Write a cover letter from the resume and the job
The useful cover letter is short and specific: two or three requirements from the posting, each tied to a fact already on the CV. It is not a second resume and not a place to add new claims.
A cover letter fails when it repeats the resume in paragraphs or when it promises work the resume cannot support. Start from the job description and the document you will attach. Pick the requirements a hiring manager will ask about first. For each one, point at a role, date, and outcome that already exists. If you cannot point, leave the requirement out or say you have not done it.
A structure that stays checkable
- One sentence on the role you are applying for and why this posting, not “I am passionate about growth.”
- Two short paragraphs, each opening with a requirement and closing with the evidence.
- One sentence on availability or a constraint the posting asked about, if it did.
- A plain close. No new skills in the last line.
Tied to the CV: The role owns incident response for a multi-tenant platform. In 2023–2024 I was primary on-call for the payments API at Northwind and wrote the post-incident review that cut repeat pages.
Untethered: I am a dynamic team player passionate about leveraging synergies to drive scalable outcomes in fast-paced environments.
German applications and DIN 5008
In Germany the letter is an Anschreiben with a fixed layout: sender block, date, subject line, salutation, body, close. DIN 5008 is the layout norm, not a license to invent biography. The content rule is the same as in English: only claims the Lebenslauf already supports. The German guide covers the block order in detail.
Use the German layout guide when the employer expects an Anschreiben. Anschreiben nach DIN 5008
Frequently asked questions
How long should a cover letter be?
Usually well under a page: a specific opening, two evidence paragraphs, and a close. Length is not what gets it read. A requirement with no supporting role does.
Should a cover letter repeat the resume?
No. It should select the few facts that answer this posting. The resume remains the full record.
Do I need a cover letter if the form says optional?
Only when you can say something the resume does not already show clearly, such as why this employer or a constraint the form asked about. An empty restatement does not help.