In the end, only the CV counts for an application. And yet it has to come with a personal letter. The famous «Letter of Motivation». This is an opportunity to score more points which cannot be ignored. What usually strikes me about letters of motivation:
- Most of them are too long.
- They include text elements which belong to the resume.
- They are full of clichés which are often not relevant with regard to the concerned application.
Caution: Think that nowadays many CVs are being machine-read. The resumes are sorted by IT tools according to a predefined list of specific key words.
In order to produce an impressive letter of motivation, make sure you respect the following rules:
Everything in the right place: Relevant information concerning experience and technical skills should not only appear in the letter. They could otherwise go unnoticed in the automatic scan.
Comply with formalities: Properly mention recipient, date, form of address, etc.
Short and smart: Do not fill your letter with too much details. This is a frequent mistake of German speaking candidates who provide a very short resume next to a letter overladen with dense text and explanations – far too time-consuming for the recipient!
Motivation short and succinct: Your letter should explain your motivations and provide a few personal information. This should not take more than three to five sentences! Make it clear why the position is so appealing to you.
Arise interest: Mention two to three of your most striking personal qualities which are relevant for the concerned position. The genuine advocacy work shall in the end be done by your clearly readable and meaningful CV and the accompanying certificates and references.
Clear facts: Detail the specific experiences you mention in your CV with relevant bullet points. It ensures a clear presentation – first and foremost, in the adequate document. Your recipient expects facts – not a novel! Unlike the recommendations provided in some advisory pages, I would recommend you skip long texts with introduction, main body and conclusion.
Meanwhile some managers purposefully require a letter of motivation so as to assess which specific requirements of the job ad the applicant fulfils. Moreover a manager may wish to know to which extent the candidate will be able to develop in the position.
As much as necessary, as little as possible
So as to avoid including this information in the letter of motivation, I would advise two possible modus operandi:
- Customized reaction: You create a customized version of your CV for this specific application, in which you include all relevant information of your background. List when and in which context you gained the required experience which would qualify you as the adequate candidate.
- Overview via Skill Sheet: You draft an attachment, a so-called Skill Sheet. You can chose between different presentations. It could be a comparative table (searched profile/my profile) or you could provide key words matching the required elements. You may also refer to elements included in your written labour certificates (duties, projects and successes). These are often exiled somewhere at the bottom of your application file. They will be much more effective and powerful if highlighted in a Skill Sheet. You may want to place this sheet above your resume or even on the top of your application file.
In English, please – even if the job was published in German
These two options are far more efficient than a novel-like letter of motivation because they are compatible with IT recruiting systems which simply scan key words. Make sure you draft both Skill Sheet and resume in English, even if the job ad was published in German. Numerous technical terms and skills in the pharmaceutical and Life Sciences areas are either difficult to translate into German or lose their relevance when translated.
Dr. Irmtraud Lang, Chemist and Owner of gloor&lang ag, life science careers