display
The bad news at the beginning: HR managers have little time and often read only sideways.
When they pick up the cover letter, they need to learn something about the applicant that the resume doesn't provide.
Otherwise put the text away immediately.
The cover letter should be
short
- and yet
rich in content
.
“While the résumé is about facts and figures, the cover letter can convey an emotional message,” says career advisor Maja Skubella.
She recommends writing the cover letter in several steps:
Collecting
arguments
- Why do you want to work for the company?
What motivates you
Write
a
personal story from this
with a common thread.
This is where you will find third-party content
In order to interact with or display content from third parties, we need your consent.
Activate external content
I consent to content from third parties being displayed to me.
This allows personal data to be transmitted to third party providers.
This may require the storage of cookies on your device.
More information can be found here.
display
A boring
opening
sentence is this: "I hereby apply".
Getting started should make you want to read on.
The
ending
is also relevant.
Applicants should remain true to their attitude that they are a good candidate for the job until the last sentence.
Too submissive formulations such as “I would be very happy if you should invite me” are therefore inappropriate.
There are better alternatives.
You can find all tips on covering letters here:
Unsolicited applications should highlight skills
display
Those who apply without a job advertised have to advertise all the more.
Already
the subject
of an unsolicited application is important.
"If you send the application by e-mail, the line should make you curious," says application coach Jürgen Hesse.
"Application office clerk" is too sober.
It is better to name a specific problem that you want to solve or write something that makes you interesting for the company.
Since there is no job profile, one should describe one's skills in such a way that they fit several positions or several departments.
For example, by concentrating primarily on
your skills
, explains career advisor Skubella.
Job portal
JOBS.WELT.DE
Your next job is waiting for you
Have suitable vacancies sent to you now
Many advisors recommend
calling the company
beforehand
.
Then you can refer to the phone call in the application.
However, anyone who does this should really have questions.
"I find it unsuitable when there are standard questions that can be answered with a look at the website," says Jana Reineke, head of personnel marketing at the coffee roaster Melitta.
display
Some companies do
not
accept
speculative applications
and write this explicitly on their website.
In such cases you should refrain from doing so, otherwise you will appear ill-informed.
All tips for speculative applications can be found here:
These attachments belong in the application
Like the cover letter, the attachments are an argument for the applicant.
With this you can prove what you have said about yourself.
Most important are certificates and certificates from jobs, degrees, advanced training and special knowledge.
A
list of attachments
in the cover letter is no longer necessary when applying on paper or when applying online.
In both cases you should
limit
yourself to a few documents
.
Many companies set guidelines for the file size up to which they can accept applications.
To make the right choice, you can ask yourself: What equipment I show that I have for the advertised position
suitable
am?
Which systems are still
up to date
?
But that doesn't mean that you have to limit yourself to the standard certificates.
“HR managers only look at systems for applicants who are already on the shortlist,” says career advisor Skubella.
That means you can make a difference here again.
display
In the case of
online applications
, the attachments should be summarized; one file is common for all attachments.
The recommended format is
.
A
clear naming
helps HR managers to see what they have in front of them, e.g. CV_PeterMüller.
You can find all the
tips on the systems here:
Have your application written: When a ghostwriter makes sense
A good application takes time and effort.
If you don't have both or are afraid of both, you can have your application written.
Numerous agencies offer to take over this work.
The
prices are
usually
graded
according to how much professional experience someone has.
A cover letter for young professionals costs around 70 euros.
However, the applicant also takes the chance to make it clear while writing whether he really wants the position.
And he has to consider whether he can
morally
justify not preparing the application himself.
If the application is already the first work sample, as application coach Hesse says, it is easy to give the wrong impression with the third-party application.
HR
managers therefore see it critically: "I find it difficult because it could lose the personal message and thus the authenticity," says Melitta HR Marketing Manager Reineke.
If applicants want to hire a ghostwriter anyway, they should consider several points in order to be able to assess the quality.
This is where you will find third-party content
In order to interact with or display content from third parties, we need your consent.
Activate external content
I consent to content from third parties being displayed to me.
This allows personal data to be transmitted to third party providers.
This may require the storage of cookies on your device.
More information can be found here.
This article was first published in June 2019.