The perfect letter of motivation

The more convincingly you can communicate your motivation for a job, the greater the likelihood that you will get it. However, in order to be invited for an interview at all, you need to get the recruiter's attention. In this article, we will show you how a letter of motivation can help you get there.

What is a motivation letter?
The most important thing is to be clear about what you want to achieve with a letter of motivation. Of course, a text document is part of your application, which you can use to show your interest in the job. The motivation letter is the best way you can use to give weight to the most personal part of your whole application. Recruiters want to understand why you are applying for this exact one job and why you want to start at this company. In this additional letter, you should emphasize the skills you listed on your resume and establish a connection to the company. Here you have the chance to show your unique selling points and relate them to the position.

Difference between cover letter and motivation letter
The intention of the motivation letter is similar to the classic application letter: You want to convince the recruiter of yourself. However, the personal goals and ideas behind your motivation should be given greater emphasis here: You should go beyond the factual listing of your qualifications and explain background information. The recruiter already knows from your application that you are looking for a new challenge - now it's about the why: Why exactly this position?

The most important information in the letter of motivation
What exactly you want to convey in your motivation letter depends on yourself, the position and the company. Try to include individual requirements of the job advertisement and briefly describe why you are the right person for the job. Your unique selling points should be noted, because recruiters are looking for applicants with profile and this requires good self-marketing. As the term "motivation letter" suggests, the focus is on your actual motivation behind the application. Your interest in the company, the advertised position and your personal professional objectives should be made clear by answering the most important W-questions.

Layout of a motivation letter
We realize that if you send out 30 applications, you won't have time to rewrite every single cover letter. You don't have to. The best way is to work with text modules.

Formalities
Always state the correct address and contact person. Often these are mentioned in the job posting, otherwise a quick call to the company's HR department is recommended. (If you are forwarded to the correct person here, you can directly clarify open questions or briefly introduce yourself). You should also state the current date and location.

Headings
Like any letter, the motivation letter needs a heading. Here you can mention standard phrases (e.g.: "Application for the vacancy...", "Letter of motivation from..."), or get creative to stand out from other applicants (e.g.: "Why I am the right [job title] for [company].").

Introduction
The introduction should be brief and as creative as possible. Here you can pick up the recruiter by briefly saying why you see yourself at this company. You can make a connection between the company's philosophy and your own values, show why your current position has prepared you perfectly for the new challenge, or refer to a current or exciting event related to the company. The goal here is to attract the recruiter's attention and make them want to read on.

Main part
First things first: don't write about all your past jobs or even recite your career here, that's what the resume is for. Allow me to use this little analogy: Think of your cover letter like a first date: You won't make the best impression by just reminiscing about past loves and missed opportunities - the same goes for your cover letter. In the main part, show why you are the right person for this company and its vacancy. Make links here between the requirements in the job posting and your skills and knowledge. Present your motivation authentically and honestly and show what benefits you can bring to the company.

Final part
Include a call-to-action: Make it friendly for the recruiter to know that it's now their turn to contact you. Examples include: "I will be happy to show you in a personal interview why I am the right person for this position." or "If my application has aroused your interest, I look forward to meeting you in person."

A greeting and a signature round off a positive overall impression. Signatures can be created digitally relatively easily today. Otherwise, you can simply scan a signature and place it on the page.

Scale and design
Always limit your motivation letter to one A4 page. This should include the address, salutation, heading and the actual letter. A short text is more inviting to read than a novel of several pages. After all, the recruiter has to read a large number of applications every day. If your motivation only appears on the third page, the addressee will probably never see it.
The design of the motivation letter, like the rest of your application, should be coherent and adapted to the company. Clear structures in structure and text leave a good impression.

Conclusion
The motivation letter is a way to better present you alongside the CV and references and to justify your motivation for the vacancy and the company. You can elaborate more extensively on your skills, qualifications, aspirations and career goals. The motivation letter should be exciting, informative and creative.