quelle: 169170443 © fotolia, dizain essentials in job application writing / pimp your cv ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Thüringer Agentur Für Fachkräftegewinnung – Johanna Becker-Föhl
Essentials in job application writing /
pimp your CV
Quelle: 169170443_© Fotolia, Dizain
Thüringer Agentur Für Fachkräftegewinnung (ThAFF)
• Marketing and promotion for
education, training, and employment in
Thuringia
• Support of students, graduates,
commuters and returnees
• Consultations and CV/Application
check – in German & English
• Online job portal
• Organization and participation in
regional Job Fairs (e.g. academix)
• Events to bring students/ professionals
and companies together
• All our services are free of charge!
Thüringer Agentur Für Fachkräftegewinnung
Thüringer Agentur Für Fachkräftegewinnung (ThAFF)
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1. Job search
2. Decoding job ads
3. The application portfolio
o Cover letter essentials
o CV basics
o Annex & application process
Content
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1) Job search
What do you want to do?
What do you have to offer?
… FOCUS!
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• Hard skills
• Soft skills
• Experiences
• Interests
• How to use them:
o Throughout your job search process
o In your CV (description of work history)
o In your cover letter: specific example of those skills at work
o In the interview
Each job will require different skills & experiences
Make lists of your…
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© Fotolia, Tierney
Know your industry!
• Key words
• Company sizes
• „Etiquette“
• Search engines
• Company databases www.firmen-in-thueringen.de
• Clusters
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Don’t just rely on job boards
Don‘t forget career fairs!
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Where do companies publish their offers?
Source:
Monster Themenspecial 2017: Employer Branding und Personalmarketing
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• Reflect on your overall qualifications and career goals:
In what ways are they typical? Unique?
• Research individual employers in your field:
In what ways are employers alike? Different?
What do you get from a job with them?
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2) Decoding Job Ads Quelle: http://www.bollagnet.com/
Information on the position
Responsibilities
Requirements
Other information
How to apply/ contact
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Must-have:
• “Required are…”
• “We expect...”
• “You bring…”
• “You should know/have…”
• “…is a must.”
Requirements
Nice-to-have:
“Ideally…”
“…is desirable.”
“Of advantage is…”
“Basic skills in…”
“… would be helpful.”
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Tipp – compare and match!
Have a close look at interesting job ads
Read through them & highlight
must-haves as well as nice-to-haves
Copy these requirements into a table
Match your own skills and experiences
in the next column and show how you
can “prove” them
Job/ internship requirements
Personal qualifications
Skill & competences
Expertise
Knowledge
Experience
Opportunities
Requirements
Etc.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
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Can you fulfil most of the „must-haves“?
Is the job advert up to date?
Can you manage to start working as requested?
Are you interested in the sector, product, service?
Would you like to work there?
Do you like the company culture?
Do the described tasks correspond to your wishes?
To apply or not apply?
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• Whether you send it digitally or by mail, all applications in Germany contain:
• Cover letter
• CV (curriculum vitae)
• Copies of references and certificates*
* In most cases, the job description tells you which documents you should include
with the application.
3) The Application
Portfolio
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Classic Portfolio
CV (incl.
Photo)
page 1
CV
page 2
Annex
page 1
Annex
page 2
Annex
page 3
Annex
page 4
Cover
letter
Annex
page 5
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Classic Portfolio with cover page
Cover page
with photo
& personal
details/
Personal
statment
CV
page 1
*no photo
CV
Page 2
Annex
page 1
Annex
page 2
Annex
page 3
Cover
letter
Annex
page 4
Annex
page 5
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Classic Portfolio with index
CV (incl.
Photo)
page 1
CV
page 2
Content of
Annex
Annex
page 1
Annex
page 2
Annex
page 3
Cover
letter
Annex
page 4
Annex
page 5
Annex
page 6
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Cover letter
essentials
CV (incl.
Photo)
page 1
CV
page 2
Annex
page 1
Annex
page 2
Annex
page 3
Annex
page 4
Cover
letter
Annex
page 5
A cover letter…
Cover letter essentials
You
Position
Organization/
Company
• Language proficiency
• Thought process
• Structure concepts
• Knowledge
• Skills
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Maria Musterfrau Allgemeingasse 23
60005 Berlin
Telephone:**** ******
Rights Watch Foundation
Contact Person/ HHRR
Inventostraße 10
080075 Berlin
Tel. +49 ** ** ** **
Jena, 10th
June 2015
Application for an Internship as a Researcher junior at the Rights Watch Foundation
Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. LastName,
With the enclosed resume, I would like to make you aware of my interest in being
considered for an internship within your organisation, Rights Watch Foundation. Opening
paragraph: State why you are writing; how you learned of the organization or position, and
basic information about yourself.
As you will see from my enclosed résumé, etc. 2nd paragraph: Tell why you are interested
in the employer or type of work the employer does (Simply stating that you are interested
does not tell why, and can sound like a form letter). Demonstrate that you know enough
about the employer or position to relate your background to the employer or position.
Mention specific qualifications which make you a good fit for the employer’s needs. (Focus
on what you can do for the employer, not what the employer can do for you.) This is an
opportunity to explain in more detail relevant items in your resume. Refer to the fact that
your resume is enclosed. Mention other enclosures if such are required to apply for a
position.
3rd paragraph: Indicate that you would like the opportunity to interview for a position or to
talk with the employer to learn more about their opportunities or hiring plans. State what
you will do to follow up, such as telephone the employer within two weeks. If you will be in
the employer’s location and could offer to schedule a visit, indicate when. State that you
would be glad to provide the employer with any additional information needed. Thank the
employer for her/his consideration…. I am looking forward to hearing from you and further
discussing this position with you.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
(Your handwritten signature [on hard copy])
Your name typed Seite 23
Cover letter essentials
Company address with
contact person (4-5 lines
spacing underneath)
Regular structure:
Introduction –
body – ending
Signature/
Print name
Subject in bold
(do not use word "Subject“!)
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• What position(s) are you applying for?
(use the same term – be specific)
• What are your main qualifications?
• What are your career goals?
(in relation to the position/ company)
• What is your professional identity?
(show them!)
• How can you help the company?
(it´s not about what the company can do for you!)
Answer these questions in the cover letter
Cover letter essentials
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What knowledge and skills do I posses, and how do I
show that I am the prefect candidate for the job?
Content – don’t repeat your CV
Cover letter essentials
Demonstrate how your skills match the specific requirements of the
job description
What other skills have you acquired that may interest your employer
and set you apart from other candidates?
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• one size does NOT fit all
• each person and employer is unique
• aim for a custom fit when possible
if you don´t have time:
focus on job-types or industry-based options
(where you can quickly change the company name and adapt
some further details)
Cover letter essentials
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To,
Olympus Surgical Technologies Europe,
Hamburg, Germany. 30.09.2019
Applying for Internship on “Research and Development Mechanik”.
Dear Ms. Sabrina Hahn,
I am writing to apply for the Internship position at “Airbus”. I recite your position for “Research &
Development Mechanik (m/f)” with interest. I am eager to put my skills to work in your organization. I
believe that my strong technical experience may helpful for this position.
Cover letter essentials
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• Crucial information you could forget:
• Availability
• Length of internship (if applicable)
• Compulsory vs. voluntary internships (if applicable)
• Desired salary (if applicable)
• Don’t merely repeat what is on the CV.
• Tailor the cover letter to the employer and the job opening
• Application = first writing sample, so your grammar, spelling, punctuation
and style must be perfect!
What to watch for:
Cover letter essentials
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CV Basics
CV (incl.
Photo)
page 1
CV
page 2
Annex
page 1
Annex
page 2
Annex
page 3
Annex
page 4
Cover
letter
Annex
page 5
• from your point of view
• to get the interview (not the job)
• to demonstrate that you have the skills, experience and motivation
all your relevant information!
• to sell yourself
• from the employers’ point of view
• to weed out unsuitable candidates quickly
• to make a short list
Purpose of a CV
CV Basics
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CV Basics
CV Basics
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• Thematically subdivided
Content
CV Basics
a. Personal Information
b. Education and training
c. Work Experience/
Practical Experience/
Internships
d. Personal Skills and
Competences
e. Further Information
f. Date and signature
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Personal Information
CV Basics
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Cover page (optional)
CV Basics
State which
position you
are applying to,
and specify job
reference and
source (if
available)
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• In reverse chronological order
Dates (month and year) Name of company/ institution/ university,
city (country)
Position title/ degree(s)
• Position content/ tasks/ projects
• Relevant fields of study
• If applicable: thesis title
Section structure
CV Basics
• Management Intern
• MA in Scientific
Instrumentation
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Example: Education
CV Basics
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Analyse your latest position:
Who? What?
Where? Why?
When?
How?
• Use accomplishment statements
• Tailor for your audience
• Use appropriate language: industry-related, job-related
• Include required content
• Develop your descriptions for each CV
• See through a potential employer’s eyes
How to word bullet points
CV Basics
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• Skills and competences – can be subdivided thematically:
Language skills Mother tongue
Further languages: indicate fluency level
Computer skills IT resumes will list hardware, software, operating
systems, etc. including skill level
• Volunteering/ military service/ civil service incl. institution & location
• Leisure / hobbies / personal interests – if relevant!
• Further training, Scholarships, Experiences abroad
• Driving license, Selected publications, Conferences (?)
Further information
CV Basics
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Only if relevant!
• Date and signature!!
• Not too long (two A4 pages max.)
• Do not overload
• Avoid time gaps (explain if you cannot avoid them)
CV Conclusion
CV Basics
Important in
written
applications!
E-mail: print/typed
name
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Golden rule: write as much
as necessary but leave out as
much as possible
Only those stages/ activities, which have a direct or at
least indirect connection to the position you are applying
for, are of interest to your potential employer
CV Basics
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Annex &
application process
CV (incl.
Photo)
page 1
CV
page 2
Annex
page 1
Annex
page 2
Annex
page 3
Annex
page 4
Cover
letter
Annex
page 5
• educational transcripts
• certifications
• employment/ internship certificates
• a reference list (if you have no work certificates)
• enrollment certificate
• internship confirmation letter
• letters of recommendation
• … & any other documentation as specified in the job posting.
May include:
Supporting Documents
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Proofread your application (and/or have someone proofread
it for you!)
and then…submit it!
And now – what?
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© Fotolia, Peshkova
• Neutral email address (first and last name)
• Meaningful subject line
• Email text: make a reference to the application portfolio – it is not the
cover letter!
• Attachments in PDF format:
• One file with the application portfolio: (cover page), cover letter, CV
• One file with copies of qualifications, certificates…
Application via email
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• Consist of data fields and free text fields
• Free-text fields:
• "Why are you interested in our company?" "What should we know about you?"
• Present personal strengths and special skills
• Do not answer in bullet points
• Fully formulated texts (unless specified otherwise)
• Store the application documents as separate PDF files, so you can upload them
individually if they are needed
Online application forms
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• File size. Do not exceed 4Mb (or as specified in the job advertisement)
• File name:
• Application_bosch_final_final_2.pdf
• CV_20.04.2017.pdf
• Final_version.pdf
• Resume.pdf & CL.pdf
• Resume-Maria-Vincent.pdf / AnthonMustermann.pdf …
• Follow the directions in the job posting
• One file? Two files? Separate documents? Photo separately?
Watch out for…
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Signs of a poor application
Spelling mistakes
Overstatement/ exaggeration
section breaks over page
poorly word processed or printed
gaps in c
hro
nolo
gy
irrelevant, trivial details
ignoring the job requirements
gimmicky fonts
Poor punctuation
quirky presentation
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I´m all ears!
Do you have questions…?
Thank you for your
attention! Your point of contact:
Welcome Center & Thüringer Agentur Für Fachkräftegewinnung (ThAFF)
0361 5603-520
Peterstraße 5, 99084 Erfurt
www.thaff-thueringen.de
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