What should be included in the application? What does a good cover letter look like? How do you differentiate yourself from other applicants? Here you will find a comprehensive overview.
An application always has to be well thought out - an unprepared candidate quickly shoots out. Here you will find an overview of all stages of the application process and tips that will successfully guide you to your dream job. Questions about termination are also answered here.
Write an application: You will have your say in the cover letter
Tip: You can find samples for cover letters at write on.com. You can easily customize these individually.
Have you found a job that suits you? Then get the application letter. Because the cover letter is sometimes the first thing that the HR person looks at. Here you can flaunt your personality and your motivations .
It is important that you do not repeat your resume in the cover letter, that is, describe the most important stages of your career - you will be boring HR staff. Instead, show why you are the right candidate for the advertised position .
The application letter never comprises more than one page . The following always applies: as short as possible and as long as necessary. It is better to present yourself briefly, but in a way that is memorable.
If you apply by email, the cover letter is in the email itself. You should pay attention to these things when applying online with an application form.
More on this: Read here how to write a really good cover letter.
Checklist for a successful cover letter:
These points are essential in the cover letter:
- Sender with name, address, telephone number, email address
- Recipient address with the name of the company, name of the contact person, address
- date
- Subject with reference to the advertised position (eg "Application as Marketing Manager, job advertisement on traumjobportal.de" )
- Salutation with a specific contact person (eg "Dear Mr. Müller-Meier" )
- short introduction
- Brief description of the strengths and knowledge in relation to the advertised position, with an example
- Why are you applying to this company?
- Other knowledge that may be useful for the position
- possibly references
- When can you start the job? Possibly. Call notice period
- Salary expectations if requested in the advertisement
- Final rate
- Greeting
- Signature (for email application: not absolutely necessary)
- Attachments (for e-mail as PDF): curriculum vitae, certificates, certificates
Find out more : Applying as a career changer - How to increase your chances of finding a job.
The CV - your business card for the job
Tip: On Lebenslauf.com there are patterns with which you can easily create your individual resume.
A clear and appealing CV , also called CV (curriculum vitae) , is half the battle. Together with the cover letter of your application, you can convince the HR manager most of all. A tabular CV is common in Germany.
A curriculum vitae must be well structured, contain your professional positions and be clear. Depending on the career level, the professional stages include, for example, internships, traineeships or trainee positions, permanent positions, freelance work or large projects for the self-employed.
Your resume also includes your education or the (university) degree achieved, other skills that are relevant to the job, language skills and your contact details and personal data.
Read here how to write the perfect resume.
No-gos in your CV: what you should never do
What you should definitely avoid in your CV are spelling mistakes . These are not well received by HR personnel and even ensure that they are sorted out immediately. Also, time gaps are frowned upon by still eventually go HR managers then assume that you concealed something.
Would you rather specify something wrong? Not a good idea! Because no matter how seductive a "coiffed" resume may be: you should always be honest with your career path and your professional skills - even if you are embarrassed by unemployment or a bad job, for example. HR personnel recognize lies very quickly anyway . Here you can read which tricks in the CV HR employee have not fallen for a long time.
When it comes to hobbies , many applicants are unsure: do you belong on the résumé or not? In any case, experts recommend stating hobbies. However, not every hobby is suitable to impress HR personnel. Some are even more likely to deter. Read here what hobbies should and shouldn't be on your resume.
What should never be missing: proper certificates and references
In the course of a working life, many documents accumulate - from the Abitur certificate, the university certificate to internship and work certificates. But do you really have to send all certificates with an application , even with 5, 10 or even 20 years of work experience? And is it really necessary to state and document all references?
More on this: Which certificates are really important for an application.
Job reference: What you have to look out for
After termination, you will receive a job reference from your old employer. Although the latter is obliged to formulate the job reference positively, certain formulations have prevailed that actually convey a negative message. An expert explains what you should look out for in your job reference.
The application photo: DOs and DON'Ts
Application photos are still very popular with companies . But a photographer's picture can be quite expensive. That is why job seekers are now also using cell phone cameras. Does that really make sense? And are application photos still up to date?
You should avoid these mistakes when applying
Most of the time it is not foreseeable whether you are really suitable for a certain job, because of course the selection of the candidates is at the discretion of the personnel. Nevertheless: If you avoid these seven mistakes, you will be a lot closer to the entrance ticket to the interview
The interview: where the chaff separates from the wheat
You can put so much effort into your application documents - only in the interview does the HR manager see whether you are delivering on what you promise. So good preparation is essential. These tips will help you get through the interview confidently .
The dreaded application questions
" Why should we just you set ?" and " What are your strengths and weaknesses ?" are the classic among application questions. But do you also know what the recruiter wants to achieve with this? Here are the answers. Some employers go even further and try to lure applicants into the trap. How to respond to difficult application questions. Speaking of nasty questions: could you answer this application question?
What you should avoid in the interview
In an interview , you can do a lot right , but also a lot wrong : With these mistakes, you catapult yourself out of the game.
A mistake happens particularly to many applicants - it looks harmless, but often leads to a rejection. Find out why it just doesn't work.
First impressions count - what is the perfect outfit?
Would you prefer a classic with a suit and tie or do you dare something ? Many applicants are desperate at this question. How to choose the right outfit.
Convey salary expectations
A popular question among HR professionals is that of their own salary expectations. We have tips for you to use this sensitive topic to your advantage in the salary negotiation.
By Franziska Kaindl, Simona Asam and Andrea Stettner
The job interview goes wrong with this body language
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