Quick check
Guess first, no penalty. A cover letter is the letter that comes with your application. How long should one for a job in Germany be?
In Germany it's called an Anschreiben (the German word for cover letter). Make it in Germany, the German government's official portal for international workers, says on its page Applying for a job that it gives the company its first impression of you. Introduce yourself, explain why you want the job, and describe your strengths with examples from your previous jobs. Also say why you want to work for this company in particular.
For the formal side, that page points to the EU's Europass site. The Europass cover letter guide says the letter should not be longer than one page and suggests three paragraphs:
- Why you are motivated to apply for the position.
- Why you are a strong fit for the position.
- Why the company is a good match for you.
It also says to read the vacancy notice (the job ad) carefully, use its keywords, research the employer, keep a formal and polite tone with no spelling mistakes, and use a simple font at size 11 or 12.
Here is that advice as a plan for one page:
Paragraph 1, motivation: why this job, in one or two sentences.
A real reason, not "exciting opportunity".
Paragraph 2, fit: two or three requirements from the ad, each with
an example from your work.
Paragraph 3, the company: why this employer, from your own research.
AI can invent company facts, so these come from you.
Close: formal, polite, available for an interview.Fill the gaps
Fill the gaps in this plan for a German cover letter.
Plan
Length: Paragraph 1: Paragraph 3:
Try it
Your steps, about 2 minutes
- 1.Find one real job ad in Germany for your field. Write one or two sentences on why you want it, and two facts about the company from its own site.2 min