The Cover Letter
For most of the applicants, the cover letter is the greatest hurdle, especially when considering that the expectations of HR managers have changed a lot in the last years. Therefore, it is today more important than ever to stand out from the crowd and make a specially positive impression at a first glance. (Often, HR Managers make a decision within the first 30 seconds!)
And this is why you should never write a standard application. Please delete all empty phrases you might have been using in your last applications and make sure that you don’t repeat the content of your CV in your cover letter. Instead, give the reader a foretaste and make him or her curious to start reading your CV!
Read the job description thoroughly and get information about the company. Which values has this potential employer, and do you identify yourself with them? What does the company expects from you? Which of the tasks and requirements described do you fulfill especially well, so that you can offer the company an added value? With which relevant achievements can you attract the interest of the company?
Write down your answers on a sheet of paper and use them when formulating your cover letter. At the same time, try to come to the point and not to write too much: The letter should fit on one page with a font size of minimum 10 (or rather 11).
As for the formatting, you should use the same font type and size as in your CV. In general, the layout of both documents should be consistent and look harmonious.
And once again: I absolutely recommend you to write your cover letter and CV in German – except when an English version is expressively solicited. And this is why:
- It can happen that your application lands in the inbox of an HR Manager whose English knowledge is not enough to understand and evaluate your application
- or the HR Manager has good English skills, but he still has problems to evaluate your suitability for the job because the job description including technical terms are in German and your documents are in English
- HR Managers get every day innumerable applications of candidates who don’t have enough knowledge of the German language. When receiving too many applications, they tend to reject the English speaking applicants because they fear that their German skills might not reach for a smooth communication with the team. Therefore, you should not risk getting a rejection if you have a good command of the German language, and take your time to prepare your CV and cover letter in German – except, of course, when the job description is in English.
In case you still need some help with the preparation of your cover letter, just contact me: Based on your experience, strengths, aims, ideas and targeted position, I also offer a ghostwriting service for your individual cover letter.
Here you will find more information about my Services for Job seekers. And in my Terms and Conditions, you will find a price list for my services concerning the preparation and, if wished, the translation of your cover letter and other application documents.
And here, you can find some useful tips for the other elements for your application:
