The cover letter is your chance to show personality! While the CV lists your qualifications, the cover letter explains why you are the perfect choice for the position. A convincing cover letter can make all the difference.

Layout and Structure

1. Letterhead

Your contact details: Name, address, phone number, email (top left or right)

Recipient address: Company name, contact person (if known), full address

Date and place: Right-aligned or left-aligned below your details

2. Subject Line

Phrase it clearly and precisely. Examples:

"Application for Marketing Manager"
"Application for the position of Software Developer (Ref. No.: 12345)"

3. Salutation

Always personal: "Dear Ms. Smith," or "Dear Mr. Jones,"
If unknown: "Dear Sir or Madam," (only as a last resort)

4. Introduction (The Hook)

The first sentence decides! Avoid standard clichés like "I hereby apply for...".

❌ Bad:

"I hereby apply for the advertised position..."

✅ Better:

"I read your job advertisement with great interest. As an experienced Marketing Manager with a passion for digital strategies, I would like to strengthen your team."

5. Main Body (Your Arguments)

This is where you convince with concrete examples:

• Why you? Your relevant qualifications and experience
• Why this company? Show that you have done your research
• What can you offer? Concrete achievements and skills
• Your motivation: What excites you about the position?

6. Closing

Close confidently and politely:

"I would be glad to convince you of my abilities in a personal meeting. I look forward to an invitation to an interview."

Closing formula: "Kind regards" + your signature (handwritten for postal applications)

The Golden Rules

✅ DOs

A maximum of one A4 page
Tailor it individually to each position
Use active phrasing
Give concrete examples
Proofread several times (or have it proofread)
Use a professional font (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)

❌ DON'Ts

Standard templates without customization
Repeating your CV
Spelling and grammar mistakes
Sentences that are too long (max. 2 lines)
Understatement or exaggeration
Negative phrasing

Useful Phrases

Introduction:

• "Your job advertisement immediately appealed to me because..."
• "I am applying with great enthusiasm for the position of..."
• "As a long-time user of your products, I would now like to..."

Main Body:

• "In my current position, I successfully managed to..."
• "Through my experience in X, I bring solid expertise in Y..."
• "What particularly appeals to me about this position is..."

Closing:

• "I would be glad to present my qualifications to you in person..."
• "I look forward to convincing you of my abilities..."
• "I am available at any time should you have any questions..."

Checklist Before Sending

Spelling & grammar checked? Contact person named correctly? Company name spelled correctly? Date current?

A maximum of one page? Contact details complete? Individually tailored? Had someone else read it?

The Perfect Cover Letter