English Application

JOB JOB APPLICATION APPLICATION

What’s New in conversation with Dr. Jackie Pocklington

Are there fundamental differences between American, British and German applications?

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There are in fact a number of fundamental differences between traditional American, British and German applications although it must be noted that recently in Great Britain and even Germany there has been a clear tendency towards adopting the American style of application. At least up until recently the German style of application has been to create one standardized Lebenslauf for all applications. By contrast, the American resume and the British CV is always individually tailored to the targeted position. All

Viele Schulabsolventen träumen von einem Job, einem Praktikum im Ausland. Doch davor steht, was den meisten auf Deutsch schon schwer fällt: die Bewerbung – auf Englisch. I want to make a practical: Das wird auch einen wohlwollenden Personalchef nicht überzeugen. Der Ratgeber Bewerben auf Englisch zeigt, wie es geht: Mit zahlreichen Anwendungsbeispielen, einem Bewerbungswörterbuch und Musterdokumenten auf CD-ROM, Hintergrundinformationen zum Bewerbungsablauf sowie interaktiven Übungsaufgaben und Tests unterstützt das Buch die wichtigsten Schritte einer erfolgreichen Bewerbung. Wer weiß, was in einem britischen CV (curriculum vitae) nicht fehlen darf oder was in amerikanischen resumes normalerweise nicht enthalten sein sollte – etwa Fotos – ist schon einmal einen Schritt weiter. Dass Diplom nicht mit ‚diploma‘ sondern besser als ‚degree‘ übersetzt wird, zeigt das Bewerbungswörterbuch, in dem sich die wichtigsten bewerbungsrelevanten Fachbegriffe nachschlagen lassen. Kommentierte Beispiele und ein Phrasebook helfen bei Schritt zwei: Ein Anschreiben, das die Bewerberin oder den Bewerber gegenüber allen anderen hervorhebt, muss erstellt werden. Sowohl den grundsätzlichen Aufbau eines Anschreibens als auch die landestypischen Feinheiten erläutert der Ratgeber. Eine Zusammenstellung wichtiger Ausdrücke und Formulierungen sorgt für den nötigen sprachlichen Schliff. Wer es noch einfacher haben möchte, kann auch den Generator zur Erstellung von Bewerbungsdokumenten auf der CD-ROM oder verschiedene Word-Vorlagen für Standardanschreiben benutzen. Ebenfalls hilfreich sind Vorlagen zur Übersetzung von Diplom- und Arbeitszeugnissen. So praktisch diese Hilfsmittel für den schriftlichen Teil der Bewerbung auch sind – wenn der oder die Bewerber/in dem Personalchef gegenübersitzt, nützen sie nichts mehr … Weil hier nur eine konsequente Vorbereitung hilft, bietet Bewerben auf Englisch neben Sprachbeispielen auch zahlreiche interaktive Übungen und Tests, mit denen die eigenen Fertigkeiten überprüft und ausgebaut werden können.

required qualifications are highlighted for easy recognition through boldfacing, underlining and bulleting as well as through the reverse-chronology listing of jobs and stages of education. The traditional German Anschreiben on the other hand presents all of the qualifications of the applicant, whereas the American cover letter and the British covering letter highlight merely two or three of the key qualifications that are relevant for the targeted position in order to generate interest in the application. Another distinctive difference to traditional German Lebensläufe and British CVs is the fact that American resumes contain neither photos nor personal details as a precaution against discrimin-

ation lawsuits. However, exceptions are readily made for non-American applications which contain these items. There are still a few minor application distinctions worthy of note: Traditional British CVs contain the heading ‘CV’ or ‘Curriculum Vitae’ whereas American resumes employ the name of the applicant. Moreover, American resumes and British CVs are seldom dated and never signed as in German Lebensläufe. Finally, like in the German Anschreiben, the subject line in American letters appears above the salutation line (Dear …) whereas in British letters it appears below this line and is underlined to distinguish it from the ensuing body of the letter.

JOB JOB APPLICATION APPLICATION

What are the typical mistakes made by German-speaking applicants and how can they be avoided? Frequently applicants fail to assess their own qualifications and abilities realistically: in such cases they waste a lot of time applying for positions for which they are not qualified. Worse yet, when applicants only have a vague understanding of their career aspirations, all too frequently they come to regret their career decisions because the gained position does not correspond with their hopes and expectations. Moreover, many applicants overlook the opportunities that networking offers. Since the great majority of openings are filled internally or on the basis of recommendations, i.e. without advertising, it pays to make and maintain contact with company employees who can inform job-seekers about potential openings. Applicants also fail to inform themselves sufficiently about the company and the targeted position resulting in application documents that are ineffectively customized to the targeted position. Finally, applicants often overestimate their own language abilities when applying in English. Not only should they have their application documents checked by friends with good English skills (preferably native speakers), the job interview requires intensive language preparation. If I were one of your graduates preparing for a job interview in English, what advice would you give me? Collect information on the company and the targeted position in order to

• demonstrate your interest in the position through your extensive knowledge, for example by providing reasonable answers to questions like ‘What do you know about our firm?’

• prepare relevant questions for gaining a better understanding of the company and the targeted position in order to present your relevant qualifications more effectively, as well as

• put yourself in a position to make an informed decision when accepting or rejecting a possible job offer.

Gain clarity about which qualifications the employer expects of you. Remember the aim you are trying to achieve at the interview: You have to persuade the employer that you possess precisely these relevant qualifications. With this objective in mind, work out your answers to anticipated interview questions, and have your formulations checked by friends skilled in English. Simulate interviews a number of times with these friends. As first impressions are usually decisive, pay careful attention to making an impression of friendliness and self-confidence at the beginning of the interview, in particular the greeting, the small talk and your answer to a typical lead-off question like ‘Tell us about yourself’. How can I inform myself about the job market of the country I wish to apply to regarding qualifications, requirements, salary overviews, work permits, etc.? For information about entry regulations and workpermit regulations it is best to consult the embassy and consulates of the country concerned directly. Many of these institutions place such information on their Internet websites. Links to the websites of embassies can be found at Journalistenlinks.de. The qualifications that are required in order to enhance your chances for finding a position in a particular profession in a particular country depend on the current situation in the employment market there, and naturally also on the branch of business/industry as well as on the specifically desired job profile. You can find comprehensive information regarding these matters in the US market, for example, at the website of the Occupational Outlook Handbook or Wetfeet.com. There is also a lot of information available on the Internet concerning various branches of business/industry as well as large companies. Along with the familiar company directories Vault and Hoover’s, the American website Job-Hunt.org presents a valuable starting point for research of the employment market. The size of salary you can earn in your profession abroad can be determined by way of salary reports and salary calculators at numerous websites

free of charge, at least for the American market (unfortunately, however, not for the rest of the world). One website that is frequently employed by jobsites is Salary.com. For salary reports as well as for many other employment-related fields, the Riley Guide provides valuable information and lists of links as an effective starting point for your research. For further details go to www.cornelsenberufskompetenz.de/bewerbenaufenglisch

Dr. Jackie Pocklington, born in Waukegan, Illinois and raised in Los Angeles, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Occidental College and his doctorate in English Linguistics at the University of the Saarland in Saarbrücken, Germany. Since 1988 he has been teaching practical English skills at a number of German universities and in 2000 received his call for a Professorship in Business and Technical English at the University of Applied Sciences ‘TFH Berlin’.

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