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The advantages of being German

A common stereotype of Germans is that they are well educated, hard working, responsible, precise and serious about their work. This provides you with a definite advantage. What company doesn’t want those qualities in an employee? What university doesn’t want to recruit that type of student?

Company culture more important than skills

german flagWhat is not so well known is the humorous, friendly and fun-loving side. Convince them that not only will you do a great job, but you will be a good team member and an enjoyable employee. A study by Universum found that employers value the ability to fit into their company culture more than job skills. People hire people they like so avoid overly formal language and trite standard phrases and let your personality shine through. Personal contact is generally missing in long distance applications so it is doubly important to humanize your written communication.

Don't be too modest

German students tend to either undersell their abilities out of modesty or oversell by copying stock phrases from online CVs, “As you can see from my CV, my education and experience make me the perfect candidate for this position”. Try to find a balance that is realistic and optimistic.

Sell your international experience

Never underestimate the value of time you have spent abroad and your language abilities. In surveys, companies identify international orientation as a skill they seek in new employees. It is not common in the countries to which you are applying.