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www.nithh.deanagement Education for Engineers

Get ready for the job search

This guideline has been created to provide you with information about the topics of job search, ap-

plication process and required documents in Germany. If you have special requests or you are inter-

ested in discussing one or other aspect of these topics, you are always welcome to pass by the TUHH

Career Centeror arrange a meeting with your TUHH tutor.

Define your professional goal

Before starting the job search you should think about your professional goals and the way you are

able to achieve these goals. Furthermore, you should take a minute of your time to clearly define

what know-how or skills are needed therefore. Here are a couple of questions which are helpful to

initiate the thought process:

What do you want to achieve (e.g. position, company)?

What do you need to achieve your professional goals (e.g. knowledge of computer programs,

language skills)?

Define your own profile

The next step to get a clear idea about your job is to define your own profile. The following questions

should help you to clarify your skills but also the working atmosphere:

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 news-

paper:

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)
https://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center.htmlhttps://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center.htmlhttps://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center.htmlhttps://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center.htmlhttp://www.stepstone.de/http://www.stepstone.de/http://www.stepstone.de/http://www.monster.de/http://www.monster.de/http://www.monster.de/https://www.xing.com/dehttps://www.xing.com/dehttps://www.xing.com/dehttps://www.linkedin.com/https://www.linkedin.com/https://www.linkedin.com/https://stellenmarkt.faz.net/https://stellenmarkt.faz.net/https://stellenmarkt.faz.net/http://stellenmarkt.sueddeutsche.de/http://stellenmarkt.sueddeutsche.de/http://stellenmarkt.sueddeutsche.de/https://hamburgerjobs.de/https://hamburgerjobs.de/https://hamburgerjobs.de/https://hamburgerjobs.de/http://stellenmarkt.sueddeutsche.de/https://stellenmarkt.faz.net/https://www.linkedin.com/https://www.xing.com/dehttp://www.monster.de/http://www.stepstone.de/https://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center.htmlhttps://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center.html

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industry-specific associations and organisations

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

VDI Recruiting Day 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/ once a year - normally in March

Hannover Messe http://www.hannovermesse.de/ once a year - normally in April

Career Forum http://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center/business-service/career-forum.html once a year - normally at the beginning of the summer semester

Stellenwerk Jobmesse http://www.stellenwerk-hamburg.de/jobmessen/stellenwerk-jobmesse.html once a year - normally during the summer semester (mostly May)

bonding Industry Night https://www2.bonding.de/web/hamburg.nsf/web/studenten_veranstaltungskalender_de once a year - in the first half of the year

Absolventenkongress Norddeutschland https://www.absolventenkongress.de/norddeutschland.html once a year - normally in May/June

Hamburg Company Tour http://www.hamburg-company-tour.de/ once a year - normally in June

Karrieremesse Familienunternehmen http://www.karrieretag-familienunternehmen.de/kt-de once a year - normally during the summer month

VDI Online Karrieremesse http://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/recruiting-tag twice a year - one in June and the second one in November/December

T5 Jobmesse https://www.t5-karriereportal.de/jobmesse/hamburg/ once a year - normally at the beginning of the winter semester

Lange Nacht der Industrie http://www.langenachtderindustrie.de/standorte/hamburg/region.html once a year - normally at the beginning of the winter semester

bonding Messe https://www2.bonding.de/web/hamburg.nsf/web/studenten_veranstaltungskalender_de once a year - normally at the end of November/beginning of December

Absolventenkongress Kln https://www.absolventenkongress.de/der-kongress.html once a year - normally in November/December

Career Day http://www.stellenwerk-hamburg.de/jobmessen/stellenwerk-career.html once a year - normally in November/December
https://inside.nithh.de/toro/resource/html#!entity.398https://inside.nithh.de/toro/resource/html#!entity.398https://inside.nithh.de/toro/resource/html#!entity.398http://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/recruiting-taghttp://www.cebit.de/http://www.hannovermesse.de/http://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center/business-service/career-forum.htmlhttp://www.stellenwerk-hamburg.de/jobmessen/stellenwerk-jobmesse.htmlhttps://www2.bonding.de/web/hamburg.nsf/web/studenten_veranstaltungskalender_dehttps://www2.bonding.de/web/hamburg.nsf/web/studenten_veranstaltungskalender_dehttp://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/recruiting-taghttps://www.t5-karriereportal.de/jobmesse/hamburg/http://www.langenachtderindustrie.de/standorte/hamburg/region.htmlhttp://www.langenachtderindustrie.de/standorte/hamburg/region.htmlhttps://www2.bonding.de/web/hamburg.nsf/web/studenten_veranstaltungskalender_dehttps://www2.bonding.de/web/hamburg.nsf/web/studenten_veranstaltungskalender_dehttps://www2.bonding.de/web/hamburg.nsf/web/studenten_veranstaltungskalender_dehttp://www.langenachtderindustrie.de/standorte/hamburg/region.htmlhttps://www.t5-karriereportal.de/jobmesse/hamburg/http://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/recruiting-taghttps://www2.bonding.de/web/hamburg.nsf/web/studenten_veranstaltungskalender_dehttp://www.stellenwerk-hamburg.de/jobmessen/stellenwerk-jobmesse.htmlhttp://www.tuhh.de/tuhh/uni/service/career-center/business-service/career-forum.htmlhttp://www.hannovermesse.de/http://www.cebit.de/http://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/recruiting-taghttps://inside.nithh.de/toro/resource/html#!entity.398

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Management Education for Engineers www.nithh.de

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 ques-

tions 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 acolourful bouquet of seminarsconcerning 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

PresentationCreate a perfect network,

WorkshopBasics of application,

WorkshopUnderstanding job description, Job seeking skillscover letter and C.V.,

Job seeking skillsthe 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.

Get informed about your favourite employer

Before you apply for a job you should look for information about your favourite employer. Besides

the companys website you should find more information on the internet. In Germany, we have one

website where employees are able to evaluate their employer. You are able to take a look atKununu.If you are interested in some financial figures and the annual business activities, you probably find

information on the companys website if you look for the annual report. Smaller companies, who

dont publish their annual report on their website, mostly have to publish their figures in the Federal

Gazette (Bundesanzeiger).

As mentioned before, it could be helpful to talk to employees working for your favourite company

to find out detailed, first-hand information about the atmosphere, the organisation, the culture,

which are not published in the internet.
http://glados.tuhh.de/angebote/aktueller_zeitraum/index_monate.htmlhttp://glados.tuhh.de/angebote/aktueller_zeitraum/index_monate.htmlhttp://glados.tuhh.de/angebote/aktueller_zeitraum/index_monate.htmlhttp://www.kununu.com/http://www.kununu.com/http://www.kununu.com/http://www.bundesanzeiger.de/http://www.bundesanzeiger.de/http://www.bundesanzeiger.de/http://www.bundesanzeiger.de/http://www.kununu.com/http://glados.tuhh.de/angebote/aktueller_zeitraum/index_monate.html

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Application documents

After finding interesting job offers you have to prepare good structured documents. These give theHR 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 candi-

date 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 formatof 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 beidentical 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 [in-

sert 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 Recruit-

ing 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 in-cluding 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 specificexamples 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 workingexperiences.

If there are any requirements for the application mentioned in the job advertisement, please fol-

low 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 recom-

mended to scan your attachment in a high quality.

There are two ways to ask the applicants for references (e.g. former bosses, colleagues, profes-

sors): 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 ortwo persons, please inform them and ask for permission to use their details.

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After preparing the application documents

After you have finished writing your cover letter and preparing the application documents, youshould always check all documents and proofread your cover letter carefully.

Here are some tips on what you should keep an eye:

Is there a close relation between the job advertisement and your application, especially in the

cover letter? Are there any key words which are listed in the job advertisement and should be

used in your application?

Check the layout: do you always use the same abbreviations, the same style to write dates, etc.

Are there any page breaks in the wrong position?

Are all details written in the cover letter identical to the details in your C.V. or e.g. shown in your

profile at LinkedIn or Xing?

It is helpful to ask a friend or fellow students to proofread your cover letter and to check all docu-

ments, if there are any spelling mistakes or content errors. In addition, you should keep in mind that

there could be hundreds of applications the HR manager has to view to narrow down the choice.

Therefore, the first impression count and the cover letter should be short but also include all infor-

mation which are relevant for the position.

The TUHH Career Center as well as many fairs offer a checking service for your application docu-

ments. Whereas the Career Center publishes fixed appointments on itswebsite,you have to check

the offer at the different fairs.

Job Interview

Congratulations, you have crossed the first hurdle: you convince the HR manager with your applica-

tion 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 recommend-

ed to ask the HR manager about the process and the next steps.

Preparing the interview1

Work on answers to the mostcommon interview questions.After some small talk about the weather

or your arrival the "tell me about yourself" or "talk me through your CV" questions are normally

asked to ease you in, so make sure you are ready for them. Have a short, two or three minute re-

sponse that you can give comfortably. Start with a summarised chronological story showing how you

1Michael Higgins Job interview preparation: an essential checklist, published on April 29, 2013 in The Guard i-

an,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 jobshave

a way of telling the story around them without becoming defensive.

Read carefully through the job and person specification, identifying your experiences that demon-

strate 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

andglassdoor.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. Dress-

ing 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 de-

scription 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.

During the interview

It is very easy to be so intently focused on giving a good interview that you may forget that it is atwo-way process.Notice how the reception feels, how people behave towards each other, how the

interview is run, and what sense you get from the interviewer. You may even want to ask: "How do

you find working here?"

Do not be afraid to pause and think. You do not need to fire back an answer in the first millisecond

and sometimes it is good to acknowledge that you will need a few moments for consideration. In

general, people speak too quickly in interviews because they are nervous, so slow down if you notice

yourself racing.

Make sure you are clear about the next steps following the interview. Many organisations take a lotlonger than they say to get back to you, so it may be worth saying: "So you will let me know by next

Monday? If I do not hear by Wednesday is it ok to give you a call?"
http://www.squeaker.net/dehttp://www.squeaker.net/dehttp://www.squeaker.net/dehttps://www.glassdoor.de/index.htm?&countryRedirect=truehttps://www.glassdoor.de/index.htm?&countryRedirect=truehttps://www.glassdoor.de/index.htm?&countryRedirect=truehttps://www.glassdoor.de/index.htm?&countryRedirect=truehttp://www.squeaker.net/de

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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 questionsthat 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 ques-

tions 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.

More relevant documents and information:

Work permits

Information about residence and work permits (especially chapter 3 Temping during studies and

chapter 4 Internship during studies)

Companies

NIT Sponsor CompaniesDeutschlands 100

Further job portals

Staufenbiel

Stellenwerk Hamburg(there are some more, e.g.Stellenwerk Darmstadt)

Job portal offered by LMU

Information about the topic application

EuropassKarrierebibel

ingenieurkarriere.de

Bewerberblog

Trends and insights of the labor market

Specialist Index for Engineers(Fachkrfte-Index), published by Hays

Job trends,published by Staufenbiel

Trendence graduate barometer,published by trendence

VDI-Ingenieursmonitor,published by VDI and IW
https://inside.nithh.de/toro/resource/html#!mdldocument.649https://inside.nithh.de/toro/resource/html#!mdldocument.649https://inside.nithh.de/toro/resource/html#!mdldocument.646https://www.deutschlands100.de/https://www.staufenbiel.de/ingenieurehttps://www.staufenbiel.de/ingenieurehttp://www.stellenwerk-hamburg.de/start.htmlhttp://www.stellenwerk-hamburg.de/start.htmlhttps://www.stellenwerk-darmstadt.de/start.htmlhttps://www.stellenwerk-darmstadt.de/start.htmlhttps://www.stellenwerk-darmstadt.de/start.htmlhttp://www.s-a.uni-muenchen.de/studierende/jobboerse/index.htmlhttp://www.s-a.uni-muenchen.de/studierende/jobboerse/index.htmlhttps://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/de/homehttps://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/de/homehttp://karrierebibel.de/http://karrierebibel.de/http://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/http://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/https://towerconsult.de/bewerberblog/https://www.hays.de/personaldienstleistung-aktuell/fachkraefte-index-engineeringhttps://www.hays.de/personaldienstleistung-aktuell/fachkraefte-index-engineeringhttp://www.staufenbiel.de/jobtrendshttp://www.staufenbiel.de/jobtrendshttp://www.trendence.com/loesungen/research/barometer-international.htmlhttp://www.trendence.com/loesungen/research/barometer-international.htmlhttps://www.vdi.de/presse/publikationen/vdi-iw-ingenieurmonitor/https://www.vdi.de/presse/publikationen/vdi-iw-ingenieurmonitor/https://www.vdi.de/presse/publikationen/vdi-iw-ingenieurmonitor/http://www.trendence.com/loesungen/research/barometer-international.htmlhttp://www.staufenbiel.de/jobtrendshttps://www.hays.de/personaldienstleistung-aktuell/fachkraefte-index-engineeringhttps://towerconsult.de/bewerberblog/http://www.ingenieurkarriere.de/http://karrierebibel.de/https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/de/homehttp://www.s-a.uni-muenchen.de/studierende/jobboerse/index.htmlhttps://www.stellenwerk-darmstadt.de/start.htmlhttp://www.stellenwerk-hamburg.de/start.htmlhttps://www.staufenbiel.de/ingenieurehttps://www.deutschlands100.de/https://inside.nithh.de/toro/resource/html#!mdldocument.646https://inside.nithh.de/toro/resource/html#!mdldocument.649

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Literature

For application in German there are two well-known writing authors publishing books to all aspectsof 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 Ingenieu re Das Karriere-

Handbuch. 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 theVDI-Bewerberhandbuch.

Furthermore, it is recommended to step by the TUHH Infothek to check the brochures concerning

the topic of application and labor market.
https://www.vdi.de/nc/studium/vdi-bewerbungshandbuch/https://www.vdi.de/nc/studium/vdi-bewerbungshandbuch/https://www.vdi.de/nc/studium/vdi-bewerbungshandbuch/https://www.vdi.de/nc/studium/vdi-bewerbungshandbuch/

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Appendix I: Common interview questions

The interview is an opportunity for both the company and you to evaluate whether you are a good fitfor the job so expect questions relating to your ability, work history, future goals, and whether you fit

the company culture.

Prepare for the type of questions you are likely to get. You will probably be asked questions to find

out whether or not you have the skills/experience to do the job, so make sure you can answer ques-

tions relating to the job specifics. The ad itself is a good place to work out what they are likely to ask

you regarding your professional abilities.

You will probably also get some general questions, so they can find out more about you, your future

plans and so on. Expect questions like 'Tell me about yourself' (an opportunity to present your par-ticular strengths and fit for the job), 'What are you weaknesses' (an opportunity to show how you

have learned useful lessons) or 'Where do you want to be in the next X years' (allows you to show

ambition and company loyalty).

Good preparation is essential, so spend time before the interview reviewing your CV, to make sure

you can connect your background (your skills, accomplishments and learning curves) to the job and

company requirements. You may also need to explain gaps on your CV, or the reasons why you left a

company.

These are common, general questions you should prepare to answer:

Tell me about yourself

This or any of the alternative introductory questions ('What sets you apart from other candidates?' or

'Why should we hire you?') is an ideal opportunity for you to talk about how you are a good fit for

the job. You can almost guarantee you will get a question like this, so prepare an answer, but be

careful not to sound too rehearsed. Concentrate on how your experience, successes, or personal

characteristics make you a strong candidate and avoid irrelevant information. Aim to talk for a mi-

nute or so. Then check with the interviewer that s/he has enough information. Do not describe your-

self using clichs like 'I'm a team-player', but demonstrate through examples how you match the job

description or ideal candidate profile.

What motivates you?/Why do you want this job?

For this type of motivational question, you will need to know what inspires you and keeps you happy

at work. Select a couple of aspects that also highlight your abilities: winning new business; training

people in new skills; identifying new markets; discovering new talent for example.

What are your strengths/weaknesses?

Expect a question relating to your personal characteristics. Alternatives could be 'How would you

describe your personality?' or 'How do your employees/managers perceive you?' Choose the most

relevant strengths to the job you are applying for. When answering the 'weakness' question, avoid

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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.'

Where would you like to be in the next three/five years?

This is a good opportunity to talk about your career goals, and link them to what the company offers

in terms of promotion and career development.

For answering this question, you have to develop feeling during the interview what aspects tare im-

portant for the company. Most companies offer internships to get to know their future employees.

Therefore you should be considered carefully what you answer.

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 dis-

liked working for a disorganized manager will be counterproductive if you are interviewing for a simi-

lar 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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Appendix II: Five ways to improve your interview technique

Five ways to improve your interview technique

Does your interview research go beyond checking a company's website? And is your focus on deliv-

ery or the content of your answers? Michael Moran shares his tips on how to boost your chances

Becoming an exceptional candidate is something you can do; it's just that most people don't take the

trouble. In my experience, most interviews don't go that well; most people are bad at them. The

truth is that many recruiters are actually not particularly good at interviewing either nor particularly

effective. So, if you prepare properly and are a good interviewee, the odds can be stacked in your

favor.

To put in a good performance think about planning, practice and positive psychology. An interview is

an audition. You need to project yourself as the sort of the person the interviewer wants to hire; as

someone they want on the team.

Just checking out a company website is not enough

It's not just a question of researching the organisation. You need to understand your interviewer and

why they are hiring. One way or another they are seeking a resource as a solution to an identified

problem. Just checking out their website, report and accounts is not enough.

Work on understanding the organisational need and how you can add value. Look at the challengesand opportunities they face and work out how to show that your experience and expertise are rele-

vant. Explore their market, competitors and the changes taking place in the industry.

Use your network to find information about the interviewer and his preferences, the company and

its culture. Use LinkedIn and ZoomInfo to gather all the intelligence you can.

Focus more on delivery rather than giving off-the-cuff replies

Rehearse your presentation. I don't necessarily mean being word perfect. I'm talking about what you

say when anyone asks you what you do, why you left, what you have achieved and so on. Can you

talk about yourself comfortably, with confidence, concisely with clarity? Practice so that you have the

right words, don't get flustered, talk at the right pace and, crucially, know when to stop. Remember

the need for consistency between words and body language.

In an interview you have to know your CV by heart. None of it pops into your head at the last minute;

you know what you are going to say and what spin you are going to put on it. A good interviewee has

learned his or her lines in advance and is focussing much more on delivery than on off-the-cuff re-

plies.

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It's not a solo performance: aim for a 50/50 dialogue

What you really need to do, though, is to make the interview interactive. People trained in interviewtechniques are told to use the 70/30 rule. That is to say the interviewer aims to talk for about 30% of

the time allotted and the candidate talks 70% of the time, in response.

The smart candidate actually wants a 50/50 dialogue. You should aim for a conversation, directed

along the lines you preferwhereby you can play to your strengths. The interviewer can only go with

what you give them. This is best illustrated by using the "what was your biggest business mistake?"

question. Do you really want to tell them your biggest mistake? Really? You decide.

You are aiming for positive interaction. Make it easy for the interviewer by saying "have I told you all

you need to know on that subject? Can I give you more detail?" Build rapport, find some common

ground. But remember it's not a monologue, you are both actors in the interview and it is a dialogue,

a conversation, not a solo performance.

A positive outlook is crucial

Henry Ford famously said "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right".

You're motivated, you've done the prep and have the drive to succeed so visualize success.

Whether you call it confidence, self-esteem or self-belief, to shine at interview you need to show that

you will make a good employee. Show that you are good at interacting and reading your situation,

good at selling yourself and your ideas. Practicing your interview technique will make it so much eas-ier to shine. There's no need to be nervous if you believe you are a good candidate for the role. If you

believe you can do it, then you can do it. You know it because you have prepared, practiced and are

ready to show what you can do.

Review and follow up

After the interview send a letter. Thank them for seeing you. Reiterate how interested you are in

them and the role. Review the key points of the interview when you discussed challenges and oppor-

tunities and outline how you can help them meet those.

No guarantees but if you work at it you'll become a better interviewee and give yourself an ad-

vantage in a tough economic climate.

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