Cover letter: how to write it, samples and country requirements

The resume shows the facts; the letter ties them to what the employer needs. This page covers where a letter is required, the four-paragraph structure, German and Korean samples and typical mistakes.

What a cover letter is and how it differs from a resume

A resume is a list of facts: where, when and in what role you worked. A cover letter explains them: why this company, how your experience helps and when you can start. It does not retell the resume - it takes the two or three strongest facts and links them to the advert.

The name changes by country: Anschreiben in Germany, 자기소개서 (self-introduction letter) in Korea, cover letter in English, ön yazı in Turkey. The content is the same everywhere: 250-350 words on why the employer should invite you to an interview.

Which countries expect a letter

Some channels need neither a letter nor a resume: the Korean EPS (E-9) - the EPS-TOPIK exam and a roster, UK seasonal work - selection through the Migration Agency, the Russian patent - a document package. Applications go only through xorijdaish.uz; details in the Chet elga section.

In Germany a letter is requested even in hotels and restaurants: employers ask for a German-format Lebenslauf together with an Anschreiben (spot.uz, 25.09.2025). The German format is described on the Germany page.

Structure: four paragraphs

The header holds your name, contact details, the date, the employer and a subject line (Bewerbung als Schweißer, Application for Nurse position). Then four paragraphs:

1. Why this job. Where you saw the advert and why this company - two or three sentences. Not «I need a job» but «your plant has the line of work I have been looking for».
2. Experience and results. Take two or three requirements from the advert and give a numbered proof for each: years, equipment, volumes, certificates.
3. Language, visa and availability. Your level (CEFR or TOPIK), whether your diploma is recognised, your visa status and when you can start. This paragraph answers the employer's main question.
4. Interview request. One sentence: you are available for an interview and how to reach you. Then a formal closing and your name.

Length: 250-350 words, one page, the same font as the resume. Paragraphs 1-2 are rewritten for every advert; paragraphs 3-4 barely change.

Sample 1: the opening of an Anschreiben (in German)

The first part of a welder's Anschreiben (fictional person), with notes:

Aziz Rahimov, Taschkent, Usbekistan, +998 90 000 00 00, aziz@example.com

Bewerbung als Schweißer (MAG), Kennziffer 2026-14

Sehr geehrte Frau Müller,

mit großem Interesse habe ich Ihre Stellenanzeige für einen Schweißer im Stahlbau gelesen. Seit fünf Jahren arbeite ich als MAG-Schweißer bei einem Metallbaubetrieb in Taschkent und bin nach ISO 9606-1 zertifiziert. Zurzeit lerne ich Deutsch auf dem Niveau A2 und kann ab September 2026 in Deutschland anfangen.

• The subject line (Bewerbung als ...) repeats the job title and reference number from the advert exactly - HR sorts letters by that line.
• Address the person by name: «Sehr geehrte Frau Müller». If the name is unknown - «Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren».
• First sentence - which advert, second - how many years and what work, third - certificate, language level and start date. Three sentences, three answers.
• Closing: «Über eine Einladung zu einem Vorstellungsgespräch freue ich mich. Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Aziz Rahimov» - and space for a signature.

Sample 2: 자기소개서 - a four-block outline

For an E-7 visa the Korean employer asks for a 자기소개서 alongside the 이력서 (table-style resume). It is free text, but the employer expects four traditional blocks, each 4-6 sentences, in Korean or English.

• 성장과정 (background): where you grew up and how you chose the trade. For a welder: metalwork at college, the first workshop. One sentence about family is enough.
• 지원동기 (motivation): why Korea and this company - experience in shipbuilding or the car industry, TOPIK level, the wish to learn Korean technology.
• 성격의 장단점 (strengths and weaknesses): two strengths with a work example, one weakness and how you are fixing it.
• 입사 후 포부 (goals after joining): what you will master in the first year and the level you aim for in three years. An intention to stay long-term matters.

If you cannot write in Korean, write in English and attach the TOPIK certificate separately. E-7 requirements and the 이력서 structure are on the Korea page.

Common mistakes

• Retelling the resume: the letter takes two or three strong facts, the rest stays in the resume.
• A generic letter: «I want to work in your company» - without the company name and a requirement from the advert the letter is addressed to no one.
• A long local-style opening: greetings, family, expressions of respect. From the first sentence - which advert and who you are.
• Writing about need: «I have to feed my family», «I will take any job». The employer wants a solution to their problem, not yours.
• An inflated language level: B1 in the letter, A1 at the interview.
• Unchecked machine translation: German forms of address and closing are strict.

Preparing the letter: yourself or with Chet elga+

You can write the letter yourself using the four-paragraph plan - the most reliable way, because the facts are yours. In the «Chet elga+» package artificial intelligence drafts the letter in the country language from your resume data in the constructor: an Anschreiben, a 자기소개서 or a cover letter. The draft is a starting point: you add and check the company name, reference number, dates and language level yourself. It is AI-written text, not a certified translation.

Prepare a resume and letter for Germany