Rules for writing a motivation letter. Motivation letter to the university

Entering a German university is a painstaking, a little tedious process and requires, basically, only your perseverance and attentiveness. However, one of the documents will require not only your attention, but also your imagination. This motivation letter(Motivationsschreiben).

This is one of the first documents that the commission at the university or the embassy staff considering your application will pay attention to. And the final decision will depend on how you write it.

Motivation letter may be needed when applying for a scholarship, and when applying for an internship, and when submitting documents to the embassy for. Sometimes a motivation letter is also necessary when entering a German university (mainly for creative specialties or new directions, like European Studies).

Preparing to write a motivation letter

It is always difficult to write about yourself, especially about your personal qualities and your achievements. Therefore, before you start writing motivation, answer some questions for yourself. The answers to them will form the basis of your motivation letter.

1. Who you are? What knowledge and achievements do you already have to study the specialty? When did you first become interested in your chosen area of ​​expertise? Why should they choose you?
2. For what purpose do you want to study this specialty? Why did you choose it? You can describe an event that strengthened your confidence in choosing a profession.
3. What professional aspirations do you associate with your choice? Or in other words: what are your professional goals after graduation?
4. Why do you want to study this specialty at this university? What exactly makes the chosen university desirable for you?
5. You can describe any specific subjects within your chosen specialty. Why are you interested in them? This will show your specific interest in this university and specialty and help you avoid stereotypes.
6. And most importantly (when writing a motivation letter to the embassy) - how will you apply the knowledge acquired in Germany in your homeland?

At the end of your motivation letter, try writing 3 main reasons why you want to study the chosen specialty at this university, and also 3 arguments why the university should choose you.

What are the basic rules for writing a successful motivation letter?

What is motivation? - This is an incentive to action, what exactly drives you when choosing a specialty. I will introduce you to the basic rules and tips for writing a good motivation.

1. Size- one A4 page, no more. Just imagine an employee sitting in an office rereading hundreds of such emails. Represented? Do you think he'll be happy to see a five-page sheet? Will he read it? Yes, even your friends are unlikely to want to read it :-)
2. Bring concrete examples. Don't just write, "I'm inquisitive" or "I always achieve my goals." Describe exactly where it manifests itself and what goal you achieved (and how).
3. Make a plan for writing motivation based on your answers to the questions.
4. The most important thing is to state on paper the facts that clearly and clearly, naturally and logically confirm your desire to go to study. The form of presentation is up to you. Find your style, not too formal. But in any case, do not be familiar.
5. Write positively, do not form your own image with the commission as the image of a victim. Here is what the professor said to the student when he started to complain: “By blaming other people or circumstances, you will not arouse empathy or respect. This will rather speak of your immaturity, inability to accept responsibility and conflict.
6. Give preference to simple sentences without complex structures - your motivation letter should be easy enough to read.
7. Indent a line between paragraphs so that your letter will be easier to read and will not give the impression of a long, slurred text. Remember, a lot depends on the design and presentation of the letter.
8. Let your motivation be appreciated different people to get their opinion. Perhaps their comments and corrections will be useful to you.

 You can certainly find templates and writing a motivation letter on the vast expanses of the Internet, but I recommend that you look for them and read them only after you write your own letter. Each person is an individual, and let you write not so beautifully, but your true motives and desires. An officer at the embassy or a university employee will definitely see and appreciate this.

What should you end up with? In the end, your motivation letter should answer three main questions:

• Why this specialty?
• Why you?
• How do you see your future path?

Have you read? Does he answer? So, feel free to send!

In the process of actively searching for a job, almost any job seeker, be it a doctor, pharmacist or nurse, is faced with such a thing as a “motivation letter”, since in a number of job advertisements the submission of this document is one of the conditions for considering a candidacy. We will try to talk about what a motivation letter is, its purpose and the rules for compiling it in this article.

What is a motivation letter?

Based on the very name of the motivation letter, it can be understood that its text should contain information about the motives for which the applicant is applying for a particular position in a particular company. Since a motivation letter is not sent on its own, but only paired with a resume, it is also called a “cover letter”.

When starting to create a motivation letter, you need to remember: its purpose is to present you in a favorable light for the employer, to present your the best sides, as well as motivate the employer to give preference to you.

Therefore, in the cover letter to the resume, it is important to make it clear that your interests coincide with the interests of the employer, and you are familiar with the specifics of the company in which you are striving to work.

Motivational letter - to write or not to write?

If the employer requested a motivation letter in the job posting, this requirement should not be ignored. After all, in similar situation a cover letter to a resume (or lack of it) can be a “litmus test” for the applicant’s attentiveness and the severity of his desire to work in a particular company.

In the event that there is no direct requirement to provide a motivation letter, it is still worth writing one, as a successful cover letter will help you stand out from other applicants. A motivation letter will be especially useful if you want to change your position, or you do not have enough work experience. After all, if you take the preparation of the cover letter seriously, you can get an advantage over other candidates!

For example, the editorial board of a specialized medical journal announces a competition to fill an editor's vacancy. Among the main requirements for the candidate are higher medical education and experience as an editor. Well, you are a practicing doctor and you are very interested in such a vacancy. There is a coincidence of your interests with the interests of the employer! However, from your correct resume the employer does not understand why you should be hired for this position.

In such a situation, you can use the cover letter to the resume and motivate your compliance with the requirements of the recruiter by the fact that you were part-time editor of the section of the medical Internet portal, and also have publications in various specialized publications.

Recruitment specialists note that such sample motivation letters are sometimes the decisive factor before inviting a candidate for an interview.

Rules for writing a motivation letter

When starting to create a cover letter, remember that this is an official document, so when preparing it, you need to follow a few simple rules:

• A motivation letter is drawn up on an A4 page, be sure to indicate to whom it is addressed and what position the applicant is applying for;
• The cover letter should not duplicate information from the resume;
• The text of the motivation letter should be objective, not too wordy, but not too concise. Usually its length is from half to one A4 page;
• In the text of the cover letter to the resume, you should not abuse capital letters, artistic fonts, as well as bold and underline, as this complicates the understanding of the text;
• The final version of the motivation letter must be checked “for literacy”: spelling and punctuation errors in it are unacceptable;
• If you are sending your cover letter via e-mail, be sure to save it in the correct format (either dok or pdf).

Building a motivation letter

It is desirable to divide the text of a motivation letter into three logical parts: introduction, main and final parts.

In introductory part The cover letter to the CV indicates the reason for sending it (namely: whether you are responding to a job advertisement, or just want to work in a particular company or clinic), as well as the position for which you are applying. The introductory part of the motivation letter is extremely important, because the lack of specificity will minimize your chances of getting an interview.

IN main part motivation letter, you can give information about the current “employment situation” (for example, indicate whether you are looking for a main job or thinking about part-time work), list skills and abilities (especially those that are in the interests of the employer, are listed in his requirements and directly relate to work in a vacant position ), emphasize their strengths, give examples of achievements.

If you do not yet have work experience, you should not write that the purpose of obtaining a position is to acquire it. It is better to indicate where and what practices you did during your studies (for example, applying for a job in a children's hospital, you will definitely add points to yourself if you helped look after children in the Department of Nursing Premature Babies in the Kiev Children's Hospital of the NSSB "OKHMATDET").

It is also useful to focus on those of your interests that coincide with the interests of the employer, to demonstrate that you are familiar with the specifics of the company to which you are sending your sample motivation letter.

Remember that it is desirable to write the truth. If you still decide to embellish a cover letter with your resume, be prepared for the fact that at the interview you will be asked specific questions that you will need to answer in a qualified manner.

IN final part The cover letter should thank the person to whom you are addressing for attention, and also tell you how best to contact you.

Sample motivation letter

Since the advent of job search portals, there have been many examples of cover letters “for all tastes”, in particular for medical professionals or pharmacists.

Sometimes this makes life easier for applicants, as a well-written example of a motivation letter can save time. But in this case, recruiters warn against the abuse of copying cover letter templates and emphasize that each motivation letter must be individual.

Therefore, remember that you can only build on a sample motivation letter.

After all, you create a cover letter for your resume in order to stand out from a dozen other candidates and convince the employer that it is you that he needs in a vacant position!

Who reads motivational letters and how?

Many job seekers ask themselves a simple question: do recruiters read motivational letters?

Recruiters answer this question in different ways. Most of them are inclined to believe that a cover letter for a resume can tell a lot about the applicant for a vacancy (and this satisfies the interests of the employer) and, if well-written, almost always plays into the hands of the applicant.

However, they immediately admit that they do not read too long cover letters that duplicate information from the resume, as well as motivation letters in which the position is incorrectly indicated (or not indicated at all), by mistake (or due to inattention) the name of the company is incorrectly indicated (or the name of a competing firm appears).

So take writing a cover letter for your resume seriously - and then your motivation letter will become a valuable investment in career development.

A motivation letter (Statement of Purpose, Personal Statement) is an essay on 1-1.5 pages. In the motivation letter, the candidate justifies his choice of university and academic program and tells about his academic interests, experience and achievements and goals.

Stage 1. Determining the expectations of the target audience

The main purpose of the motivation letter is to convince members admission committee that you are the preferred candidate.

What do members of the admission committee like?

Members of the selection committee like what best allows them to evaluate a potential candidate, namely:

• personality analysis . Instead of general phrases, in a motivation letter, you should analyze your personal qualities and give specific examples from your life;

• sincerity.Don't overly focus on what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. Instead, try to open up and tell your own story;

• preparation and motivation.It should be obvious from the narration that you have a realistic view of the area of ​​your interest. In a motivation letter, tell us about your experience (work, research, etc.), training courses, seminars, people, books and other sources of information that influenced your choice of specialty, and also justify why you are suitable for it. Focus on the experience that is considered desirable in the chosen program of study. For example, if you are applying for a doctorate, then research experience will be a big plus. If we are talking about a master's degree in any applied area, then you should pay attention to the availability of practical experience;

• having goals.For example, it is important for candidates for a master's or doctoral degree to skillfully argue their choice, namely: how studying in the chosen program can help achieve professional goals;

• justification for choosing a program.You should explain why you are interested in the chosen program of study. For example, you can point to specific aspects of the curriculum, academic interests of faculty members that you are particularly attracted to;

• the ability to express thoughts.The degree of importance of this skill depends on the specialty. For example, if you are applying for a PhD in biochemistry, even if you write like Oscar Wilde, this fact alone is unlikely to help you. However, for admission to any program, it is important to show good writing skills. This applies not only to the ability to grammatically correct sentences, but also to structure the text logically.

What do members of the selection committee not like?

They do not like what makes their work boring, namely:

• negligence.Misprints, grammatical errors, frequent repetitions, etc. in a motivation letter they give reason to think that the candidate is not organized or is not serious about admission. Double-check the text before sending;

• cliches and common phrases.Avoid using clichés and general phrases that don't add anything interesting or deep to your portrait. This makes your cover letter predictable and therefore boring;

• summary summary.There is no need to retell what you can already learn from your resume. It is better to synthesize information from a resume in a motivation letter, supplement and explain the most important events or achievements;

• controversial topics.Expressing your point of view and values ​​in a motivation letter is fine. However, touching on issues on which there are conflicting opinions in society, such as politics and religion, is best avoided;

• excessive volume.Usually, a motivation letter to a university should be no more than 1-1.5 pages long, taking into account a single interval. As a rule, excess volume arises from excessive detailing or repetition. Repeated editing of the text will help cut off the extra "fat";

• book syllable.You should strive to use simple words and expressions. This will only testify to your ability to think clearly and express yourself. Look.

What other mistakes are often made when preparing a motivation letter -.

Stage 2. Setting goals

It is always difficult to write about yourself, especially about your personal qualities and about your past. The following groups of questions should help generate enough material to start writing a cover letter:

Short and long term goals

• What attracts you to the chosen study program?

• Are there teachers at the selected faculty whose interests you are interested in? Which one would you like to learn from?

• What exactly do you expect to get from studying in the chosen program of study?

• What are your career plans, and how will the chosen program of study allow you to achieve them?

• How do you envision your dream job? What would you ideally like to do in 5, 10, 20 years?

Skills and personal qualities

• What personal qualities of yours, such as honesty, perseverance, punctuality, can help you succeed in your field of interest?

• Can you give examples from your own life that demonstrate that you have these qualities? Here you should "connect" your experience and your personal qualities. Ideally, you should strive to retell your personal experience in such a way that your personal qualities become obvious without their direct mention.

• What skills do you have (e.g. analytical, managerial, communication)? In this case, it is also better to “show” than “name”.

• Why are you a better candidate for the chosen program and why are you more chances achieve success in your field or profession compared to others?

• How can you be interesting for the faculty: for teachers and other students?

• Why do you think you will be one of the top students in your chosen program?

• What are the main reasons why the selection committee should be interested in your candidacy?

• Why do you think you will make a successful career in your chosen field?

Personal achievements and experience

• What is special, distinctive or impressive in your life? Here you can talk about events, impressions from your own life or your family members, victories that are valuable to you, personalities that contributed to the formation of your goals.

• Have you had to overcome unusual life obstacles and difficulties (economic, political, family, physical plane) and how did you overcome them? Try not to make it look like you are trying to justify your failures with difficulties.

• Have you ever had to bear the burden of caring for family members and how has this affected your studies, professional experience, goals and values? It is important here that you do not give the impression that you are putting pressure on pity.

• If you had to work during your higher education, what did you learn (for example, leadership or management skills) and how did your work experience during your student years influence your development?

Studies and academic achievements

• When did you first become interested in your chosen area of ​​expertise? What have you learned since then about this field of knowledge and about yourself that spurred your interest in it?

• How did you become interested in the chosen field of knowledge - classes at school or university, reading books, conferences, communication with people working in this field?

• Are there any gaps or inconsistencies in your studies that need clarification?

• Can you recall an event that reinforced your confidence in the correctness of the chosen career path.

• directly integrated with the field of knowledge you are interested in;

• best describe your personality;

• help to create the most complete picture of you;

• original or related to your experience, conclusions;

• able to keep the reader's interest;

• contain facts.

• Why did I decide to enroll in a program of study in my chosen specialty?

• Why am I eligible for the chosen program?

• What is so special, unique or impressive about my experience?

Stage 3. Organization of the text

There are two general approaches to writing a motivation letter: chronological and thematic.

• chronological approach.It implies a sequential presentation of events from the past to the present. Of course, this approach is convenient both for the one who writes and for the one who reads. Perhaps it is he who is most suitable for the presentation of your chosen topics. At the same time, it is likely that the motivation letter will turn into a monotonous autobiography "I was born, studied, married."

• Thematic approach.It implies a concentration on 2-4 key topics, which may or may not be presented sequentially. The advantage of the thematic approach is that it allows you to combine two events separated by time, related in meaning.

• since the motivation letter will be read quickly in search of the main ideas, the most Interesting Facts and experience should be listed at the beginning or, if appropriate, in the introduction;

• arrange the facts in the text in such a way that your development becomes obvious to the reader: how your initial curiosity turned into a passionate passion for the subject, or how the abilities discovered in early childhood in some area were brought to the level of mastery by you;

• if you use a thematic approach, you can combine two topics that are related in meaning, but separated by time. In this case, you do not have to "dilute" the time gap with unnecessary details;

• if there is some dramatic experience in your life, for example, overcoming some difficult situation should be reflected in the text. To do this, some problem or question is indicated in the introduction, then each paragraph is used to gradually involve the reader, and only at the end is the denouement - the solution to the problem.

Organization of text at the paragraph level

Paragraphs are the building blocks of a motivational letter. Their organization is subject to the following rules:

• use transitional phrases from one paragraph to the next. Firstly, their use allows the reader to be informed about the information that will be presented next. Secondly, transitional phrases provide a semantic relationship with the previous paragraph;

• although the transitional phrases are general in nature, the sentence that follows should be specific and contain facts. The general direction of the narrative within each paragraph should be from particular to general;

• each paragraph of a motivation letter is a mini story, so a semantic denouement is needed at the end of each paragraph. Try to formulate it in such a way that it follows logically from the content of the paragraph. Avoid common phrases.

Introduction and Conclusion

Introductionis the most important part of a motivation letter. Its purpose is to grab the reader's attention and interest. The introduction can also indicate the direction of further narration, but this is not its main purpose. There are several ways to start a motivation letter:

• interesting quote. At the same time, many candidates resort to this technique, so you risk being unoriginal;

• a description of an interesting experience from your life.The context of this impression becomes clear to the reader from the following paragraphs;

• an unusual fact from your biography.It is important that given fact organically fit into the general context of the story;

• statement of the problem.The problem can be personal or social. In the further narrative, it is necessary to show the process of overcoming this problem internally or externally, or how you came to its deeper awareness and understanding.