HOW TO APPLY FOR A JOB IN GERMANY
Unlike a lot of other countries, most German companies tend to interview only a handful of candidates and conduct less traditional assessment centers. Larger companies tend to receive 100’s of applications for advertised and unadvertised jobs; therefore it is extremely important to make a stand against the rest.
An application consists of
- An individual cover letter
- your resume
- copies of your degrees
A GOOD GERMAN COVER LETTER
Below are a few tips for the cover letter.
- The cover letter is a real formal letter.
- The cover letter should be addressed to the correct person. If not indicated in the job offer you have to find out. Don't hesitate to call the companies' reception.
- The recipient's contact details should be flawless
- The body of the cover letter should be correct German or English, respectively. If your level of German is not sufficient but good enough to do an interview in German, your cover letter should be in German, however, it should not give a false impression of your language capacity, thus keep the wording in accordance with your skills but have someone correct it, ideally a native speaker
- The wording should contain a section on your motivation to work for this specific employer. Make sure to study their website and argue why you chose this particular employer.
- The wording should also repeat the job requirements; no harm is done if you exactly repeat key words when arguing why you are the perfect person for this job. Don't overdo it - in most cases, a humble and honest approach will be the best.
- The cover letter should end with a phrase asking for an interview
- It shall not exceed one DinA4 page. Ultimately important.
Immigrant Spirits is also a very helpful website with loads of information for Newcomers: Read about their tips for a good cover letter here.
