Application in English
The application process usually begins with a cover letter. But what if it is an international group and the advertisement already clearly states that an application in English is desired? How should you behave and what does a good English application look like?
So much in advance: If the advertisement specifically requests that you should apply in English, then do so. If you still apply in German, your application will quickly end up in the inbox of the inbox. Before you apply, think about whether your English skills are really good enough to do the job. It is of no use to you or the company if you are noticed during the interview due to a lack of knowledge of English.
How to apply properly in English
Before you start with the application letter or CV, you should be sure of a few basic details. Is it a British, American or French company? This is important, because if you apply to an American company, you must pay attention to the language differences.
Are you aware of the language differences? Well, then it is time to write the application. When formulating your CV (curriculum vitae, resume, personal resume) and cover letter, make sure you use an active and positive wording. Corresponding verbs are, for example, "achieved" or "enabled".
The cover letter
The cover letter should not be more than one A4 page, even for an English application, and should not include all the stages of the curriculum vitae. As in German, you should use the cover letter to show your success and personal strengths. Always refer to the job posting and do not use a pre-prepared 08/15 cover letter. This looks unprofessional. Take up the most important points of the job offer in the cover letter and formulate everything actively.
The curriculum vitae
The resume - also called resume or personal resume - is different in an English version than in German. In contrast to the German curriculum vitae, eg application photo, date of birth, marital status have no place. This is related to the US anti-discrimination law. The date and signature are also waived at the end of the curriculum vitae. So leave out this information in your CV.
This is what the structure of an English resume should look like
1) Personnel details
You provide this: Name, address, telephone number and email address. Make sure to enter the name in the first line and the rest of the data below and to write out umlauts.
2) Summary / Pesonal Profile
This point is not a mandatory requirement in the CV. Nevertheless, it is well received if you lead in. Here you describe your personality in two to three short sentences. However, it should remain with these maximum three sentences. Nobody wants to find a novel instead of a CV.
3) lenses
Formulate which job and position you are aiming for in the company.
4) Professional work experience
Here you list all stages of your working life - in reverse chronological order. Ie you list the current position first.
5)Education
Here you list your educational path - also in reverse chronological order. Training and further education are also mentioned at this point.
6) skills
This point includes language skills, IT skills such as MS Word or similar.
7) Commitment
Only mention your interests, positions, hobbies etc. here - but only if you are also relevant to the job.
8) References
The references are made up of two people who can provide information about you and your career. Also assume that these people are really contacted. Therefore, in addition to the name, also state their contact details (telephone number, email address). If you do not want to give all the contact details immediately, please state "available on request" in advance (however, this is not necessarily advantageous).
Make sure that all these points are brought together on one A4 page - especially for people with less professional experience.
However, exceptions are, for example, managers with decades of professional experience - longer CVs are also accepted here.
