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While your resume serves to clearly present your qualifications and professional experience, the cover letter offers you the opportunity to specifically address the position you are applying for. The aim is to convey to the employer clearly and convincingly why your personal profile is a good fit for the advertised position.

When are cover letters required?

Many German companies still insist on a traditional cover letter. You can either send your application documents by email as a PDF, or many companies, usually larger ones, conduct the application process via their own online portals.

Documents such as letters of motivation, references, etc., can usually also be uploaded to these portals.

Please note, however, that some companies do not require traditional cover letters for online applications. It is therefore advisable to find out in advance exactly which application format is required. You can usually find this information in the job advertisement.

Below, we will discuss the traditional cover letter and application form.

What is the purpose of a cover letter?

The cover letter complements your resume by explaining your motivation, highlighting your suitability for the position, and establishing a direct link between your skills and the requirements of the job. Take this opportunity to express your interest in the company and highlight your individual strengths with specific examples.

The introduction

The first sentence of your introduction lays the foundation for whether employers, who usually only have a few minutes, sometimes even just seconds, will continue reading your cover letter and consider you for the position you are applying for. So, in the first 2-3 sentences of your cover letter, briefly and concisely explain why you are interested in the position.

Emphasize your motivation and highlight your individual qualifications and advantages over other applicants. In short: the introduction to your cover letter is the door opener. Therefore, ensure that your introduction is individually and originally formulated. Your introduction should spark the employer's interest, encourage them to read on, highlight your motivation and qualifications, and, ideally, convince them.

After a compelling introduction, the main part of the cover letter follows.

The main part

Refer to the company: How did you hear about the company? Do you have any personal experience with the products, services, or corporate philosophy? Are there aspects such as the location or the mission statement that further underscore your motivation and illustrate why you are a good fit for the company?

Analyze the job posting: What are the requirements for the advertised position? What key tasks do you expect? Pay particular attention to the required qualifications, specialist knowledge, language or IT skills, as well as the personal characteristics and soft skills that are required for the position.

Compare the requirements with your profile: The next step is to compare the job requirements with your own profile. Use specific, selected career milestones and examples from your resume to show that you have the required qualifications. This will help you convey convincingly why you are the right person for this position.

Concluding section

In the concluding section, emphasize your motivation once again in one or two concise sentences. Indicate here your willingness or interest in introducing yourself in a personal interview. This should be phrased in an active, friendly, motivated, and confident manner. If necessary, you can also specify the following:

• When you could start working for the company.
• You may request that your application be treated confidentially. (If you do not want your current employer to know about your application.)

You can end your cover letter with the most classic of all greetings:

“Mit freundlichen Grüßen” (Sincerely)

You can then add your signature, which can also be done digitally. 

You can also see how the layout and structure of a cover letter is designed on our website. Unfortunately, this content is only available in German at the moment, but you might still find the templates useful (see “downloads” at the bottom of the page). As further detailed information, our Youtube-video in English may also help.

In the next issue of our newsletter, you can find out, how online applications work on companies' own online portals.