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English Cover Letter

In most cases, the cover letter is your first contact with potential employers. Use this opportunity to make a strong and convincing impression, otherwise you may not get the attention you want.

Before writing, ask yourself why you are the right person for the job.

  • Which of your qualities might be essential for the job?
  • What contributions can you make to the company?

In your cover letter, emphasise why you are the ideal candidate for the position.

Structure and Content

  • Introduction
    Mention where you found out about the job offer and show interest in the position.
  • Details
    Give reasons for your application: Why are you the ideal candidate? What relevant qualifications, experiences do you have? (Important: refer to the requirements given in the job description.)
  • Conclusion
    Demonstrate your interest in the position once more.

Important Tenses

Note

Even if there are hundreds of experiences that you wish to emphasise on, keep your cover letter short (no longer than 1 page). Employers usually have to read lots of applications and usually cannot afford spending all day reading lengthy cover letters.

When writing a cover letter, keep to following rules:

  • Write an interesting cover letter that impresses the employer.
  • Emphasise on qualifications and experiences that are relevant for the job. Explain why you are the right person for the job.
  • Avoid negative statements (e.g. I have no / very view experiences ...).

Use a nice letterhead for your cover letter. Check your word processor for templates on formal letters.

Structure

Word Lists on Cover Letters