Applying according to DIN 5008: You have to take this into account

The German Institute for Standardization has developed the DIN 5008 standard, according to which you should apply. We show you what you have to consider within the scope of this standard.

What is the DIN 5008 standard?

The German Institute for Standardization, which gives the abbreviation DIN its name, develops voluntary standards that are intended to standardize business and business life. For example, the DIN A4 standard comes from the institute and reflects the size of a paper format. The DIN 5008 standard sets standards regarding business letters and application letters, especially their formatting.

How to apply according to DIN 5008:

The DIN 5008 standard mainly refers to the formatting, from the page margins, to the correct positioning of the address, right up to the font size. The most important components of the DIN 5008 standard are the following:

• Margins: Even the margins are not unimportant and should be set as follows: Left: 2.5 cm; right: 2.0 cm; top: 2.0 cm; bottom: 2.0 cm.
• Highlighting: You can and should mark important information about your application with highlighting. This is done in bold or italics, underlining, choosing a different font, size, color, indenting and centering.
• Date: You can choose between three formats for the date. It goes year-month-day (2011-07-06), day.month.year (July 6th 2011) or day.month-year.year (July 6th 2011) with spaces between numbers and word.
• Font size: The font size should not be less than 11pt, a size of 12pt is recommended to ensure better legibility. By the way, many HR staff print out your application. The correct font size also depends on the selected font.
• Font: Use sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. Serifs are check marks and embellishments on the individual letters. Times New Roman is no longer considered the most reputable and best font, but rather outdated and out of date. Choose Arial, Helvetica or Trebuchet MS as your font.

Do I have to apply according to DIN 5008?

Clear answer: No. Like all DIN standards, the DIN 5008 standard is a voluntary requirement that should help and not be binding. However, the standard helps the employer and tells him where he can find which information at first glance. The DIN 5008 thus serves for easier readability and structure and should be taken into account by you. Especially in professions that involve the writing of many business letters, you should already show in your application letter that you know the "rules" of the DIN 5008 standard.

If you are looking for a sample for your cover letter, you will find it in our next article.