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This guideline has been created to provide you with information about the topics of job search, application process and required documents in Germany. If you have special requests or you are interested in discussing one or other aspect of these topics, you are always welcome to pass by the TUHH
Career Center or arrange a meeting with your TUHH tutor.
What are you able to do?/What are your qualifications and soft skills?
What do you like to do?/What are your interests?
How would you like to work (e.g. organisation, hierarchy, structure)?
Are there any frameworks to be considered (e.g. working conditions related to the residence
permit, regulations concerning the mandatory internship)?
Where do you find your job related to your profile and your goals?
It is never bad to start early with the job search and preparation to develop a feeling about the time
period which is needed to start the internship. As a rule of thumb you should definitely plan three to
four months from sending the application documents to the company and the start of internship. If
you like to do your internship from August onwards, you should start the application process directly
after the spring school.
There are many different possibilities to look for your job. Besides the contact to the NIT sponsor
companies you should use companies websites, job and career portals and/or national online newspaper:
Companies website (bigger companies usually offers their vacancies on their own website and
dont use online portals)
Online portals (e.g. stepstone, monster, Xing, LinkedIn)
National Online Newspaper (e.g. F.A.Z., Sddeutsche Zeitung, Hamburger Abendblatt)
www.nithh.de
Another way to get in contact with your future employer is to visit a fair. There are a lot of job related events published on Inside NIT in the group
Career Center.These are quite common fairs and companys tours offered in Northern Germany:
Fair/Company Tour
Link
Comment
http://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/recruiting-tag
twice a year - one at the beginning (mostly February) and the second
one at the end of the year (mostly end of November/beginning of
December)
CeBit Hannover
http://www.cebit.de/
Hannover Messe
http://www.hannovermesse.de/
Career Forum
http://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center/business-service/career-forum.html
Stellenwerk Jobmesse
http://www.stellenwerk-hamburg.de/jobmessen/stellenwerk-jobmesse.html
Absolventenkongress Norddeutschland
https://www.absolventenkongress.de/norddeutschland.html
http://www.hamburg-company-tour.de/
Karrieremesse Familienunternehmen
http://www.karrieretag-familienunternehmen.de/kt-de
http://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/recruiting-tag
T5 Jobmesse
https://www.t5-karriereportal.de/jobmesse/hamburg/
http://www.langenachtderindustrie.de/standorte/hamburg/region.html
bonding Messe
Absolventenkongress Kln
https://www.absolventenkongress.de/der-kongress.html
Career Day
http://www.stellenwerk-hamburg.de/jobmessen/stellenwerk-career.html
Nevertheless, it is recommended to talk to fellow students and NIT alumni to get information
about potential employer and their vacancies. Moreover, it could be helpful to check the published
events or job related groups in social networks.
Learn to distinguish between hard and soft criteria in the advertised profile (hard criteria must be
met by your profile, soft criteria can be met by your profile, but it is not necessary)
If a contact person is named in the job advertisement, it could be a good idea to give him/her a
call to get the food into the door. In preparation of the call you should think about two/three questions which are a starting point. Finish the call by asking your conversation partner if it is possible to
send him/her your application documents directly instead of applying in the portal.
If the company uses an own online platform where the job applicants have to fill in their data, it
could be helpful if you use a fake account to get a first impression of the topics the company queried.
The Career Center offers a colourful bouquet of seminars concerning the application process, held
in German as well as in English. At the end of each semester the service department announces the
offer for the following term. Currently the offer includes
Presentation Create a perfect network,
Workshop Basics of application,
Workshop Understanding job description,
Job seeking skills cover letter and C.V.,
Job seeking skills the job interview.
Besides the typical workshops concerning the application process, the Career Center also offers fairs
and company events. Please note that you have to get registered on the website of the seminar.
www.nithh.de
Application documents
After finding interesting job offers you have to prepare good structured documents. These give the
HR manager the first impression of you. Do you know how much time the HR manager spends to
check your application at the first sight? He/she generally spends less than one minute reading your
application before deciding to reject it or to shortlist it for detailed consideration. This makes it all
more important that you should take your time to prepare your documents carefully. Therefore, it is
necessary to know about the number of documents which has to be handed in.
Nowadays most companies use online portals or prefer getting the application as an e-mail. So
you should prepare your documents to hand them in as a pdf-file. It is recommended to check the
companys requirements concerning the application documents; some ask for single files; others
would only accept one file with all documents. Furthermore, it could be possible that the company
has a limited file size. As a general rule your whole application should not be larger than 5 MB which
is an absolute maximum. Better would be a file size of 2 MB.
Cover Letter
The cover letter is a great opportunity to cover qualifications you cannot fully explain in your C.V.
Furthermore, the letter helps personalized job applicants to enable it to come across more as a real
person to potential employers.
There are two sayings which correctly describe the cover letter, but also the application documents:
Keep it simple and First impression count. Depending on the job experiences the letter should
not be longer than two pages; for students with less work experience one page should be enough.
During the letter you should position yourself successfully and present why you are the best candidate for this job. Therefore, it is necessary your application documents are directly related to the
advertised position.
There are many phrases you find on the internet to use in the cover letter. It could be helpful to
look for some examples of writing a cover letter and use it as a kind of first assistance. Representing
you and your qualifications it is recommended you use your own language for two reasons: firstly, all
HR managers know the standard phrases and get bored reading them again and again. Secondly, the
company is interested in you and your qualifications and wants to get a first impression of you. Latest
in the interview the HR manager will note if the one talking to him is the same who send him the
application documents.
The cover letter as well as the C.V. should be written in the language you feel comfortable. If your
German skills are not that good to have a whole interview in German, you should definitely apply in
English but mention your German level and that you like to improve your language skills.
Using google translator is absolutely forbidden and does not make a professional impression.
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Format
Imagine that you convince the HR manager with your formulations in the cover letter but the format
of your cover letter gives a bad impression. It would be a great shame. Therefore, there are some tips
to be followed to impress the HR manager also with the format.
Nowadays it is not necessary to list the attachment at the end of your cover letter.
Depending on the branch you should use a clear and simple font, e.g. Arial or Calibri. Please avoid
fonts like Comic Sans, also when you send mails to the company. Furthermore, the font should be
identical in all the documents you prepare on your own.
Structure and content of a cover letter
Subject
Make sure the header tells clearly that the subject of the mail is an application and refer to the job
offer (position or reference number).
Salutation
The greeting you choose will depend on how much information you have about the company:
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If you know the name of the contact person, your salutation should be something like "Dear [insert name]" followed by a comma. Make sure to address the manager formally using their proper
title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.).
If you don't know the name of the contact person, consider addressing your letter "Dear Recruiting Team," or "Dear [insert company name] Team."
As a last resort, address the letter "To whom it may concern," though we recommend avoiding
this salutation, as it could come across as a template letter.
Opening
This is where you mention the job for which you are applying and how you found the job listing. It
only needs to be one to two sentences in length.
Body paragraph
You do not want to overwhelm the contact person or use up a great deal of his or her time. Try to
answer the following questions in your body paragraphs:
Why am I a qualified candidate for this position?
What work experience do I have that fits the job requirements in the company's listing?
Why do I want to work for this company specifically?
Closing
This will be where you wrap up and discuss how you will proceed with the application. Consider including the following:
Reiterate in one sentence why you feel you are a perfect fit for the position.
Just say that you look forward to interviewing for the position and discussing your qualifications
further.
Provide your contact information. Include your email address and your phone number so the
contact person can get in touch with you.
Mention that your resume or references are attached (if applicable).
"Best Regards" or "Yours Sincerely" are both classic options to end your cover letter with a respectful
closing statement. Also since you will not be able to sign your email, finish the letter by typing your
full name.
The HR manager will not be interested in reading an ode to the company. So please avoid phrases
like the company always is an attractive employer.
Curriculum Vitae
In your C.V. all relevant facts about your career development (e.g. education, working experiences,
language/computer skills) should be included. The whole document should not be longer than two
pages, so you have to be brief, clear and concise. You should use short sentences and give specific
examples if it is necessary for the job profile. In case you have any breaks in your C.V., you should be
able to explain them, latest in the job interview.
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The structure depends on your current status. If you apply for a job during your study or directly after
finishing your study program, you should mention your education before your working experiences.
Applying for a job later during your work life, it should be vice versa.
There are some components mentioned in your C.V.:
Personal data
Education
Working Experiences
Skills (e.g. computer skills, language skills)
Activities (hobbies, any relevant information about you which can be important to get the job
(e.g. treasurer or captain of your football club, voluntary activities))
There should be given time periods (MM/YYYY-MM/YYYY) for information on education and working
experiences.
If there are any requirements for the application mentioned in the job advertisement, please follow them (e.g. length and/or format of the C.V.).
It is common to add a photo to your C.V. in Germany. This one should be professional and not any
photos taken during your last holidays or a selfie.
Attachments
The attachments are necessary to prove given information which are mentioned in your cover letter
or C.V. These documents should be attached to your application:
School-leaving certificate/university degree
Internship certificate/work certificate/ Training certificate
Certificate for voluntary activities
Only if it is requested in the job advertisement: references and certificate of conduct
The order of the documents should be identical to the order in your C.V.
HR manager have different ideas about the documents attached to your application. Normally they
ask you about all job-relevant documents. As a general rule you should attach the last certificate of
your education (University degree). Furthermore, you should only hand in the last, three
work/internship/training certificates and only if it is requested one or two references.
The quality of the documents is also important for the first impression. Therefore, it is recommended to scan your attachment in a high quality.
There are two ways to ask the applicants for references (e.g. former bosses, colleagues, professors): some companies only requests one or two names and their contact details and the second way
is that the applicant has to hand in one or two reference letters. If you only have to mention one or
two persons, please inform them and ask for permission to use their details.
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Job Interview
Congratulations, you have crossed the first hurdle: you convince the HR manager with your application documents and get the invitation to the interview. Now you have to get prepared for the next
step and convince the companys representatives in a personal talk about your qualifications, your
skills and your personality. Good preparation is essential to a successful job interview.
Depending on the companys size, there is generally more than one round of interview before the
representatives decide which candidate will be the best for the position. Therefore it is recommended to ask the HR manager about the process and the next steps.
Michael Higgins Job interview preparation: an essential checklist, published on April 29, 2013 in The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/job-interview-checklist-how-to-prepare
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got to your current status/career position. If you have gaps in your C.V. or lots of short jobs have
a way of telling the story around them without becoming defensive.
Read carefully through the job and person specification, identifying your experiences that demonstrate the skills or knowledge gained. Again, practise articulating each one. Writing down an answer
is a good way to do this reading it aloud, recording yourself or having a mock interview is even
better.
Now think about how you are going to address the more tricky questions, such as, "where would you
like to be in five years' time?" or "what are your weaknesses?" If it is not explicit in the invitation, find
out the format of the interview and the number of people involved beforehand. It is not that you
have to prepare particularly differently, but if you are expecting a relaxed chat with the HR manager
and you get five senior people grilling you, it is likely to throw you.
There are two websites on which you can get information about applicants experiences: squeaker
and glassdoor. This information helps you to get an impression about the structure and process of
the interview.
Research the company, paying attention to news stories, their website and strategic plans. See if you
can also speak to someone in your network who works or has worked there. It is also important to
prepare some questions about the company and the position you apply for. This behaviour shows
the representatives that you are quite interested in the company and their activities.
Prepare your interview outfit: shine the shoes and plan grooming things like getting a haircut. Dressing well can increase your confidence as well as boosting your professional image.
Work out where you are going, travelling times and transport options. If you can factor in more time
and locate a coffee shop nearby, it may help to reduce travelling anxiety. Have a copy of the job description and the person specification on you and a copy of your C.V., all in a neat folder or portfolio
case. Read through them again before you head in.
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Follow-up
As soon after the interview as you can, find a quiet place and write down as many of the questions
that you were asked as you can remember. Rank how you answered them on a scale of one to ten.
Work on the answers in order from lowest to highest so that you can improve for future interviews.
The next day, you could call the HR manager thanking him for the opportunity, and asking any questions that may be outstanding. But do not pester or stalk: some companies prefer a defined process
where you do not contact people directly. If you do not hear by the allotted time, follow up.
Whether or not you are successful in securing the role, look at is as a good opportunity to engage
people, grow your network and get better for next time round. If you are not successful then ask for
feedback, although many organisations are coy in case feedback is used against them.
Companies
NIT Sponsor Companies
Deutschlands 100
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Literature
For application in German there are two well-known writing authors publishing books to all aspects
of the application process: one is Christian Pttjer and the second one is Jrgen Hesse/Hans Christian
Schrader. You find them in the library of the TUHH or in the Zentralbibliothek.
Each semester Staufenbiel Institut publishes the brochure called Ingenieure Das KarriereHandbuch. This brochure can be picked up by the TUHH Infothek or the NIT program team. It is also
recommended to check the following link about the VDI-Bewerberhandbuch.
Furthermore, it is recommended to step by the TUHH Infothek to check the brochures concerning
the topic of application and labor market.
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clichs like 'I work too hard/I'm a perfectionist'. Instead, choose a real area where you are aware you
could do better, and say what you are doing about it. For example, 'I tend to clam up in meetings, but
if I go in with prepared points, I find I can contribute much more effectively.'
What did you like the most/least about your last job?
Knowing, what the role involves, is important, as it will help you frame your answer. Saying you disliked working for a disorganized manager will be counterproductive if you are interviewing for a similar position. Try to emphasize the positives. For example, 'I enjoyed being able to help my manager
be more efficient by organizing his diary and correspondence' would be more appropriate in this
instance. Although you need to show self-awareness of what you really dislike, it is not an invitation
to criticize your previous company. A safe approach is to stick to generalities: 'I like working with
supportive colleagues/in companies which promote openness and transparency' or 'I dislike office
politics'.
Here are some great advices for interview techniques for communicating
well at interview:
Prepare yourself know your C.V.; although it sounds obvious but when you are nervous and
concentrating on impressing the interviewer you can often forget the key points on your C.V. The
more you have gone through your achievements and work experience the better you will be able
to communicate these
Try and relax this will allow you to be more natural and the more you will smile and engage
better with the interviewer.
Mirror the style of the interviewer this will allow you to build rapport more easily and will lead
again to a more natural conversation where you are likely to perform and communicate with a
higher degree of ease.
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