what piques hiring managers’ interest and compels them to contact you. However, jobseekers from all over the world make cover letter mistakes every day. To keep this from happening to you, review the tips below.

CREATE MY RESUME

Proofread for U.S. Spellings

As you know, many words in the U.S. and Australia are spelled just a bit differently. The bad news is that as you look for a job in the U.S. from Australia, sticking with your native spellings can mean doom when it comes to cover letters. There may be exceptions; for example, if the company you are applying to is, say, British or Australian, and the customers or clients you would work with are primarily Australian or international, you might be okay. In general, follow the language of the job posting. If it uses U.S. spellings, as most do, always be sure to proofread your cover letter to ensure that everything is in American terminology. Also, have someone who is well-versed in American English review it.

Be Specific and Concise

You have value to offer the employer as you hunt for a job in the U.S. from Australia, so be specific as to what you have to contribute. At the same time, your space is limited, so choose one or two (possibly three) noteworthy things to highlight. They could be achievements at your current job, awards you have received or even the unique perspective you bring as a non-American. Make sure your examples tie back to the job in some way. In fact, it is fine to mention the job posting. For instance, you might write something along the lines of, “Your job posting emphasized the need for applicants to have had unique experiences. As an Australian, I can tell you that…”

Keep your cover letter to one page. Also, leave some white space instead of cramming the page full of text. Paragraphs should be on the short side, perhaps no more than three sentences, and good practice is to limit the total number of paragraphs to five. Make the letter friendly on the eyes.

CREATE MY RESUME

Make Your Cover Letter Unique for Each Job in the U.S. From Australia

One mistake that jobseekers often make is to send the same cover letter for each job. For example, someone seeking marketing work might send the same cover letter for a copywriting position and a blogging position. Remember that specificity is important. You want to address the actual job instead of simply using “Find and Replace” to switch names and the like. Refer to the job posting, and tailor your cover letter to attributes and skills it asks for.

Also, make your cover letters unique from your resumes. They should not be mirrors of each other. The cover letter should expand on relevant information in your resume and not be a recitation of your work history. However, your cover letter and resume should have the same fonts and other visual cues that they belong to the same person.

Explain Which Job You Are Applying For

Believe it or not, some jobseekers, whether they are Americans or want a job in the U.S. from Australia, never mention the position they are applying for. For example, they may say, “I am responding to the post your company made last week,” but neglect to mention which job the post was for and on which website it was. Companies tend to list job openings in multiple places and have searches for many open positions going on at the same time. If a hiring manager cannot immediately tell which job you are applying for, he or she is unlikely to read further.

CREATE MY RESUME

Conclusion

It is easy for common mistakes to sneak into cover letters. Diligent proofreading can catch many, if not all, misspellings and typos. As long as you proofread, tailor cover letters to each job opening and make your letters interesting and professional, you should be in good shape.


    Related Tags:
  • australia

About the Author

mm
LiveCareer Staff Writer

At LiveCareer, we live and breathe the belief that we can help people transform their work lives, and so do our contributors. Our experts come from a variety of backgrounds but have one thing in common: they are authorities on the job market. From journalists with years of experience covering workforce topics, to academics who study the theory behind employment and staffing, to certified resume writers whose expertise in the creation of application documents offers our readers insights into how to best wow recruiters and hiring managers, LiveCareer’s stable of expert writers are among the best in the business. Whether you are new to the workforce, are a seasoned professional, or somewhere in between, LiveCareer’s contributors will help you move the needle on your career and get the job you want faster than you think.

    Follow me at

Primary Sidebar

Ready to build a strong resume?

Create My Resume

Most Popular
Resources

  • 1Professional Resume Writing Services
  • 2Best Resume Builder
  • 3Online Cover Letter Builder
  • 4Free Job Search
  • 5Top Salary Calculator
  • 6Free Resume Templates
  • 7Online Resume Examples

Advertisement

Ready to build a strong resume?

Create My Resume

What to read next

RESUME TIPS

The Worst Resume Grammar Mistakes

DOWNLOAD e-BOOK

Need A Job-Search Game Plan? Our FREE ebook Can Help.

RESUME TIPS

What to Put in Your Resume

Advertisement

Top

Home > Career > Career Advice > Cover letter Tips > Looking for a Job in the U.S. from Australia? Avoid These Cover Letter Mistakes
Resume Tools Resume Tools
  • Resume Builder
  • Resume Tips
  • CV Templates
  • Resume Directory
  • Resume Samples
Cover Letter Cover Letter
  • Cover Letter Builder
  • Cover Letter Tips
  • Cover Letter Samples
Mighty Recruiter Mighty Recruiter
  • Job Sourcing
  • Free Job Posting
Company Company
  • Job Listings
  • Company Directory
Resources Resources
  • Education Opportunities
About About
  • Who We Are
  • Work Here
  • Affiliates
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
Help & Support Help & Support
  • Customer Service/Billing
  • Contact Us
  • Frequently Asked Questions
Language Language
  • English
  • English (UK)
  • Español
  • Français
  • Italiano
  • Deutsch
  • Nederlands
  • Português
  • Polski
Customer Service Customer Service
customerservice@livecareer.com
800-652-8430 Mon- Fri 8am - 8pm CST
Sat 8am - 5pm CST, Sun 10am - 6pm CST
  • Stay in touch with us

© 2018, Bold Limited. All rights reserved.

Powered by BOLD