This article will be useful to all those who want to learn more about what features of job search in Germany exist. My opinion is based on my experience in IT recruiting in Munich, as in the past I am an IT recruiter, and at the moment I am a career coach in Germany.
Of course, within the framework of one publication, it is almost impossible to highlight all the existing nuances of finding the desired position, and therefore I present to your attention only the most interesting of them, in my opinion. In order for skeptics to be relaxed and trusting in the information provided, I turned to Statista.de for verified statistics confirming my experience.
Let's marvel together!
1. How long does it take to wait for a response to a submitted resume in Germany
This is the most frequently asked question to me, "Should I call them back to find out the result of my resume?" My opinion was confirmed by the following statistics: 6% of respondents (6,589 applicants) waited for a response to the submitted resume for less than a week, close to 20% of respondents - 1-2 weeks, 30% waited for a response to the submitted resume for 3-4 weeks, 10% - 5-6 weeks, there were lucky ones who received an answer after 7-8 weeks - and this is only 3%. Further, the percentage decreases even more. I'm sure the statistics for the countries of the former CIS are no different.
As you can see, the answers are received mostly within a month. But to be honest, if I received an answer in two months, then the company would be on my personal blacklist due to the very low speed of processes. And how long does the whole process take then? What if I have time to grow old before I get the contract?
When I worked as a recruiter, I tried to give an answer to the applicant within 24 hours, because I could not afford to lose a good candidate. Indeed, in IT, recruiters are ready to fight for life and death for exclusive candidates. But there was one BUT, sometimes letters ended up in spam and then, finding them after a couple of days or even weeks, I called people and apologized. This was in line with my personal values and working rules. Therefore, a lot still depends on the specific recruiter. Let's not generalize!
2. How long do they wait in Germany for an invitation to an interview
Almost 57% of respondents waited two weeks for an invitation to an interview, and 15% only a week. Therefore, after submitting a resume, on average, it takes 1 to 2 weeks before you need to start preparing for an interview. If a specialist is really needed, and urgently, then each submitted resume is considered worth its weight in gold and the candidate you like is invited as soon as possible so as not to lose it. This is logical!
3. The intensity of sending a resume during a pandemic
More than 250 employers agreed that the number of resumes sent to the vacancy “decreased” and in some cases “significantly decreased” compared to the level before the crisis. Another 300 companies say the level has remained the same.
Guys, the activity of looking for a job in Germany has not increased, although there has been a wave of layoffs - look for a job more intensively right now, because this is a chance! Although there are fewer vacancies, there are no more competitors.
4. Competencies on the basis of which you are invited for an interview
Here, first sit down so as not to fall, and then read on.
The leading criterion is information on teamwork skills , more than 46% of employers are looking primarily for confirmation that the applicant is a team player. This applies to the IT sphere. Communication skills are equally important (44%), followed by the ability to solve problems (36%).
The employer will also appreciate the information about your achievements and the facts that you are constantly developing (31%). The technologies you have worked with are only next in the ranking (24%). As you can see, the idea “it is better not to hire a good specialist than to hire a bad employee” has become more and more popular! At German HR conferences, it is repeatedly said that the ideal employee is a person who is able to move the team further and is able to remain self-effective without external motivation (category A employees). And the most interesting thing is that even from a person's resume, you can estimate how much he belongs to this category.
5. How much time does a recruiter spend on average looking at one resume
For me, this was not a shocking fact, since I myself worked this way, but for many it will surprise many: the assessment of a resume takes an average of 43 seconds .
What does this mean to you? Make your resume so that in those 43 seconds the recruiter will find something that will pique their interest.
I will also add that the more experienced the recruiter, the faster he can scan the resume, since the selection criteria for the position are well known to him and he knows what to look for first.
6. Which of the documents you sent have what weight
The most important role is played by the resume itself (68% of recruiters take it into account), many recruiters are more influenced by a motivation letter (22%), but only 10% of respondents focus on recommendations.
What does this mean? If you have no recommendations, do not despair - send your resume, but in such a way that you don't have a chance to get rejected.
By the way, job seekers in Germany consider the most difficult in the entire job search process to draw up a motivation letter for a resume. Does that sound familiar to you too? In my opinion, this can be the most creative part of your job search, if you take the process with enthusiasm.
7. Errors in the resume
68% of companies believe that a mistake in a resume is not a problem if it is only a single mistake, otherwise it is unacceptable. 32% of respondents believe that mistakes can be forgiven if a person wrote a resume in a language other than their native language.
There may not be a second chance to send your resume without an error! So give the clean copy of your resume to someone for proofreading. Moreover, this applies to the text in English or German.
8. Resume format
56% of surveyed recruiters prefer to receive a resume in a classic style. 39% of recruiters consider EuropassCV the most unattractive.
The classic style is a resume with photo and contact information, which is broken down into standard simple blocks - first work experience, starting with the last one, then education, strengths and hobbies. However, taking into account the points described above, I always advise you to add interesting and useful information about yourself to the recruiter in the context of "Briefly about me" ("Kurzprofil", "Über mich"), "My professional goal" ("Mein Berufsziel") or like that.
By the way, according to other statistics, 36% of respondents love a resume in a graphic (creative) style, showing the individual's personality. I join this number of specialists.
9. CV without photo
This is true today is part of the trend that came to us from the United States, but experts say that it will not take root in Germany and Europe. I think so, if your appearance is your advantage, do not hesitate to add a photo (a special photo for a resume, taken by a professional).
55% of respondents say that a resume without a photo is also an option, but better with it, but for 45% of employers it turned out to be very important. Other statistics show that 45% of recruiters surveyed consider it inappropriate to have a photo on a resume wearing inappropriate clothes, in the form of selfies and vacation photos.
10. "Holes" in the resume or how long you can not work so as not to spoil your resume
Based on data from Statista.de, a career break for a variety of reasons is considered acceptable in the range of 12 to 24 months. But many of you, of course, understand that it depends on the specific area of work and what you were doing at that time. I don’t want to offend anyone, but very often a big “hole” in the resume plays not in favor of the candidate. Here convincing facts will be needed to explain the situation - almost all of the respondents agreed on this.
I'm sure I was able to answer many of your questions.
As a recruiter with a bright and successful past, and now a personal and career coach, I believe that the success of the “Job Search in Germany” company depends on a number of factors, many of which you can influence. You can have an excellent resume, but not get through the interview because of your ill will, or you can be an infinitely pleasant person, but not show it on your resume. We are different and we have different abilities and skills in presenting our strengths. For some it is relatively easy to find a job and a place in the sun, while others make a titanic effort. However, I believe that everything can be learned.
I wish you every success in achieving your career goals!