Writing a Job Application: Structure and Tips Explained

Reviewed by Benjamin Lohrer, editor at corrected.eu · As of 29 September 2026

Writing a job application: cover letter and CV

Reading time about 3 min. · last updated: 26 April 2026 · all text types

An application usually consists of a cover letter, a CV, certificates and, if you like, a photo. During your studies you apply for internships, jobs and working student positions, later for your career start. We show the German standards for this.

What the documents contain

Cover letter (1 page).
CV (1 to 2 pages).
Certificates (university, school leaving certificate, internships).
Optional: application photo.
For creative professions: portfolio.

Cover letter: structure

Recipient's address (company, contact person).
Date.
Subject line: "Application as ...".
Salutation: "Dear Ms X" / "Dear Mr Y" (in German: "Sehr geehrte Frau X" / "Sehr geehrter Herr Y").
Introduction: refer to the position, introduce yourself briefly.
Main part: why you, why this company, what you bring.
Closing: say you look forward to an interview.
Closing formula and signature.

CV: in tabular form

Personal details (name, address, email, phone).
Work experience (reverse chronological order, most recent first).
Studies (reverse chronological order).
School.
Internships and part-time jobs.
Languages (with level A1 to C2).
IT skills.
Hobbies (optional, brief).

Application photo

Widely used in Germany, but no longer mandatory. If you add a photo: a professional photo, a neutral background, a friendly expression. Selfies or holiday snaps do not work.

Online application

Standard today. Send the cover letter, CV and certificates as a PDF (max. 5 MB). One combined PDF is usually better than three separate files.

Common mistakes

Typos in the cover letter.
Wrong contact person.
CV too long (more than 2 pages).
A standard cover letter with no reference to the company.
An application photo that looks unprofessional.

More in our hub on text types. Editing for your documents often pays off: editing from €4.90 per standard page.

Putting the attachments together properly

A complete application includes a cover letter, a CV, certificates and, where relevant, work samples or a letter of motivation. The order: first the cover letter (1 page), then the CV (1 to 2 pages), then the certificates, starting with the most recent, so university certificate before school leaving certificate before school reports. Work samples go at the end. Bundle the attachments in a single PDF file, not as a ZIP or as ten separate files. Size: 5 MB at most, otherwise the email ends up in the attachment filter. Name the file clearly: "Surname_FirstName_Application.pdf" looks more professional than "scan_001.pdf".

As for content: do not hide anything, but do not overdo it either. A failed module does not need a detailed explanation, whereas a period abroad or internships do. Keep the layout consistent (same font, same spacing, same letterhead) across the cover letter and the CV as well. To recruiters this is like a first sign of quality. For online applications through career portals, a cover letter is often no longer needed, only structured fields. Even so, a short introductory email to the person responsible for hiring is worthwhile where possible. Before you send, open all documents once as a PDF and scroll through them: some conversions shift tab stops or cut off logos. Professional editing also uncovers language slips. If you want to be on the safe side, send the finished application to your own private email address first and check how it looks on a smartphone and on a desktop. That way layout breaks between devices can be caught before the real submission.

From university to your career

After your thesis comes your first proper job. Three partners can help, step by step. Most of them are based in Germany and their websites are in German.

resume.io: create a CV by filling in professional templates directly.
Bewerbungsschreiber: have your application written, with individual documents from a professional.
JobsToday.world: discover and search current job offers.

For more partner offers see our part-time jobs page. corrected.eu may receive a commission for orders placed through these links. This does not cost you anything extra.