Common English Mistakes in Cover Letters by German Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native German speakers from Germany when writing a Cover Letter in English.

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of passive voice

Dear Hiring Manager,iIt is with great enthusiasm thatI am applying for the position of Marketing Specialist. isI have developplied for byme. My skills in digital marketing and project management have been developedextensively, and it isI believed by me that my abilithiese will be beneficial to your team. TI greatly anticipate the opportunity to contribute to your company's successis greatly anticipated by me, and I am looking forward to the possibility of furtherdiscussing my applicationfurther.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I changed the passive voice constructions to the active voice and made some stylistic improvements."

Dear Hiring Manager, It is with great enthusiasm that I am applying for the position of Marketing Specialist. I have developed my skills in digital marketing and project management extensively, and I believe that my abilities will be beneficial to your team. I greatly anticipate the opportunity to contribute to your company's success, and I am looking forward to the possibility of further discussing my application.

Dear Hiring Manager, it is with great enthusiasm that the position of Marketing Specialist is applied for by me. My skills in digital marketing and project management have been developed extensively, and it is believed by me that these will be beneficial to your team. The opportunity to contribute to your company's success is greatly anticipated by me, and I am looking forward to the possibility of discussing my application further.

Mistake Example #2

Incorrect word order in subordinate clauses

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the Mmarketing Sspecialist position, which I saw on your company website. I believe that my skills and experiences make me a strong candidate for this role, because; I have worked in similar positions before, where I learned how important it is to understand customer needs. I am confident that I can contribute to your team, as I have always been passionate about marketing and eager to learn new strategies, which help companies grow.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"Changes I made were mostly to improve readability. "

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing specialist position, which I saw on your company website. I believe that my skills and experiences make me a strong candidate for this role; I have worked in similar positions before, where I learned how important it is to understand customer needs. I am confident that I can contribute to your team, as I have always been passionate about marketing and eager to learn new strategies which help companies grow.

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the Marketing Specialist position, which I saw on your company website. I believe that my skills and experiences make me a strong candidate for this role, because I have worked in similar positions before, where I learned how important it is to understand customer needs. I am confident that I can contribute to your team, as I have always been passionate about marketing and eager to learn new strategies, which help companies grow.

Mistake Example #3

Capitalizing all nouns (following German grammar rules)

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my Iinterest in the Pposition of Mmarketing Sspecialist at your esteemed Ccompany. I have a strong Bbackground in Mmarketing and have worked with several successful Ccampaigns in Germany. My Sskills in Ccommunication and Tteamwork make me an ideal Ccandidate for your Oorganization. I am eager to bring my Eexpertise to your Tteam and contribute to the Ggrowth of your Bbusiness.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to correct capitalization errors, and other changes."

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the position of marketing specialist at your esteemed company. I have a strong background in marketing and have worked with several successful campaigns in Germany. My skills in communication and teamwork make me an ideal candidate for your organization. I am eager to bring my expertise to your team and contribute to the growth of your business.

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my Interest in the Position of Marketing Specialist at your esteemed Company. I have a strong Background in Marketing and have worked with several successful Campaigns in Germany. My Skills in Communication and Teamwork make me an ideal Candidate for your Organization. I am eager to bring my Expertise to your Team and contribute to the Growth of your Business.