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Working in Germany: How to write the perfect cover letter in English

Looking for a job cover letter that will catch an employer's attention? German careers columnist Chris Pyak gives a good example.

Published: 30 January 2020 15:52 CET
Working in Germany: How to write the perfect cover letter in English
Photo: DPA

Just a few days back I got a message from Michelle, one of my clients in the Expats Job Offer Miracle.

She just had just gotten off the phone with a manager that I had introduced her to.

READ ALSO: Six golden rules for creating the ideal German cover letter and resume

The impressions from that phone call were still fresh, so she wanted to apply for the job as quickly as possible. Here is the first draft of the cover letter that she sent to the employer.

While you read her letter, imagine that you would compete with Michelle for the same job. (Because you do compete with someone like Michelle for the same jobs.)

Here's the letter:

Dear Mr. Walter,

I had the pleasure of speaking with your colleague, Janine Meier, regarding your biggest challenges you are trying to solve with the Junior UX Researcher position. My understanding of one of these challenges is listening and developing a strong message to your customers through user research.

Recently I conducted six user interviews to test a mobile app prototype where users can reach out to experts in virtually any field. Through speaking with the participants I learned that the browse function wasn’t meeting the needs of the users because they weren’t able to view all experts.

During the next iteration I modified this feature in order for them to have the ability to view the full range of experts. We will see in the near future how this performs through another round of testing.

I look forward to discussing this topic with you further.

With warm regards,

Michelle

Whether writing by hand or computer, there are a few tricks to writing a cover letter than catches an employee's attention. Photo: DPA

Here's a few interesting things about this letter:

1. As you can read, the person that I had introduced her to wasn't the right contact person. That happens. We have to take a shot at our best options when we reach out.

2. Clearly it did not matter. Once the two ladies began to talk, they immediately built trust and a bond. As a result, her conversation partner was more than happy to introduce Michelle to the actual manager for this job offer.

3. Notice how honest Michelle is. She doesn't know yet if her changes in the design improved the results. Instead of making up some fake story, she tells it like it is: “We will see.”

READ ALSO: 10 German words you need to know when looking for a job

If you were the manager, would you like to interview Michelle for the job?

The candidate who was:

  • interested enough to ask what you actually want to achieve?

  • who made an effort to reach out?

  • who gives a concrete example of how she could help you?

  • who comes with a recommendation from your co-worker?

Reaching out to managers before you apply, sending a personalized, specific cover letter: That's one of the strongest tools for job seekers.

I want you to have more success in your job hunt. That's why I give you 8 pages of advice on how to write the perfect cover letter. You find them – and everything else that you need to convince employers to hire you when you are “unusual” – in my book:  “How To Win Jobs & Influence Germans”.

I wish you success.

ABOUT CHRIS PYAK

Chris Pyak is the Author of “How To Win Jobs & Influence Germans“. The managing director of Immigrant Spirit GmbH has worked in four different cultures and lived in five different countries.

Chris returned to Germany in 2011. His mission: Bring the Immigrant Spirit to his home country. Chris introduces international professionals to employers in Germany.

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

Published: 7 February 2024 10:54 CET
Updated: 10 February 2024 08:20 CET
Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions. 

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds. 

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local. 

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with. 

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