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An initiative of Kindly supported by ParticiPants’ document: Applicant training for refugees
An initiative of
Kindly supported by
ParticiPants’ document: Applicant training for refugees
Introductions
2
Name, age, where I come from, where I want to go…
Qualifications or
job interests…
What I am particularly interested in here…
OUR AIM TODAY: Ready for Application
3
Find a desired career
Find a JOB or Apprenticeship
Prepare APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
JOB INTERVIEWS
Education paths in Germany
Primary
Primary
Primary
sector S
econdary sector I
Secondary sector II
Education sector
Primary
Tertiary sector
Primary school (Grundschule) (4 years)
Comprehensive high school (Hauptschule)
(5 years)
Secondary high school (Realschule)
(6 years)
Orientation level (Orientierungsstufe)
Specialist preparatory high school
(Fachgymnasium) (2–3 years)
Dual
training program (usually 3 years)
Com
prehensive school
(Gesam
tschule) (5–9 years)
Technical colleges, universities,
dual study program, etc.
Qualified occupation
4
Preparatory high school (G
ymnasium
) (8 or 9 years)
Education paths: questions & answers
5
My qualications are not recognized, what should I do?
Try to enter a career via an internship and convince employers of your skills that way.
Gain qualifications in Germany
Where can I gain a school-leaving qualification?
Cities and municipalities usually provide education advice to show you what routes are possible
You can also find general information at www.arbeitsagentur.de
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Open access to the job market
Approval of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) /priority check if
necessary*
Second preference work permit
Unrestricted work permit
Who is permitted to work? Access to the job market
Request for asylum granted
Possession of a residence permit
Asylum procedure not yet complete
Asylum request rejected, deportation suspended
No work permit in the first three months
Asylum seekers with a temporary residence permit
Tolerated persons Persons entitled to asylum with a
residence permit
* Priority check is no longer necessary after an uninterrupted stay in Germany of 15 months Approval of the Federal Employment Agency is no longer necessary after an uninterrupted stay in Germany of four years
Learn a profession
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Learn a profession in Germany
Apprenticeship (vocational school and company) Trainee
program (after a degree)
Distance learning. e.g.,
the FernUniversität
in Hagen
Integrated degree
program (apprenticeship
and degree) Self-employment*
On-the-job training,
courses, IHK
University degree
Degree at a technical college
* The Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz) and the EU Law on Freedom of Movement (Freizügigkeitsgesetz/EU) regulate which foreign nationals are permittted to take up self-employed work. http://www.existenzgruender.de/DE/Service/Beratung-Adressen/Linksammlung/Gruender-innen-Migrationshintergrund/inhalt.html
Costs money
You earn
money
Finding a desired career
8
Where do I have experience?
What have I done /enjoyed doing up to now?
What have I learned and where? With a qualification?
What would I like to learn or work in future?
Which employers might need me?
First steps?
Finding a desired career: help
9
For students and graduates: discover careers and career check
http://www.ausbildung.de/berufe/ https://www.azubi.de/
German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)
http://portal.berufe-universum.de/ http://entdecker.biz-medien.de/starte-check
For apprenticeships and degree courses:
https://blicksta.de/durchblicken (registration required)
For degrees:
http://www.was-studiere-ich.de/ (e-mail required)
Who is permitted to work?
http://www.bamf.de/DE/Infothek/FragenAntworten/ZugangArbeitFluechtlinge/ zugang-arbeit-fluechtlinge-node.html
OUR AIM TODAY: Ready for Application
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Finding a desired career
Find a JOB or Apprenticeship
Prepare APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
JOB INTERVIEWS
Research: Where can you find jobs?
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Meta search engines: indeed, kimeta, jobworld, jobrobot, …
Job forums for refugees: careers4refugees.de , workeer, everjobs
Regional job forums: meinestadt.de, kalaydo, …
Federal Employment Agency, Jobcenter
Newspapers printed version and online: Daily newspapers, free weekly newspapers
Temporary work*: randstad, manpower or local providers: > Google town/city and temporary work * with approval and tolerance possible only after a four-year stay in Germany
Career websites/Facebook sites of companies: job vacancies
Business networks: Xing, Linkedin
Small ads in supermarkets, ….
General job forums: Monster, Stepstone, Jobstairs, …
Trade fairs: University fairs, recruiting events
CV databases: Careerloft, e-fellows, experteer
Job search: further tips
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Tell friends/mentors that you are looking for a job
Free newspapers have job advertisements at the back
Free/cheap Internet access to online job searches: libraries, Jobcenter
Federal Employment Agency – employer measures (work placements, usually six weeks)
….
OUR AIM TODAY: Ready for Application
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Finding a desired career
Find a JOB or Apprenticeship
Prepare APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
JOB INTERVIEWS
What do application documents include? CURRICULUM VITAE (CV) – cover letter – certificates
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Focus on strengths
Make sure your application focuses on your qualities and strengths
PREPARING APPLICATION DOCUMENTS What is important?
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Tailoring the application
Use keywords from the advertisement
for the application
Credibility
Personality is required –
no empty phrases
Structure
Clear
Complete
Easy to understand
Error-free
THE CV BASICS
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Other important content:
Asylum status, work permit, residency title, etc.
Language skills (including planned language courses), certificates
For longer periods without work, you should provide plausible reasons for this time out (neutral description: for example “fled from ….”, “professional reorientation”, “raising children” or “retrained to become a ...”)
For recruiters and managers, the most important thing is to gain a quick first impression of you and your career history.
Format templates, e.g.,:
Europass https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/
A good buidling-block system can be found at www.lebenslauf2go.de
THE CV – Europass
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THE CV – example
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THE CV – refugee specifics
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THE CV in detail
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Personal information
At the beginning of the résumé or in the header
Name
Full address
Telephone number
Private e-mail address
Asylum status/work permit
Date of arrival in Germany
Date of birth, place of birth, marital status, number of children and a photo can be included; however, according to the General Law on equal treatment (Allgemeinen Gleichbehandlungsgesetz), this is not mandatory.
THE CV in detail
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Professional experience /career history
We recommend that you use the following format:
Company (with the correct legal form)
Area or department, if appropriate
Location
Job description/role (as stated in reference)
Selection of tasks and duties
Here you can also cite the period of flight.
THE CV in detail
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School education:
This information can generally be presented by itself or included in the “Apprenticeship/academic study” block.
You only need to state the last school-leaving qualification obtained; your primary school information is usually no longer of interest to HR managers.
Apprenticeships / academic study
Specify either the apprenticeship company, the training course and the qualification or state the university, degree course and the degree obtained.
If you have several years’ professional experience, you can keep the information in this block concise.
If qualifications have not yet been recognized, mention that here.
THE CV in detail
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The information regarding further education/additional qualifications does not have to be comprehensive. We recommend that you specify details of the past five years that are relevant for the advertised position.
Further education
Training
Seminars as an asset (signalizes that you have expertise and an interest in developing this further)
Additonal qualifications (alway specify proficiency or level of knowledge)
Language skills (information according to EU standard A1 – C2 welcome)
IT skills
THE CV in detail
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Personal/social commitment – if existing
Social commitment involves doing something for others on a long-term basis and with a sincere motivation. “Commitment” should thus be recognizable as such
Private interests
Optional – not mandatory!
Interests or hobbies should only be specified if they underline your personality; dangerous hobbies should not be included (e.g. bungee jumping).
A friend takes a photo or you use a photo booth.
Be aware of the following:
Appropriate clothing
A friendly expression/smile
Suitable lighting/face can be seen clearly
Neutral background (light-colored wall)
Please avoid:
No selfies!
No sunglasses
No holiday or party photos
The application photo is optional, but if a photo is used, it should be done properly
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A professional portrait by a photographer. Disadvantage: expensive
or
The application photo is not mandatory – but a good photo can leave a good impression. So if you do decide to use a photo, make sure that it is a good one.
Either
The application photo negative examples
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Make sure you have a friendly expression
No scans or copies No group
photos
No leisure photos
No photos of the whole body
THE COVER LETTER Basics
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The cover letter is the first sample of work that the company you are applying to sees from you.
The Human Resources (HR) employee would like to get an impression of you to decide whether you are suitable for the position.
Formal criteria
Font size: 10–12 point:
Line spacing: 1.2 to1.5 lines
Paragraphs after 3 to 7 lines (avoid splitting the content)
Length: maximum one page
Format template with formulation examples, e.g.:
www.anschreiben2go.de
The cover letter – example
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Layout
Address lines with the applicant’s contact information (can also be entered as a header or footer)
Address line with company (incl. contact partner)
Subject line with the job reference number (if available)
Personal form of address (a contact partner at HR is usually named for an advertised position)
Structure – at least:
First paragraph: reference to job advertisement and company / motivation for application
Second paragraph: present professional experience/degree/own strengths (with reference to the position)
Third paragraph: complimentary close
THE COVER LETTER – CHECKLIST
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Focus on answering the following questions in the cover letter:
Why would you like to do this job? What is your motivation? Why at this company?
What qualifies you for this job? What appropriate experience do you have? Which aspects of your experience could be useful for the company?
Think about your strengths and soft skills! It is really important to refer to the job description!
One page is enough!
Do not tell your entire CV again.
Are all the details, names and addresses correct?
Have someone proofread it! Errors are extremely noticeable.
The certificates and references Provide evidence on the content of your CV
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Types of certificates and references:
Apprenticeship certificates/school certificates/university certificates
Employment references / credentials
Certificates from training courses (e.g. project management according to PMI, IHK courses)
What to do if certificates or references are missing:
Be honest: mention in the cover letter that you have no certificates or references
Specify references if appropriate
Go into detail in the CV regarding specific tasks and training qualifications
What should you do if, for example, your university qualifications have not yet been recognized?
Not all qualifications require official recognition, in some cases a translation is sufficient
You can find information on this at: www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de
THE format of the application
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The job advertisement specifies which format you should apply in:
Paper-based application (if only the postal address is specified, e.g. in a newspaper advertisement)
More common for crafts and trades companies, smaller companies or applications for apprenticeships
Collect receipts: it may be possible to submit receipts for the costs of folders, postage, photos, etc. to the employment office (Arbeitsamt)
E-mail application (if an e-mail address is specified, e.g. in an online job advertisement or newspaper advertisement)
Common for many medium-sized and large companies
Same structure as a paper-based application: Cover letter, CV, certificates (if available)
Online application/online portal (if you apply via a careers site or in online job advertisements)
For large companies; it is usually necessary to set up a user account and log in
Same structure as a paper-based application: Cover letter, CV, certificates (if available)
File size approx. 2–4 MB;
You should ideally upload files in PDF format
ALWAYS: specify in the subject the job title from the advertisement and/or reference number!
OUR AIM TODAY: Ready for Application
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Finding a desired career
Find a JOB or Apprenticeship
Prepare APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
INTERVIEWS
Interviews – video examples
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqU-ceEAgFY (application for an apprenticeship with errors presented, 9:30 minutes)
http://www.planet-beruf.de/Video-Vorstellungsg.13839.0.html (interview procedure, 2:12 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ucmfPOBV8 (interview in English; dos and dont’s; 4:15 minutes)
http://bwt.planet-beruf.de/107.html (Job interview procedure with a training aspect)
Typical interview procedure
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The participant is collected at reception
Welcome and short introductory round
Explanation of interview procedure
Presentation of the company
Applicant introduces himself/herself and is asked questions, role plays if appropriate
Applicant asks questions
Next steps: what happens now?
Interviewer and interviewee say goodbye
JOB Interview – personnel questions
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“What do you know about our company?”
Why have you applied for a job with us?”
“What do you find attractive about this position?”
“What are your career goals?”
“What have been your biggest successes/failures up to now and how did you deal with them?”
“How do you imagine your career start with us?”
“What focus would you expect of your tasks and duties in your new position?”
“What are your salary expectations?”
“Tell us something about yourself!”
“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
“Briefly describe your career history!”
“What practical experience do you have?”
“How would you describe your relationship with your superiors?”
Possible answers
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“Tell us something about yourself!” This checks whether your CV is concise, clear and interesting; always keep the relevance to the job in the back of your mind.
“Why have you applied for a job with us?” You can now prove that you have prepared yourself well and have done your research about the company.
“What are your career goals?” The employer wants to know whether he/she can count on you staying with the company in the longer term and whether you have considered development opportunities in the company.
“What would your tasks and duties focus on in the new role?” Show that you have done sufficient research, that you can assess your own skills and link them with the new position.
“What have been your biggest successes/failures up to now and how did you deal with them?” Provide specific examples that (positively!) describe your behavior in this situation; talk about what you have learned from this.
“What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Provide evidence of your strengths using examples and positive feedback. Weaknesses should not allow negative conclusions to be drawn about your abilities and professional conduct; for weaknesses (e.g. languages skills), make it clear what you are doing to improve.
“How would you describe your relationship with your superiors?” Never speak badly of your employer. This could lead the interviewer to doubt your loyalty.
The following applies in general: be professional and do not compromise yourself. This is the only way for others to gain a correct longer term impression of you.
“What are your salary expectations?” This refers to the gross annual or monthly salary. You can also say that you do not know the German salary structure (sufficiently) or that you have looked on salary benchmark portals Helpful portals:
Free salary benchmarks (fill out questionnaire) : http://www.gehalt.de/
Gross/net calculator (what remains after deductions): http://www.brutto-netto-rechner.info/
You do not have to answer the following: Inadmissible questions
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Political opinion Involvement in
trade unions
Questions regarding previous convictions
Occupation of partners, parents, etc.
Previous illnesses
Pregnancy
Financial situation
Private sphere (marriages, family planning, how you spend your free time)
Previous earnings
Religious affiliation
Possible answers to inadmissible questions
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Religion Counter this with a question: Is religious affiliation relevant to the position?
Sensitive questions are only admissible if they are relevant for the job. But how should you respond to an inadmissible question? There are three options: Refuse to give an answer Give an answer that is untrue Answer the question honestly Here are a few tips and examples:
Disability or illness You should answer no to this question, unless you have a health problem that would prevent you from performing your contractual tasks and duties. In this case, you must inform the employer. For example: Tuberculosis if you are applying for a job as a doctor’s assistant.
Previous convictions You are allowed to say no here, even if this contradicts the truth. Exception: You have committed a crime relating to assets and are applying for a job as a financial accountant, for example. Your employer then has the right to know about the previous conviction.
Party or trade union membership It is best to explain that you have no time to be involved in politics at the moment. This is probably the truth anyway.
Pregnancy or a desire to have children
You are allowed to lie or refuse to answer the question. You can say, in a friendly manner, that you have not yet thought about this and would first like to get started in your career.
Stay calm
Remain objective
Possible answers to inadmissible questions
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Questions relating to religious affiliation
It is an inadmissible question BUT the employer is unsure, particularly in the case of those belonging to the Muslim religion: for example, how is the religion practiced? How often and for how long each day do you pray during working hours? Are there fixed prayer times or can you arrange this flexibly? Do you require a special room? How do you deal with the topic of prayer when you have a sales job, for example, and you have customers?...
One way of dealing with this is to ACTIVELY address the topic yourself (e.g. “Perhaps you were wondering if I pray regularly during the day. In my case, it is like this: .....”). Or you can explain to the employer: “I can and will organize my prayer time so that it does not get in the way of my work.”
The following two options are in case the employer asks this question: Refuse to answer the question; counter it with another question (“does religious affiliation relate directly to the position?”) or give an answer that is untrue.
Interview – CANDIDATE questions
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“Job description: What would I be doing exactly?“
“Who would be my superiors, colleagues, co-workers?”
“Management style?”
“Way of working: Would I mainly be working alone or in a team?”
“What would my place of work be like?”
“What scope for independent action does the position offer?”
“How is the induction phase structured?”
Interview – what should I wear?
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Select your outfit to suit the job and the company. The higher the hierarchy and the more conservative the company, the more conservative your outfit should be.
Office clothing/business outfit:
For men: a dark suit with a shirt and tie
Women should wear a smart suit or a trouser suit with a blouse
Less formal:
For men: a suit and shirt without a tie, or slacks and a shirt without a tie
Women should wear a suit, trouser suit, slacks or a skirt with a top
The more colorful and bright, the less formal the outfit is
Always important:
A neat, clean appearance, clothes and shoes
Interview What should i Wear? dos and don’ts
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What should be done… Men:
• Suit trousers with correct length (when standing the hem of the trousers should be 0.5 – 1 cm above the upper rim of the heels)
• Socks long enough to avoid seeing the bare leg
• Tidy hairstyle
• Clean shave
• Use of deodorant
Women:
• Suit or trouser suit
• Pantyhose
• Subtle, personality matching make-up
• Closed shoes
• Neat hands and finger nails
What should NOT be done… Men:
• Jackets with large patterns
• Tennis socks
• Shoes worn down at the heels
• Too much jewellery
• Colourful socks in comic style
Women:
• Transparent blouses
• Mini skirts
• Low-cut neckline
• Heavy perfume
• Visible armpit or leg hair
Working culture in Germany – a brief introduction
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Source: http://www.icunet.ag/fileadmin/content/innovation/151126_ICUnet.AG_Refugee_Guide.pdf
Working culture – brief introduction
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Source: http://www.icunet.ag/fileadmin/content/innovation/151126_ICUnet.AG_Refugee_Guide.pdf
Working culture – discussion What can I expect at my place of work?
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Take the initiative/ask questions
Say when you do not understand something
Clothing
Equality of men and women
Punctuality
Call in sick /notify employer
…
Expect to be called by phone and asked initial questions before being invited to an interview.
Further tips
Get together with others when peparing applications or
searching for jobs – you can deal with the challenge better
together.
Be prepared when you are invited for an interview. What does the company do? What
does the advertisement exactly look for?
Stay tuned to it, even if you do not receive a positive
response straight away.
…
If you are invited to an interview: organize travel to
the company, be punctual and dress appropriately.
Internet access: Internet cafés, libraries or jobcenters provide
free Internet access. Local tips: …………………..
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Disclaimer and publication details
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Publication details: Deutsche Telekom AG Recruiting & Talent Acquisition Fasanenweg 5 70771 Leinfelden-Echterdingen [email protected] Version: 2.1
Disclaimer:
Deutsche Telekom AG in no way guarantees that the information made available in this trainer guide is complete, accurate or up-to-date in all cases. In particular, Deutsche Telekom AG assumes no liability for content that is explicitly or implicitly marked as third-party content. Deutsche Telekom AG is not responsible for ensuring that such content is complete, accurate, up-to-date and lawful or that it does not infringe the rights of third parties This also applies to the content of other websites to which links are provided.
Deutsche Telekom AG reserves the right to amend, supplement or delete the documents supplied without prior notice.
The documents were prepared with the kind support of: Haufe Akademie, www.haufe-akademie.de ICUnet.AG, Passau, www.icunet.ag
