help me avoid cover letter pitfalls

https://ask.metafilter.com/work-money Finally, my age is another sticky issue. I just turned 30 and finally graduated from college a year ago Why mention your age? Your resume doesn't have to list your age or what year you graduated. http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/08/cover_letter_writing_advice_how_to_write_a_cover_letter_for_an_entry_level.html.

I wouldn't mention the actors, unless you want to intern with a casting director, which you've already done. Widen your scope when you approach the production companies and tailor your letter to each company. You want to work at the production company because of the high quality of films and projects that they're known for. Being enthusiastic about their products is good, but gushing on about actors makes you sound like you want to meet them irl and that's never a good thing. And my advice about your age still holds from yourhttp://ask.metafilter.com/243319/How-do-I-get-my-foot-in-the-door-at-a-small-production-company-in-NY#3533253

Instead of listing all the reasons you're interested this internship, your cover letter should lay out a case for why the casting company should be interested in you. It is okay to include a sentence or two that demonstrates familiarity and enthusiasm for the company: just keep in mind that this enthusiasm is a necessary but not sufficient condition to get them interested in you. So instead of focusing on "why I want to work for these specific companies," focus on "what will convince these specific companies that I have the attributes they are looking for." Your age is not a big deal, period. Stop worrying about it. 30 is not old. You need not address it at all in your cover letter because you recently graduated from college and have a recent, relevant internship.

I wouldn't mention the actors, unless you want to intern with a casting director, which you've already done. I'm actually trying to intern with a casting director in New York. I've interned with one in Boston but they weren't hiring and it's my understanding from talking to people in casting that you need a couple of internships in New York before you can be promoted to/hired as a casting assistant. I thought it might be a good idea to mention something about my specific interest in the company because I made a cold call to one place and the casting director asked me "why do you want to work for me specifically?" Maybe that was a fluke? So instead of focusing on "why I want to work for these specific companies," focus on "what will convince these specific companies that I have the attributes they are looking for." I already spent a good chunk of the letter talking about my admin background which is pretty vast, so I have that covered. I feel like that's not enough, though, because there are plenty of people who are good at clerical tasks. I want to include something that conveys my creativity. A short film I wrote and directed won award at a juried show at my university but that seems sort of irrelevant and it's already on my resume.

This is taken from the Slate article linked to above: Show me that you read my site. It’s common for cover letter writers to say, “I love Slate,” but that doesn’t stand out to me. Be more specific. Who are your favorite writers? What are some recent articles you enjoyed? Detailed flattery will get you further, because it shows you’ve done your homework. Ninety percent of the cover letters I read for our news blog, the Slatest, mention nothing specific about that particular blog. Here’s what one applicant for a recent position wrote (spoiler: I hired him): “I'm particularly drawn to a dynamic news outlet like the Slatest. I appreciate its blend of politics and current affairs, as well as its ability to consistently sniff out the most compelling news pieces and narratives. I dig its sense of humor, too—I can't resist a news blog that picks up on the latest North Korean, pigeon–eating propaganda pieces.”

Say something about the less glamorous parts of casting, or something about their reputation in the industry other than "your excellent reputation". For instance, maybe the company cast thousands of extras for a production, and you want to learn about the logistics of large casting projects.