Hiring managers report that they quickly weed out 90 percent of applicants based on three criteria: 
1) spelling/grammar/punctuation typos;
2) overly generic cover letter (or none at all); and
3) irrelevant [for that position] information listed on resume.
The applicants that were actually considered all wrote a well-edited, personalized cover letter that included the following information:
- how they found out about the job;
- what enticed them enough to apply for it; and
- what skills they have to offer that demonstrates they could excel in this particular role.
