Are you creative, motivated and ambitious?? Congratulations! Then you are one of many. According to research, these attributes are among the most frequently mentioned Strengths in the cover letter. For the recruiter this means inflationary use, that at least a certain percentage of applicants are not all that. For you, this means: You can’t stand out from your competitors with this. But there are also ways in which you can express your Qualities in the application skillfully put you in the right light.
How to correctly formulate your strengths in the cover letter
Many applicants have a hard time formulating their own strengths in the cover letter. The problem? Little space and so many positive qualities. Resorting to bullet points and lists sounds downright tempting, but it’s still not a good idea.
Sample cover letter
To make the heart of your application exactly what recruiters love, we’ve prepared some sample cover letters for common professions.
The rule of thumb: Do not mention more than three strengths in your cover letter.
On the one hand, of course, not because a cover letter is a Continuous text should be. On the other hand, because a mere list does not emphasize the extent to which the strengths mentioned really apply to you.
But how can you reconcile limited space with supporting your strengths with examples?? Your motto should be: Less is more.
Instead of trying to include as many soft skills and strengths as possible in your cover letter, you should focus on just a few. When choosing your strengths, it’s best to limit yourself to a combination of those that are most important to you and those that recruiters like to read about.
As a rule of thumb, you should no more than three strengths in the cover letter should mention.
You don’t even necessarily have to mention these three positive qualities verbatim, but rather in context through examples from your previous professional life and everyday life.
Don’t be afraid to draw on experiences from your school days or your leisure time activities. The more personal you make your positive experience the better the impression you give to the recruiter. This makes you seem more approachable, open-minded and accessible. So you’re revealing more about yourself than just the actual strength you’re describing.
Tailor your selection of strengths in the cover letter to the position you are applying for. Match them with the soft skills that are required in the job posting.
If you are not sure how to structure your cover letter, you have the option of using an online editor. Here’s how to make your cover letter and resume visually appealing right online.
Don’t be discouraged
If your strengths don’t always match up one hundred percent with those desired in the job advertisement, don’t be discouraged. You can often make up for a lack of soft skills with other positive attributes. You should then definitely formulate this in the same way. This is how you prove that you have read the advertisement well and thought about how you can compensate for a supposed deficiency and still be useful for the company.
Examples for formulations of strengths in the cover letter
Resilience / Stress Resistance:
- "My hobby Yoga helps me to mentally and physically more relaxed and flexible to become. This helps me to deal with stress better and to keep a clear head even in particularly stressful times at work."
- "As a more ambitious athlete I can Stress and Pressure optimal in my spare time reduce, Which has made me resistant and resilient in my working life."
- "Through my commitment to Volunteer fire department I am stress Used to and have learned to handle it well. This is how even short-term Deadlines no problems."
Organizational skills / leadership skills:
- "In my last (or current) position, I was in leading function entrusted with the organization of trade fairs, events and workshops. That’s why I’m used to it, quick decisions to meet, to optimize processes and perform various tasks skilfully delegate."
- "Even during my school days and studies, I was involved in a lot of actively involved in AGs and committees, have supported our prom with organized and various ceremonial acts planned. My suggestions and ideas often set the tone."
- "As Singer and manager of my band, with which I am active in my spare time, I plan rehearsals and performances, compile the song selection and negotiate with organizers. This enables me to perform my organizational skills and to encourage my bandmates to develop new talents Drive top performance. I also benefit professionally from these experiences."
Prove what you can do
Often it is possible to demonstrate your strengths directly to the personnel manager without even mentioning them literally – this creates credibility. assertiveness you demonstrate, for example, if you have identified the personal contact person in the company yourself. Diligence, by building your email application conscientiously.
What to do if motivation, ambition and creativity are your strengths?
Of course, this is especially a thankless situation if you are actually motivated, creative and ambitious. Because convincing personnel managers in your cover letter that you of all people combine these strengths will be correspondingly difficult. So that in spite of the unpopular adjectives you have to at least Examples underpin.
By referring to situations in which you can use your ambition, your creativity or your motivation you have already set yourself apart from other applicants. It would be better, however, if you could refer to other personal strengths in the cover letter.
What strengths personnel managers really want from applicants
- own initiative
- willingness to perform / performance orientation
- communication skills
- Willingness to learn
- ability to work in a team
- Willingness to take responsibility
- analytical skills
- curiosity
80 percent of German HR managers want applicants who above all Initiative show. Almost as great is the desire for applicants who excel in performance and communication skills. Equally important to recruiters are Willingness to learn, ability to work in a team and performance orientation. Followed by soft skills such as willingness to take responsibility, analytical skills and curiosity.
resilience by the way, is only in the foreground for about 30 percent of the personnel managers.
Do you know your strengths at all?
Often, one’s own strengths are not as easy to grasp as one might think. But it is actually not that difficult to find out where they lie. The easiest way to find out is to ask friends, family and colleagues which Character traits attribute them to you. Or by looking at your different areas of life yourself. What tasks do you perform at home? Do you hobbies or you engage yourself voluntarily? All these aspects tell you something about your own strengths.
- Do you like to run and even participate in marathons?? Then you certainly have a high degree of Perseverance and Determination.
- Play a team sport or play in a band? Then you are surely characterized by strengths like Ability to work in a team and depending on the position about Leadership qualities from.
- Engage yourself socially? By doing this, you show that you care about the well-being of others and that you are a good person Being good with people.
- Did you grow up in a large family?? Then you must have often had to assert yourself or taken on tasks that your Organizational talent promoted.
Your whole life is a real pool of Strengths and weaknesses. To pick out the ones that will go over well in an application, you just need to get an overview of what you actually do on a day-to-day basis. It is important that you honest you are honest with yourself and admit when you are perhaps not as good at something as you would like to be. Then it is better to use another strength in the cover letter, which you can advertise with a clear conscience.
A final tip on strengths in the cover letter
Also supposed Weaknesses you can – skillfully packaged – present in the cover letter as strengths. Do friends often think you are stubborn? Then you are somehow also assertive and goal-oriented. Does your family sometimes find you very reserved?? Then that means you analyze situations first before you form an opinion.
Nevertheless, you should focus your cover letter on real strengths You should always provide useful examples to show that you are the right person for the job and for the company.