Top 10 Hacks to find a job in Germany | CV - Cover letter - Interview
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I have some helpful tips to help you beat the competition and get ahead of the game in the German job market!
As a European HR consultant, I worked in recruiting for a period of time and during my experience with hiring new employees I managed to gather some really useful tips and tricks to land your dream job in Germany! Plus I was lucky enough to get some valuable insight from other HR professionals from top companies all around Germany.
In this blogpost I will reveal Top 10 best kept secrets of working in Germany and a detailed step-by-step guide to finding a job in Germany. I will cover the most popular job application questions, such as:
Also included in the blog:
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Writing a good CV is winning half the game. So before you rush to apply for work in Germany, you need to make sure that your CV is competitive, up-to-date and communicates your value to the company well! Research shows that your CV can make or break your chances of getting a job in Germany so it’s very important that you invest a proper amount of time to polishing up your CV. It's imperative that you strike a healthy balance: don’t skimp on the important details but don’t turn it into your award-winning autobiographical novel!
Here are the answers to some FAQ’s about CV writing in Germany:
Those are just the very basics of CV writing. If you want your CV to be successful in Germany, it needs to be very high quality.
Luckily for you, I know some CV writing tips for German market!
Check out this useful checklist for German CV requirements:
Use this CV example used to apply for work in a German company showing the precise resume structure in Germany:
Download your FREE Resume Example and Resume Template at the bottom of the page.
I think this goes without saying: details are very important! Germans are very detail-oriented and will notice immediately if you haven’t put enough work into your job application. If you are smart, you will invest time into polishing the key details of your CV because they are what will separate you from other job applicants also looking for a job in Germany.
The best pro tip for a successful CV in Germany: get your photo done professionally!
Example of a professional photo: Example of an unprofessional photo:
Your CV picture should be located on the top of the first page, either on the left or right side. Get a professional CV photo, stay away from old photos or bad quality shots that your friends took – they just won’t do! You might want to invest in a high quality resume photo to help you shine and look your best - a person that German companies would want to employ! Head to your local photo center or try a photo booth.
Some important details in a good resume picture are:
These key details will help you achieve an overall well put-together look and put a confident face to the name on your resume.
Other important details when applying for a job in Germany are:
For practical CV Templates and more tips about the CV format in Germany, check out this article: Thelocal.do/jobs
We all want to look presentable and, most of all, employable to our future boss. While we may spend a lot of time improving our resumes and photos, few of us may think to clean up some social media disasters that may pop up when your employer decides to Google you or look you up on social media. This is a standard procedure to recruiting as it helps the company quickly discard some bad apples that may bring a bad image to the company.
Here is a handy-dandy cheat sheet to help you make a good impression on your German employer:
If you have followed all 3 previous steps - hurray! You are now ready to start looking for a job in Germany! But we have compiled a helpful list of German websites that list job vacancies for English speakers in Germany looking for work that doesn't require German language.
Here are the Top 10 best sources to find work in Germany:
There are many more sources of work in Germany out there! Try googling “work in Germany” or “jobs in Germany” for more results!
Your cover letter should be written with confidence and determination - it's your selling pitch to the employer! Present yourself in the best light possible, focus on your best qualities and skills and skip unnecessary details that don’t help you get the job. This point is key: reveal only the information that is relevant to the job you are applying to, including academic, professional, volunteering and extracurricular activities (like clubs you are a part of or conferences you attended)!
IMPORTANT: German cover letters are formal, they should not be written in a casual style!
Here are the answers to some FAQ’s about cover letters in Germany:
Here is a helpful guide to how to write the best motivational letter for work in Germany:
Top 5 worst mistakes to make in your cover letter:
Here is an example cover letter:
Download your FREE Cover Letter Example and Cover Letter Template at the bottom of the page.
Contacting the employer to submit your job application is a crucial step. You spent a lot of time preparing for this moment: your resume is superb, your cover letter is polished and you are feeling confident! Before you send off your application, it is wise to give it a second look!
What do you need to include in your job application?
5 important things to consider before you send your job application:
Having trouble writing a job application? No worries!
Here is a sample job application text you are welcome to use:
Dear Sir/Madam (name of HR manager),
I am writing to you in regards to the job application for the (position) at your company (company) in (location).You will find my CV and cover letter attached. I have also included some relevant documents for you: (name documents).Please feel free to contact me if you are any questions regarding my application or experience. I would be very happy to provide you with all the necessary additional information and documents.
I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Kind regards,
(Your name and last name)
(Address)
(Phone number)
This catchy introduction is sure to save your job application from the trash!
Interviews can be stressful and nerve-wrecking, but if you landed one, you can be sure that your resume and cover letter impressed the company. So there is definitely something to be confident about!
Whether it’s a real live interview or an online interview over skype, there are some key things to remember:
Top 3 things that are crucial for a live interview:
P.S. if you are doing an interview through Skype – remember to look at the camera, not yourself and don't forget to wear pants!
Here are the smart steps to take after completing your job interview:
If you have secured a job – congratulations! But before you jump into working, you need to learn the intricacies of German business communication in order to be able to communicate effectively within the company and build lasting relationships with your boss and collegues. Every culture is different and the German business culture has specific phrases, body language and norms that make their communication unique. Master them and you will avoid many uncomfortable situations!
Here are my Top 10 tips for effective business communication in a German company:
While working in Germany with only English knowledge is possible, it will only get you so far. Most German companies expect their foreign employees to learn German eventually. Research shows that not knowing the local language can drastically limit your work opportunities within the company, such as:
Luckily for you, learning German is not as far-fetched and difficult as it may seem!
coLanguage offers you the amazing opportunity to improve your chances of working permanently in Germany. We will guide you each step of the way during the job application process and help you make the most of our resources in order to boost your attractiveness to your future boss! Best of all - we will customize your German lessons to fit YOUR learning needs and YOUR profession for the best learning results!
Here is what coLanguage is ready to help you with:
coLanguage is a well-established multinational company with offices in Munich, Germany. We have close knowledge of the German work environment and we would love to coach you! We guarantee success in conquering the German labour market through our innovative teaching methods, such as:
Learn how to get noticed and get a raise: Start learning German with coLanguage!
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I have a degree in English and I have been teaching English for 6 consecutive years.
I find teaching English gratifying and thoroughly enjoyable, and it gives me immense joy to see people I teach improve in their written and spoken English.
My specialties are phonics, grammar, vocabulary, public speaking, conversational English and writing. But I can teach other aspects of English too.
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Hello =)
My name is Karolin and since the beginning of 2017, while I was still living in Chile, I've been giving online classes. I really enjoy my work and it gives me the privilage to get to know people from all around the world, which is amazing.
Both in English and in German, I teach classes for beginners and advanced students. I speak Spanish fluently, but as I lived in Chile for around 5 years, both my pronounciation and my choice of words are influenced by that. I learned and teach the european Spanish but only for beginners (A1/A2). But if you don't mind the chilenean influence, I do teach to a higher level as well.
If you'd like to get to know me and my teaching methods, just contact me and we will do a free trial lesson (please do NOT by a lesson before the trial lesson, not every teacher is good for every student).
See you soon!
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Karolin has been an awesome teacher. She has been very flexible with our scheduling, while the lessons have been a great combination of being structured and fun. I would highly recommend Karolin to anyone looking to learn a new language or improve their language ability. Thanks again Karolin.
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Learning a foreign language is a beautiful and awe-inspiring journey which is not strange to me.
Growing in Europe and living in Canada has shaped my thinking abilities to see beyond the surface of individual’s potential to study. It remodeled my senses in a special way to be able to respond with tact and compassion to the needs of my students. In the same time it taught me the value of persistence and creativity. These abilities have helped me to master the art of teaching. Every student makes me a better friend, family member and a person.
So far, I've helped different age groups to converse freely, to read, understand and love both English and Bulgarian. Beside that, my students not just improve their grades at school. Some of them became English teachers themselves.
No two students are exactly alike. That's why I mostly use personalized learning method. It builds a learning experience that addresses the unique abilities of each student.
Another method of teaching that I use is Learning by experiment. In that way students learn by doing. I create experiences for them to see the concepts in action. I found out that students tend to remember better when they see and then discuss what they learn from what they saw.
Beside these methods you will enjoy Modeling, Mistakes, Feedback and one of my top methods: Lesson Objective Transparency. When I clearly state my lesson goals and write it on the board, then you will feel relax because you will know what you are working towards.
Please, be assured you won’t regret giving me the opportunity to help you!
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Didi is a very friendly and experienced teacher. She makes her lesson very interesting and easy to follow. She loves teaching and supports her students during their learning path.
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Hi, everyone! I'm Marissa. I'm a native speaker of English from the United States. I'm currently living in Istanbul, Turkey and I can speak Turkish. I can also understand basic Spanish. I received my teaching certification in 2011 and I've been teaching ever since. I have experience working with students from all over the world, in language schools, kindergarten, exam preparation centers, and online, not only as a teacher but also as an education coordinator.
I offer my students a very structured program to help them improve their overall English level. In our trial lesson, I will evaluate your level and we will discuss your goals. I will then provide you with a coursebook and supplementary materials suitable for your level and needs. We will use these both together in class and outside of class for homework. We will cover all necessary skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation) but we will give special attention to whatever your weaknesses may be.
Alternatively, if you are not looking for such an intensive program, I also offer guided conversation practice. I am flexible! Just write me and we can start working on a plan for you. I'm looking forward to meeting you soon. :)
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Marissa is a very friendly teacher. She adapts her lessons to her students and helps them reach their goals.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Yulia is a very nice teacher, with lots of patience and great preparation for each lesson. She has tailor-made each lesson for us, according to what topics we would like to focus more. We are very happy to have lessons with her to improve our German skills, especially our speaking skills, in preparation for our coming exams.
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Italian teacher. 32 years of experience in face-to-face classes with adults and adolescents. Bachelor's degree in linguistics. The classes are adapted to the needs of the student. We do the program together when we walk, we have fun and you learn well. I am very didactic and clear when explaining. I have experience in different branches of pedagogy and glutodidactics.
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Marta is an Argentinean teacher who has had experience teaching Italian to adult audiences. She has a great variety of high-quality learning materials and various teaching methods.
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My name is Christina and I provide German & French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French!
I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier!
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Ms Christina is a fantastic teacher !! She is patient, explains very well and has a lot of material to work with !!! I am sure that with Ms Christina we can learn or improve our German skills, because she has an excellent method !!
Christina F.
Thank you dear Luisa
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I am a German native speaker who loves languages and am passionate about teaching others. I work as language teacher in a school, teach adults at the German Culture Center and prepare my students for all types of official language exams. I love my job and always seek to make it as much fun as possible.
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Melanie gave me a three week German crash course in preparation for a A2+/B1 exam. She is well organised, patient, very knowledgeable and pedagogic. In addition to clear explanations, she has a wide variety of resources at her disposal to explain different grammar rules and concepts. I highly recommend using her services.
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Hi, I am Ana! I am a professional language teacher! If you want to learn Romanian, English or German in an easy, fun and efficient way, you’ve done the first step. I simply love teaching and I’m looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm for languages with you. I have experience in learning foreign languages, so I understand the challenge.
I’ve started teaching Romanian as a foreign language in 2010 at the Faculty of Letters in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, and my teaching approach is really friendly and focused on all your needs. I have worked with people from all over the world and I know very well how to make the process of learning a language a very pleasant experience.
I speak several languages (English, German, French, Spanish) and I keep learning some (Polish and Portuguese) so I am aware of how fun and also frustrating (at times) the process can be.
For me, learning a language is like falling in love, you get to discover details and awesome facts about one culture and mentality.
If you want to learn Romanian, English or German, I will make sure you will enjoy it!
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Everything about Anamaria is at 99.9%, from timeliness, punctuality, very concise and relevant study material and she has an excellent teaching methodology.
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My name is Christina and I provide German & French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French!
I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier!
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Christina is very helpful in correcting my grammar and sentence structures and providing materials to learn new vocabulary.
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Hallo :) My name is Mihaela and I was born in Switzerland. I have a Bachleor and Master degree as German teacher and more then 5 years experience.
I love languages, because of that I speak also Croatian and English. :)
- ABOUT THE CLASS -
I offer German language lessons for A1, A2, B1, B2 level and they include everything you need: grammar, speaking, writing, pronunciation and vocabulary.
This is ideal for students who want actively participate and speak more, learn new words and exercise the grammar. Or we can learn whatever you need, because I will always adapt to your needs. :)
I will support you during your learning experience and adapt to your learning tempo.
All learning materials and exercises are included and will be provided during the lesson.
The learning material is from various books (Schritte International, Menschen, Sicher im Alltag und Beruf, Begegnungen,...).
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Mihaela is punctual and organised. She has a friendly attitude and plans the lessons well with relevant materials.
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Coucou c'est moi Lore, I'm your French teacher & mentor for the next month!
One month French Bootcamp is an intensive and immersive 30-day French crash course.
The perfect option if you want to see quick results. ?
Send me a message to know my current levels and time of study group.
Each lesson is 60 mn
Access to the video record of the live lesson
My 30-day conversational French online course is by far my most popular option.
With a focus on casual conversation, this group class meets 5 times a week for 1 hour.
Free assessment test to see what is your level.
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Lore is a friendly and enthusiastic teacher. She supports her students and create personalized material for them. Great teacher!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Hello German learner! I am a dedicated teacher for DaF (German as a foreign language) studying and working in Germany. I have already gained teaching experience with different age groups and nationalities while teaching German in various language schools.
Currently, I'm doing my second studies in German, English, and Teaching at the University of Bonn. (I already got my Master's Degree in German and Literature). Besides, I teach in a local language school as well as tutor students online on Colanguage.
In my free time, I learn French and Dutch and hope to become a true polyglot one day :)
So as you can see, I'm all into languages and love my profession as a teacher!
I can help you learn general German, develop your communicational skills as well as prepare you for language tests (Goethe Zertifikat, Telc, etc).
Just book a trial lesson with me and we'll find out which course is right for you.
See you soon
Anush
PS. IMPORTANT! Currently, I only work with adults aged 18 and over - so NO courses for children, sorry.
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Anush is a great teacher! Her advices and corrections are to the point and very helpful. My demands were high enough and sie could provide the necessary solutions and the necessary help , that I needed.
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Hallo :) My name is Mihaela and I was born in Switzerland. I have a Bachleor and Master degree as German teacher and more then 5 years experience.
I love languages, because of that I speak also Croatian and English. :)
- ABOUT THE CLASS -
I offer German language lessons for A1, A2, B1, B2 level and they include everything you need: grammar, speaking, writing, pronunciation and vocabulary.
This is ideal for students who want actively participate and speak more, learn new words and exercise the grammar. Or we can learn whatever you need, because I will always adapt to your needs. :)
I will support you during your learning experience and adapt to your learning tempo.
All learning materials and exercises are included and will be provided during the lesson.
The learning material is from various books (Schritte International, Menschen, Sicher im Alltag und Beruf, Begegnungen,...).
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Lessons with Mihaela are always well organised. She is undoubtedly proficient in German and can give useful tips. There is plenty of study materials provided. It is always possible to look at these materials even after the lesson since Mihaela writes downs every vocabulary that is discussed. She is always happy to tailor the lesson according to student's wishes/needs. I'm very satisfied.
Mihaela S.
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Thank you very much Hana :)
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