HR professionals often read hundreds of letters. There’s a trick to making it more exciting for you. Career editor Andreas Weck reveals that this benefits every application.
There is a golden rule in the world of journalism regarding good texts: The first sentence must bang! This basically means that if the first sentence is not formulated in an exciting way, the reader will probably quite quickly – at least mentally. This is also known in personnel departments. Many HR managers are now nodding eagerly. Even HR managers sometimes receive several hundred letters for an advertised position and read countless standardized phrases such as: “I would like to apply with this”. That is also ok so far, with the introduction sentence stands and falls with security, not the application, however, job seekers leave here potential to stand out.
Write a cover letter: Better get away from the phrase-mongering!
“Depending on the industry and employer, applicants can formulate more classically and more freely.”
In principle, the following applies to applications: those who do not stand out from the crowd will simply go underneath. And especially the cover letter is there to get a first impression of the person.
How does she describe herself? How passionately does she talk about the job? But also: How does it formulate? Instead of writing that an applicant wants to apply with the cover letter for the advertised position, job seekers can increase the reader’s attention here with a surprising sentence. It should be clear that a person wants to apply. Otherwise, the application documents wouldn’t be on the staffer’s desk, would they?
The first sentence could, for example, deal with current scenarios, such as the current development of the company: “I was excited to hear that you are opening a new office in Cologne! Another possibility could also be the new website: “An acquaintance told me about your successful new website. “When I went to see them, I noticed your vacancies.” Another option would be to say why the company is so attractive: “I heard your CEO speak at a conference a few weeks ago and got a pretty good picture of the corporate culture.
Depending on the industry and employer, applicants can formulate more classically or more freely. Another tip from the school of journalism is the shorter and more concise in the first sentence, the better. Long nested sentences are not the best way to start. Extremely long sentences should be divided into several sentences with points. And: the more concrete and understandable, the better. In this respect, the above examples, which at first are only intended to point out possibilities, could certainly also be formulated in a more catchy way. Thinking a little longer about the first sentence can certainly be worthwhile. In doubt, simply to come up with an aha effect.
By the way, you may also be interested in this article: A lot of information in our curriculum vitae is only given out of habit or “because that’s the way it is done”. That’s not always good: We’ll tell you what information you’d better leave out. Also read: Muck out your CV – this information can be found out!