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It took a long time to write the cover letter, the résumé has been updated.

Quickly attach all certificates now?

Better not.

The systems must also be carefully put together for both regular and speculative applications.

“Your application is like a sales prospectus.

With the documents that you enclose with your cover letter, you have the chance to support your sales arguments, ”says career advisor Jürgen Hesse.

In the enclosures, job seekers can prove what they have said about themselves in the cover letter and in the tabular curriculum vitae.

Certificates and certificates from jobs, degrees, advanced training and special knowledge are therefore particularly important.

But not everything that could be sent has to be included.

In order to make the right selection, applicants should ask themselves: How do I show that I am suitable for the advertised position?

What is important for that?

And what else is up to date?

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Anyone who has attended the “Business English for advanced learners” course does not have to attach the certificates for the beginners' course.

In the same way, the certificate of further training in data management from 2001 is now too old.

If job candidates have a university degree, they can save themselves having to submit certificates from their studies.

The Abitur certificate is also no longer necessary after several years of professional experience.

Applicants should add a language certificate if this language is asked for in the job advertisement or if they want to support a statement from a cover letter or CV.

Otherwise it doesn't have to be.

For example, a certificate for the VHS course "Spanish for Vacation" would also be superfluous.

Email application: Do not attach a zip file

But that doesn't mean that you have to limit yourself to the standard certificates.

"Personnel managers only look at systems at those applicants who are already on the shortlist," says career advisor Maja Skubella.

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This means that job candidates can make a difference here and advertise themselves.

In addition to job references, which often have the same wording, you can, for example, ask a satisfied customer for a short letter that you can send out with applications, says Skubella.

Marvin Max, HR expert at Bosch, has one more piece of advice: “In the systems, it is worthwhile to prove your own private commitment.

It's not just about volunteering.

That can also be working in a cybersecurity group, ”he says.

As with a written application on paper, it makes sense to limit yourself to a few documents when applying online.

Basically, many companies set guidelines for the file size up to which they accept applications.

One should stick to that.

Also because some companies print out online applications.

“That's why it shouldn't be a big pamphlet,” says Skubella.

She also advises against a zip file.

“You have to open it in several steps, no HR manager wants to do that,” she says.

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If you have to send a lot of attachments, for example because you want to show work samples in the creative area, you better send a link to a cloud or Dropbox.

This also means a few extra clicks for the employee, but he is free to use the link.

In the case of online applications, job candidates should never send the attachments individually, but rather collect them.

You can even attach them to your cover letter and résumé, but it is more common to have one file for all attachments.

PDF is recommended as the format, because it ensures that the form and content remain secure, regardless of which PC the company uses to open them.

This is not always the case with Word or other text programs.

"Word seems rather unprofessional," says Jana

Reineke

,

Head of Personnel Marketing at the coffee roaster Melitta.

In addition, some word processing programs open more slowly than PDFs.

Then the HR manager may be annoyed before he even reads the first sentence.

Label plants correctly with names

The order in which the documents are arranged in the PDF is not prescribed, but an order that is quickly accessible has proven itself.

For example because - parallel to the curriculum vitae - the latest certificates come first.

The systems can also be classified according to categories such as “job references” and “advanced training”.

A system directory is no longer necessary online or offline.

However, clear naming helps HR managers see what they have in front of them.

So don't write PDF1 and PDF2, but CV_PeterMüller and testimonials_PeterMüller.

If you also want to include the company name in the title, you should ensure that it is spelled correctly and that you do not send the wrong version in the event of multiple applications.

Anyone who properly scans all the certificates once, saves them as PDFs and stores them in a separate folder on the computer saves a lot of work the next time you apply.

Can badly presented systems result in not being invited?

“No,” says Sabine Josch, Personnel Director at the Otto retail group.

It also suits unstructured candidates: “We assess the relevant content-related information.” However, they are happy about a clear and structured presentation.

But it is certainly a must for many companies.

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Read more articles from our guide series on the subject of application letters here:

Everything about the application letter

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This article was first published in May 2019.