How to write a German cover letter (Anschreiben) – with example

Recruiters often spend 30 to 60 seconds on a cover letter. They want to know: which job is this for, can this person do what we need, and do they really want to work here? A good Anschreiben answers exactly that – briefly and concretely.

Structure of an Anschreiben

1. Betreff (subject): “Bewerbung als Lagerhelfer (m/w/d)”, with the reference number if there is one.
2. Anrede (greeting): “Sehr geehrte Frau Schneider,” / “Sehr geehrter Herr Wagner,” – or “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,” if you don't know the name.
3. Introduction: why this job and this company.
4. Main part: your experience and skills, with examples that match the job ad.
5. Closing: when you can start and that you'd like an interview.
6. Sign-off: “Mit freundlichen Grüßen” and your name.

When you apply by email, leave out the address blocks and put the letter straight into the email body.

Useful German phrases

• “In Ihrer Anzeige suchen Sie … – genau in diesem Bereich arbeite ich seit … Jahren.” (In your ad you are looking for … – I have worked in exactly this field for … years.)
• “Zu meinen Aufgaben gehörten …” (My duties included …)
• “Ich besitze einen gültigen Staplerschein.” (I hold a valid forklift licence.)
• “Schichtarbeit ist für mich kein Problem.” (Shift work is no problem for me.)
• “Ich bin ab sofort verfügbar.” (I can start immediately.)
• “Über eine Einladung zu einem Gespräch freue ich mich.” (I look forward to being invited to an interview.)

Example

More examples by job: warehouse worker, care assistant, salesperson, production worker.

Common mistakes

• Sending the same letter to every company. Changing the company name is not enough.
• Wrong company or contact name – the fastest way to a rejection.
• Long, machine-translated sentences. Short, clear sentences read better.
• Using “du”. Applications always use the formal “Sie”.
• More than one page.