Common English Mistakes in Cover Letters by Arabic Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Arabic speakers from Saudi Arabia when writing a Cover Letter in English.

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of formal expressions ('I am honored to inform you...')

Dear Hiring Manager, I am honored to inform you thatI am writing to express my sincereinterest in the marketing specialisteemed position of Marketing Specialistat yourprestigious company. I amdeeply grateful for the opportunity to present my qualifications and I amexcitruly honored aboutpohave the chance tossibly contributeing to your esteemed organization. Iam looking forward tothe possibility of discussing how my skills can beof greatuld benefit toyourrespected team.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed changes to reduce the overly formal tone and effusive wording."

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing specialist position at your company. I am grateful for the opportunity to present my qualifications and excited about possibly contributing to your esteemed organization. I look forward to discussing how my skills could benefit your team.

Dear Hiring Manager, I am honored to inform you that I am writing to express my sincere interest in the esteemed position of Marketing Specialist at your prestigious company. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to present my qualifications and I am truly honored to have the chance to contribute to your esteemed organization. I am looking forward to the possibility of discussing how my skills can be of great benefit to your respected team.

Mistake Example #2

Misuse of verb tense (e.g., 'He go to school' instead of 'He goes to school')

Dear Hiring Manager,I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position at your esteemed company. I graduated from King Saud University last year, and I have beenworking in a local firm since then. I believe my skills and experiences make me a strong candidate for this role, and I am eager to contribute to your team. Thank you for considering my application.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I corrected some problems with the verb tense. Nice work overall!"

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position at your esteemed company. I graduated from King Saud University last year, and I have been working in a local firm since then. I believe my skills and experiences make me a strong candidate for this role, and I am eager to contribute to your team. Thank you for considering my application.

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position at your esteemed company. I graduate from King Saud University last year, and I work in a local firm since then. I believe my skills and experiences make me a strong candidate for this role, and I am eager to contribute to your team. Thank you for considering my application.

Mistake Example #3

Confusion between masculine and feminine pronouns

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position at your esteemedcompany. I believe that my skills and experiences make me a strong candidate for this role. During my previous job, I worked closely with my manager, and she always appreciated hismy dedication and hard work. I am confident that I can bring the same level of commitment to your team. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your company.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to fix masculine vs. feminine pronoun issues, among other changes."

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position at your company. I believe that my skills and experience make me a strong candidate for this role. During my previous job, I worked closely with my manager, and she always appreciated my dedication and hard work. I am confident that I can bring the same level of commitment to your team. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your company.

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position at your esteemed company. I believe that my skills and experiences make me a strong candidate for this role. During my previous job, I worked closely with my manager, and she always appreciated his dedication and hard work. I am confident that I can bring the same level of commitment to your team. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your company.