In the main part of your cover letter, you basically create an advertisement for yourself and you repeatedly establish a connection to the company or to the advertised position. In terms of text structure, you usually start by listing your qualifications, skills, and knowledge. You can support this with a notable success. Social skills usually follow afterwards. Pay attention to the job posting: If the employer mentions soft skills first and perhaps even highlights them in bold, you could refer to them first in this case.
If you're stuck in writing your text, take a step back. Create a list of the requirements mentioned in the job posting. Formulate them even shorter and possibly rearrange them. Write down what you have to offer regarding the requirements, which example serves as evidence, and what benefit each aspect brings to the company. Also note down what you absolutely want to mention yourself, for example, if it's a relevant additional qualification or a special achievement. Here is an example:
Job Posting | Requirement | My Supporting Evidence | Added Value for the Company |
Successfully completed degree with a focus on Design or Marketing | Design or Marketing degree | Present (Master's) | Direct entry, shortened familiarization period |
Ideally professional experience in a printing house, publisher, or agency | Media experience | two years agency practice | Knowledge of processes in an agency with understanding of deadlines |
Organizational, creative skills and independent work | Self-organization | Project management for multiple clients exceeding expectations | Support in project management, friendly client communication, adherence to deadlines |
Proficient with Adobe CC, especially Photoshop and InDesign | Adobe Creative Cloud software skills | Also privately owned. Proficient in Illustrator and Adobe XD | Efficient creation of designs and new expertise for the company |
Team player | Team player | Weekly moderation of team meetings | Support in internal communication |
Passion for photography and image editing (portfolio link) | Helpful additional qualifications for the agency through my skills | ||
Acquisition of new agency clients through well-developed network | Increased profit for the agency |
Added Value in Focus
Examples, Evidence, and Four Main Aspects
Don't simply repeat your resume in your cover letter, as the HR manager will find that on the next page of your application documents. Instead, you should address aspects relevant to the position and support them with additional information. Completing a degree or training, working reliably, and being a team player—all of these apply to many applicants. Therefore, use specific examples and evidence to justify and give life to your statements. The more robust the results, the better.
- During my internship, I developed a twelve-page brochure with Adobe InDesign CC for an agency client, which was printed in a circulation of 100,000 copies.
- In my current role as Social Media Manager, I managed to increase the number of followers by five times within a year.
People, Processes, Products, Profit – Less "Me", More "You"!
Breaking it down to the essential core aspects, everything in companies ultimately revolves around four major Ps—around People, Processes, and Products as well as Profit: How to attract good employees and retain them? How are process flows around offered products or services designed? And lastly: How to manage profitably?
Therefore, you present an added value for the company when you address these core aspects. Keep this in mind when formulating your cover letter. Answer the question of what contributions you will make to the areas of People, Processes, Products, and Profit with your experiences, knowledge, and skills, and support these statements with evidence. This way, you automatically establish a connection to the company in your letter nearly every time. At the same time, you'll find that you somewhat reduce the "I" in your text and instead focus more on the "you". Instead of a mere self-presentation, you show where and how you position yourself in the company for its benefit.
After composing your cover letter, it's recommended to review each of your arguments in the main part of the cover letter again in terms of the aspects People, Processes, Products, and Profit. Here is a sample letter where many added values for the company become evident:
Dear Mr. Smith.
You are looking for a reliable and punctuality-loving organizational talent with leadership experience and experience in the gastronomy field? Congratulations, you have now found it.
My conscientious and warmly friendly nature has led to my most recent position as the manager of the largest bakery branch in Munich. I have always managed to adequately meet operational requirements, motivate my employees appreciatively, and delight our customers in a service-oriented manner.
Beginning of November, I moved from Munich to Rostock for family reasons. I would like to contribute as your new company employee to the success of your business and the delight of your guests in the future.
I would be very pleased if you would like to convince yourself during a meeting and we can discuss how I can contribute as your new employee to the concrete success of your company.
Best regards
You can believe us, companies would wish to receive such an application for the application as a saleswoman. Try it!
A candidate-centered application that highlights the added value of the company is the key to success. Through clever self-marketing, you can present your strengths and build a strong connection to the company.
You are looking for the perfect design for your application documents? Take a look around and discover templates that you can easily edit.
What else do you need to know about the application and the interview?
This article about the main part of your cover letter is really good and informative. Another important point is the structure and content of a cover letter. Your cover letter should be precise and well-structured to convince the recruiter. In this article, you will find tips on how to write an effective cover letter. But there is much more you need to know to successfully land a job. Here you will find comprehensive information and useful tips for every phase of your application process.
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This article offers you valuable information to optimize your application documents and prepare yourself for your interview in the best possible way. With the right tips and some practice, you will start the application process confidently and well-prepared.