Increasing Your Employability In Germany In The Times Of The COVID19
Yana Immis
At the end of last year, the German labour market was doing very well - despite the weakening economy. According to the Federal Employment Agency, the unemployment rate in 2019 was only 5.0% on average and the shortage of skilled workers was a dominant issue in the economy.
Especially members of the so-called shortage professions could virtually choose their employer without putting too much effort into their own job application. The development of wages and salaries was correspondingly positive. As a result, companies had to spend much more time on recruiting and started to actively approach candidates on social networks. And yet positions often remained vacant for months. In other words, the prerequisites for international professionals to look for work in Germany were ideal.
What happened next, was something that hardly anyone saw coming and that radically changed the situation: The coronavirus began spreading and eventually reached Germany, too.
The impact of COVID-19 on the German labor market
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy is on the way to what may be the worst recession since the Second World War. As an export-driven nation, Germany is of course also affected by a decline in international demand, trade, and travel restrictions. Core industries such as the automotive sector are suffering from uncertain and sometimes interrupted supply chains and plummeting sales. The service sector is in crisis mode due to the corona lockdown, too.
Depending on the scenario, the OECD consequently assumes that unemployment in Germany will remain above the 2019 level beyond 2021 (but still below the level of many other countries).
Fortunately, the German government has reacted quickly and resolutely and imposed a series of measures to contain the economic and social impact. These include emergency aid for companies and the self-employed, bridging loans and above all an expansion and additional promotion of short-time work. Compared to other countries, Germany has therefore managed to get through this crisis relatively well so far, and its strong welfare state is paying off.
How the corona crisis affected the recruiting activities of German companies
Of course, the restrictions imposed by the corona virus also had some significant effects on recruiting in Germany. There was understandably a great deal of uncertainty among both companies and applicants. Changing jobs during the crisis? Apparently not an option for many, as the number of applications received by many companies dropped significantly. At the same time, however, many companies also stepped on the brakes in terms of recruiting. In many industries, far fewer job advertisements were published, and more personnel were cut than recruited.
The good news: the first shock seems to have passed
By now, however, it seems that we have overcome the first shock in recruiting. There are more applications again and the number of advertised positions is increasing, too. Digitization is gaining ground and most specialists are sought in the IT sector. This is the result of the latest employer surveys by the Institute for Competitive Recruiting, ICR. People are primarily sought in IT functions (54 percent), in sales (39 percent) and management (36 percent). Least of all in finance (24 percent) and services (19 percent).
At the end of March, the quick survey "Recruiting in Times of Corona" among about 10,000 companies showed that there were 17 percent fewer applicants at the beginning of the crisis, while the current PulsCheck at the end of April showed only 4 percent. Another positive aspect is that more and more companies are now using digital tools for their application processes.
5 steps to increase your employability in Germany right now
Even if large parts of the economy are still in crisis mode, or are only now slowly starting to operate again, now is exactly the right time to prepare for the next upswing by increasing your employability! The following 5 steps will hopefully help you to find your dream job in Germany!
1. Revise and optimize your application documents
I personally expect increased competition for attractive jobs in many areas. Therefore, it is now even more important to thoroughly review and revise your application documents.
Unfortunately, many international professionals only use a standard CV according to international standards for their application. These are then sent hundreds of times to all kinds of companies hoping that one or the other will respond. Unfortunately, this approach is not the way to go in Germany. If you want to find a good job in Germany, individuality is the key!
How German recruiter actually evaluates applications
Let me first give you a few notes on how German recruiters actually evaluate job applications.
It is said that on average, recruiters spend less than 1 minute for the first review of an application (some sources even state numbers just as low as 6 seconds!). I cannot judge whether theses number are accurate as a rule – the approach eventually differs from individual to individual. Nevertheless, I can also tell you from personal experience that the time is short!
For you, this means that your application must be convincing at first glance. Recruiters will first check whether all formal criteria have been met (address and contact person, spelling, completeness of documents, must-have qualifications). Furthermore, the CV is searched for specific keywords relevant to the job (job titles, degrees, soft/hard skills).
Finally, the overall impression of the documents determines whether HR will invest more time in your application. Clear, complete and visually appealing documents are definitely a big plus!
How an application in Germany should look like
In general, a job application in Germany is made up by 3 core elements:
CV
Motivation Letter
Attachments (e.g. reference letters, diplomas, certificates, ...)
I highly recommend including all of them! For some recruiters, missing documents are already a reason to reject your application.
Further optional attachments are:
Cover sheet
Application photo (either on your CV or on the cover sheet)
Copy of your working permit (if required)
Copy of your driving license (if required)
Copy of a criminal record certificate (if required)
How to structure your German CV
A good CV is essential in Germany as recruiters usually check it first when reviewing an application. In your CV, you can present your past experiences in a structured and clear way. Depending on the extent of your professional experience, I recommend using one to a maximum of three pages.
Please note: The CV should only give an overview so do not overload it with information!
So what should you include in your German CV?
Personal data:
Your CV needs to include your name, address, phone number and email address. You can optionally also include your date and place of birth, civil status, citizenship and information on your working permit or visa if applicable.
Professional experiences:
This is of course the key part of your German CV. In this part, you list all of your previous professional experiences starting with the latest one. Apart from the company name, your job title and the time period, don’t forget to give a brief overview of your tasks, responsibilities and achievements.
Education:
Recruiters are of course also interested in your educational background. In this section, you provide information on any degrees (university/high school/apprenticeships) you already obtained or which you are currently pursuing.
Further qualifications:
Don’t forget to also mention your language skills (including your mother tongue!), IT skills or professional trainings you participated in.
Hobbies/interests/social commitment:
In order to add a more personal note to your CV, you can include information on your hobbies, interests or social commitment.
An increasing amount of people also include a personal statement in their German CV. This is not mandatory but gives you another chance to add a personal note. However, in my point of view a personal statement can never replace a good application letter!
An individual application letter is key to win the job
Contrary to your CV, where you mainly focus on showing your professional qualifications, the aim of the application letter is to highlight your passion, motivation and personality. The goal is to convince the HR manager that you are the perfect candidate for the position.
Do not simply repeat what is already written in your CV! Instead, select suitable experiences and relate them to the requirements mentioned in the job description. Try to avoid standard phrases or online templates and show that you took the time to inform yourself about the company and its requirements.
As already mentioned, recruiters hardly have time to waste. So try to be as precise as possible – the application letter should not be longer than one page. Pay attention to readability when selecting the font size and line spacing. I also recommend aligning the design with your CV in order to give a uniform impression!
If you would like to have a professional recruiter assess your application documents or need help writing a convincing application, just send me a short message!
2. Expand your skillset through online courses
It is quite likely that application processes in many companies are currently halted or at least are taking longer. You should use this additional time to work on your skills set and thus increase your attractiveness for potential employers. You were planning to learn about machine learning, AI and Python for a long time? Or to analyze the latest trends in online marketing to further increase the performance of your campaigns in the future? Now is the time to do so!
There are plenty of good online platforms you can use. Check out Udemy, Coursera or LinkedIn Learning for example! You will find online courses on countless topics and for different levels there.
3. Revise and optimize your profiles on LinkedIn and Xing
Did you know that more and more companies are actively searching for suitable candidates themselves? Recruiters in professional networks such as LinkedIn or Xing use so-called active sourcing to target people with exciting profiles and try to pitch their open positions to them. This procedure is already common practice, especially in the IT sector and for executives. From the applicant's point of view, this is of course also nice, since you might be able to save yourself the effort of applying. But that only works with a convincing, easy to find profile!
It is particularly important that you...
...present your professional background as complete and detailed as possible
...specify all your skills (programming languages, language skills, procedures & processes) - these are the keywords recruiters are looking for
...use an appealing profile picture
...set your status to "Open for offers"
4. Improve your German language skills
Not surprisingly, German language skills will significantly increase your chances in the job market. Yes, there are actually also some English language jobs. But these are rare and therefore very much in demand. So don't rely too much on getting one of these few jobs and rather take things in your own hands! A level of B1 or higher will not only help you professionally: it will also make it much easier for you to build up a local social network, to integrate quickly into your new environment and to cope with the many administrative tasks without the need for help from others.
5. Practice job interviews
Another useful measure to increase your employability is to practice job interviews with other people in advance. Usually, an application process in German companies consists of the following steps:
Prequalification calls
Telephone/Video interviews
In-person interviews
Assessment Center (occasionally)
Familiarize yourself with the typical procedures, questions and tasks of all these interviews and practice them using role-plays. After all, even the best application won't work if you don't also convince personally. As with your application documents, avoid standard answers, be precise, use specific examples and let your personality flow into the process.
What are the long-term prospects for international professionals in Germany?
Of course, the current situation poses an enormous challenge for international applicants. Nevertheless, many experts agree that the corona crisis will not eliminate the shortage of skilled workers in Germany. As a high-tech country, Germany will continue to depend on qualified specialists from abroad, probably more than ever before. So make the best of the current situation, use the time to increase your employability and thus benefit from the next upswing in the job market - because it will certainly arrive!
About the Author
My name is Johannes and I support international professionals who want to work in Germany. I believe that all people, no matter where they come from, should have equal chances in competing for the best jobs.
Therefore, I share my experiences as a professional recruiter in a German company on apply-in-germany.de and provide you with useful resources to successfully enter the job market. Don't hesitate to reach out to me on LinkedIn or Xing - I'm looking forward to exchanging with you!
