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How to find a job in Germany: 20 tips for a successful video interview

How to find a job in Germany: 20 tips for a successful video interview

How to find a job in Germany: 20 tips for a successful video interview 

How to find a job in Germany: 20 tips for a successful video interview 

by Karin Singh 02/04/2018

Imagine … a Hiring Manager from a well-known company has invited you to a Skype interview for next week. How to find a job in Germany as a foreigner was always a struggle for you. But now you have this feeling, that landing an English speaking job in that country is possible.

How would you feel: confident or poorly prepared? You might have already experienced once – or even multiple times – how it is to answer typical interview questions and answers in a face- to-face job interview. But what about attending a virtual job interview via Skype?

If you are wondering why companies are choosing this type of interview, it’s simple: it saves them time and money, involves less admin work, gives them also an idea on how you cope with IT tools and allows them to interview (and visually see) people from across the world no matter where they reside.

 

The question now is: How can YOU get prepared for the Skype interview in an effective way? Here my tips (some of them can also be found in my eBook “44 Tips for a successful Video Interview).

 

# 1 – Don’t think that an interview via Skype is the same as going for a face-to-face interview. You still need to act in a professional way – at all times – and need to make some additional technical adjustments.

# 2 – Do your research and try to find out as much as possible about the interview procedure (how long it will last, who is going to be involved, etc.) But not just that. Do your research also on the following: the company, the interview partner(s), the job position and the company’s competitors. The more knowledgeable you are, the more confident you will feel and act.

# 3 – Don’t underestimate the importance of choosing the right location. If the interview is held from your home, choose a quiet room, that is safe, well-lit and has a good reception. Avoid cafés since they can be very noisy and distracting. Your car might also not be the best place to consider for this situation. Show that you take this job seriously, and leave a positive, professional impression by choosing the right location!

# 4 – Make sure your technical equipment is working and test it before using it (your computer/mobile phone/tablet, your webcam and microphone). Since Skype is working with all major operating systems, and also has a webcam test feature, it will enable you to be seen and heard. Please note: Should the Hiring Manager choose another platform (instead of Skype) make sure you have downloaded and tested the respective software.

# 5 – Unsure about what background would be best? I would suggest you keep it blank. Seeing a mess, does not leave a great impression and showing your library, your trophies, your TV, your wardrobe, paintings etc. might look nice, but can also be distracting. So, make sure that the interviewer is fully focused on YOU and nothing else.

# 6 – Lighting makes a difference. Depending on the time of the interview, ensure that you have sufficient light. Indirect light in front of your face (which does not come from behind you) would be best. Choosing the wrong light might make you look older or might not show your face properly due to the shadow on your face.

# 7 – Frame yourself properly so that your entire head and shoulders are visible. Check the angle in advance so that later you don’t have to think about it. Your camera lens should be clean and free of any smudges. It can be very distractive to the other person.

# 8 – Invest in an external camera and microphone, if you really want to leave a highly professional impression and take your job search to the next level. Unfortunately, built-in microphones and cameras are not always of high quality on several devices. (Should you consider creating videos or podcasts at a later stage, these additional tools can surely be beneficial).

# 9 – Check your internet connection’s speed and during the interview remember to close all applications which might consume unnecessary bandwidth. By the way, how would you feel if suddenly the connection is lost, because the battery has not been sufficiently charged? Take care of that too!

# 10 – Prepare some smart questions, because that shows your motivation, commitment and genuine interest in the job and company. Write them down so that you have them easily at hand. Still wondering how to find a job in Germany as a foreigner and successfully conducting a Skype interview? Keep reading.

# 11 – Rehearse your interview with a friend via screen. That will make you feel more at ease and generally more confident throughout the process.

# 12 – Wear professional business attire and be groomed as you would be in a face-to-face interview. (For ladies only: don’t overdo it with your make-up). You might want to avoid the colour white. For two reasons: If you are Caucasian you might look pale, and it would conflict with your background too, if that is also white.

# 13 – Keep all your career-related documents and your calendar handy. If you need some information or need to schedule a follow-up interview, you can easily do it.

# 14 – Keep a glass of water (no alcohol!) nearby so that your mouth is not getting too dry in case the interview turns out to be lengthy.

# 15 – This is very important! You should keep eye contact by looking straight into the camera (it’s like looking in the recruiter’s eyes!) and NOT watching yourself on the monitor (which will look as if you want to avoid eye-contact!). By the way, you can stick some key points on the wall behind your camera (like a little cheat sheet), that might help you to answer questions that you might find tricky. If you do it smartly, nobody will notice.

# 16 – Pay attention to your body language and your smiles (don’t be too serious, but also not smile or laugh too much).

# 17 – Keep your mobile phone switched off.

# 18 – Be punctual and start the interview on time.

# 19 – Let everyone around you know, that you do NOT want to be disturbed during your interview.

# 20 – Be fully focused on the interview, don’t google typical interview questions and answers during the conversation and disregard incoming live notifications from your friends. Show that when it comes to getting an English speaking job, you are a candidate who is professional and takes their career seriously. 

 

If you want to find out more tips on how to conduct a successful video interview, you can check out my eBook here.

 

Karin Schroeck-Singh’s passion lies in creating, translating and promoting content of high-quality in multiple languages (English, German, Italian). She holds an MBA from the University of Leicester (UK) and is the author of several ebooks. She gained more that 20 years of international work experience in various industries in Italy, the UK and India. Helping businesses to optimise their online presence is her priority, no client or project is too big or too small for her.

Stop worrying. Start outsourcing! www.hirekarin.com

Karin Schroeck-Singh

www.hirekarin.com

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How to Rave Your Best Fit Future Job

How to Rave Your Best Fit Future Job

How to Rave Your Best Fit Future Job – Guiding Questions

by Iris Clermont 09/03/2018

To strengthen your clarity about your big future job picture.

To sharpen your magnifier view for your future job expectations.

To focus on the impact you intend to add to the industry.

with the overall benefit to find your best job fit fast and easy.

 

Part 1: High level helicopter perspective over your future job:

What attracts you thinking about your future job and thinking about the currently existing market situation?

What plays a key role for you when thinking about your future job from a helicopter or from a distant and relaxing mountain view?

 

Part 2: Closer magnifiers look to your values and strengths:

What are your TOP 3 values (reliability, honesty, security, freedom, efficiency… please find an example value list from the following link http://corevalueslist.com, which need to be met for your future job?

What are your TOP 3 strengths (maximizer, achiever, activator, innovator, futuristic…, example link: Gallup 34 strengths http://www.strengthstest.com/strengths-finder-themes)?

 

Part 3: Closer magnifier look to your best job fit:

What kind of company (small, middle, large size, startup…) attracts you most?

What industries (car, chemistry, telecom, health, travel…, example list of industries link: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/industries/) interest you most?

What kind of job (line manager, project manager, freelancer, consultant CEO, Account, finance, research, product, human resources, marketing…) fits best to your values, strengths, experiences and skills?

How do you describe an optimal team you want to be part of?

What is the concrete impact you want to add for the company, for your future clients and shareholders with your experiences, skills, values and strengths?

 

Part 4: Completion and Way Forward questions:

What are now, after looking at your job expectations from different perspectives, your TOP 3 best job fits?

What are the open questions regarding your future the best fit job?

Who or what can help you to find responses for your open questions?

What are your next 3 concrete steps towards your future career?   

 

Please feel free to use the online anonymous questionnaire open till 31. March 2017:

https://www.einfacheumfrage.de/RespWeb/Qn.aspx?EID=2237879

The outcome will be anonymously shared in one of the next articles.

 

Congratulations for your time that you invested for your future career.  I wish you great success with your best fit future job. You are more than welcome to contact me: info@aiccoaching.com and send me your insights, comments and questions.

For your consideration: You can create an impact with your decisions and actions, with your ideas, your strategy thoughts and targets.

Creating an impact is your everyday’s own choice.

 

by Iris Clermont 09/03/2018

Iris Clermont University graduated in mathematics and international professional Certified Coach with 25 years of Coaching and Consulting Projects in 20 countries for 30 international companies and author of Team Magic ISBN-10: 1905823959. You will find numerous references from her webpage: http://www.aic-coaching.com/about-me/references.html

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10 Signs of a Millennial-Friendly Company

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10 Signs of a Millennial-Friendly Company

by Karin Singh 27/02/2018

The firms with the best company culture are those that recognise the signs of the times. They know about the importance of developing a millennial-friendly strategy when it comes to hiring the best employees. How can a person spot a millennial-friendly company? Job seekers should look out for these 10 signs when looking for the best company culture.

 

  # 1 – The company’s competitiveness.

Does the company make any efforts to leave an impression of competitiveness? Are modern methods used to feature job ads? Can the company be found on LinkedIn? Is it listed on Glassdoor and does it have a great reputation? Are great additional perks offered, are salaries updated regularly and what do other people say about the company?

 

 # 2 –  The company’s culture.

Does the company have a corporate culture in which productivity, innovation and good will are at the forefront? Can you spot any signs in job ads or on social media platforms that give some hints about it?

 

 # 3 – The company’s hierarchy.

Does the company have a flat hierarchy? As a millennial, you know that you don’t like to be treated like a subordinate. 

 

 # 4 – Appreciation is credited.

Does the management team give any indication on whether employees are respected, appreciated and acknowledged? Look out for hints and confirmations that this is the case, e.g. in job ads, corporate videos, comments on Glassdoor etc.

 

 # 5 – The work environment.

Are the offices laid out in such a way that they lead to higher productivity and engagement? Are there any offices in which collaboration is encouraged or is every employee locked up in their own office? Let’s bear in mind that 88 % of millennials prefer to work in an environment in which social exchange is easily possible.

 

 # 6 – The career and growth opportunities.

Does the company offer an attractive salary, but does not provide any other learning, growth and career opportunities? Earning a good salary is important, but not the most important thing! The companies with the best company culture are those that are prepared to invest in their employees and support their development. They allow their staff to develop themselves further on a personal as well as professional level. Let’s not forget that for millennials the main reason to change job is a lack of career opportunities.

 

 # 7 – Regular feedback.

Do supervisors provide regular feedback regarding their employees’ performances? Recently a study revealed that 80 % of millennials expect to receive regular feedback from their managers.

 

# 8 – The casual corporate dress code.

Millennials don’t appreciate having to turn up for work every day in formal business attire. Not all employers have adapted to this scenario yet, but this often depends on the type of industry. It would be a good idea to look for pictures on the internet and in job ads which might give a hint on what dress code might be considered as appropriate.

 

# 9 – IT equipment.

Are software and hardware fully up to date? Millennials are very IT and internet savvy, it is therefore of paramount importance for a company to be at the technical cutting edge.

 

# 10 – Meaningful work.

A study conducted by Deloitte revealed that for 60 % of millennials salary is not their first priority. They want instead to carry out meaningful work which meets a specific purpose. The signs of firms with the best company culture are those that offer opportunities for volunteering, support of others in community projects, etc.

 

The more information you are able to find out from the best employers with a millennial-friendly approach, the easier it will be for you to land your dream job at the right company.

 

Karin Schroeck-Singh’s passion lies in creating, translating and promoting content of high-quality in multiple languages (English, German, Italian). She holds an MBA from the University of Leicester (UK) and is the author of several ebooks. She gained more that 20 years of international work experience in various industries in Italy, the UK and India. Helping businesses to optimise their online presence is her priority, no client or project is too big or too small for her.

Stop worrying. Start outsourcing! www.hirekarin.com

Karin Schroeck-Singh

www.hirekarin.com

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How to Find the Right Job-Fit: The Key Lies Inside of Us!

How to Find the Right Job-Fit: The Key Lies Inside of Us!

How to Find the Right Job-Fit: The Key Lies Inside of Us!

Understand your Motivation and Style

How to find your future job? You don’t need a career quiz to find the right answer! Keep it simple, start with yourself! Look into your past or present and try to find and formulate your style, motivations, needs and goals first. What were those college projects or extracurricular activities that really excited you and when you had the feeling that you achieved something or made an impact onto others? In those particular situations how were you able to contribute to a successful outcome: was it through your focus and discipline, or was it through your intellectual or analytical input? How were you able to promote and convince others to join you in your endeavour? Were those people that you were already close to from before or were those people that you hadn’t known (well) before? Those questions might give you already a good clue on how you get things done: are you dominantly a doer who is able to work independently? Are you a thinker who likes to understand the processes first before starting the task? Are you someone who can easily convince others to join and work together on projects and tasks or do you feel more comfortable if you are paired up with a person that you can relate to? If you are still clueless or you want to be sure, Gallup’s StrengthsFinder 2.0 Online Assessment (a professional career quiz) will help you to establish a reliable description of your dominantly used talents that ultimately define your working style and motivation.

Be able to articulate your Values

From here you will also be able to articulate your needs: what work environment can trigger your being at your best? I am not talking about a good salary, benefits and other incentives but more about what you as an individual need from a self-actualized point of view such as the values that you have grown up with and that have helped you to operate within certain moral limits in a productive way.

Knowing and being able to point out your non-negotiable core values will provide you a tool that you can use to align with people around you. Think especially of your relationships with old friends and/or partner. Once you are clear about your principles and values such as honesty, trust, finance, loyalty, family, health etc., you will be able to align it with the organisation that you are looking to spend most of your time with. However, if you cannot find an intersection within those, which is very unlikely, a long term work engagement is probably the next step.

Find Your Meaning

Last but not the least, going through this exercise will bring you closer to a recap of your personal goals. These are much deeper than material goals like owning your own villa, buying a sports car and having your first million on your bank account. Being able to discover and embrace these goals will enable you to define true happiness and meaning in life. Once you come to an understanding that your style, needs and motivation are very much steered by your innate behaviour and your perception of the world, you will then realise that you have a very unique edge on how to contribute to the whole. If you have doubts, just ask your friends about your typical features. They will for sure point out the things that they find very special about you! If you understand your purpose and how valuable you are to the society you live and work in, then you will be able to see how you can be part of something bigger than just thinking of your own immediate needs and wants.

Once you are clear about all of those components style, motivation, needs and goal or in other words your Strengths, Core Values and Meaning, you know how to find your future job and that’s the time when you can pick the list of companies that you are interested in. You can then do your online research, inquire from friends who work there and maybe during the job interview ask the manager about their Corporate Vision, Purpose and Core Values and her working style in order for you to match your “personal shopping list”.

 

by Alexander Wollboldt 09/02/2018

Alex Wollboldt is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), – Consultant (CMC) and Gallup Strengths Coach and has a decade of corporate professional history as Finance Head and Director in manufacturing and service industries in different locations such as Germany, Japan and the Philippines. He is a founding partner at Wissen Solomon, a business consultancy that provides businesses through consulting and coaching expertise in the area of digitization, marketing, finance, operations and organizational development. Alex also acts as co-director for OSG Global Consultancy taking care of various areas involving private equity investments, financial advisory, M&A mostly in the Philippines and other South East Asian countries.

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Getting Started on LinkedIn

Getting Started on LinkedIn

Getting Started on LinkedIn

Getting Started on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one the the best business platforms available. It is a great place to establish yourself as an expert in your field, to grow your influence, to improve your employee branding, and most importantly, to attract clients or headhunters and recruiters from the top employers in your industry.

If you are simply looking at your LinkedIn account as just another social networking site like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, then you are most likely missing out on some great opportunities for yourself and/or your business.

Here are my top three tips to help you start getting the most out of your LinkedIn profile.

 

Complete Your LinkedIn Profile

This is all the information you need to complete your LinkedIn Profile:

– Profile photo*, Location and Industry

– Education

– Experience

– Current work position / job title

– Past positions

– Skills

– A few connections

Simple, right?

Well, apparently not.

Yes, you read that right, “half.”

So go ahead and fill-out those simple details and you just got ahead of the game. Of course, don’t stop there. Find time to fill-out the rest of the sections too, like certifications, volunteering experience, projects and a lot more.

* Please use a professional looking profile photo. Sure, some tech geniuses have very informal photos but you are not one of them yet, so let’s keep it safe for now.

 

Fill Summary with the Right Content

The Summary Section is one of the most important sections on your LinkedIn Profile and it must be filled with the right information.

By this, I do not just mean the right details about your experience. It is also not simply writing in an interesting way. By right content, I am really talking about the right keywords. No matter how beautifully written your Summary is, it will not matter if the relevant people cannot find your profile in their searches.

So, yes, be as eloquent as you want to be, but make sure that you also use the keywords that is relevant to your industry.

 

Create Content

Touch screen devices (mobile phones and tablets) has encouraged society to be good at consuming content and information. There’s nothing wrong with this per se. However, a wise man once told me that, if you want to stand out you want to be one of those few sharing your valuable and interesting content.

Now, I am not suggesting that you need to become a blogger to stand out. However, it would be good for you to publish something every couple of weeks.

Yes, I meant to say *something* instead of article because there are different types of content that you can create and share:

  • Your own article. Tough to do if you are not a natural writer but the best as far as building credibility as an expert.
  • Sharing a link to an article. It helps to include your own thoughts and insights from the article.
  • A favourite quote on a relevant topic.
  • Comment on articles shared by others on your network, especially influencers.

Time To Get Started

I hope this helped you get started with your LinkedIn profile and in finding that best company that will be a perfect fit for you.

Stay tuned as I will be sharing more tips in future articles.

 

by Ryan Salvanera 06/02/2018

Ryan Salvanera is the co-founder and chief tech guy of Wissen Solomon, a consulting firm that aims to create abundance through the empowerment and growth of MSMEs. Ryan is also a personal coach at Coach Rye and specializes in coaching high-performing leaders and entrepreneurs.
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How to uncover tricks to find jobs in a new city?

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How to uncover tricks to find jobs in a new city

How to uncover tricks to find jobs in a new city?

by Talentese Team 19/01/2018

Finding a job in a new city is always a challenge. If you’ve made your decision to move, then you must start considering all possible options to gain employment at your new chosen location. The trick while applying for out-of-town jobs is to be upfront that you’re planning to shift within a specified time frame. Address your viability as a good candidate on the basis of past experience and educational qualifications. Always remember that the hiring manager or recruiter must be comfortable to trust your authenticity in relocating to the new town.

If you’re wondering how to find a job before moving, then let us assist you with some tips to ease your worries.

 

Start your job search early

Ideally, you should start doing research on how to find a job before moving and look for various employment options available in the new city before you shift. Start by updating your resume to fit the specifications needed in your chosen geography by speaking to a local career guidance counselor. Next step would be to gather a few trusted references to use in case your chosen employer requires a background and reference check.

 

Sign up for jobs online

Whenever you are relocating to a new city, always sign up for jobs available in that location. You will get alerts when new jobs are posted that fit your search criteria. This way, you will be able to apply for jobs pertaining to your specifications directly with your chosen employers. You should also seek assistance from career guidance counselors specific to your area of specialization. Seeking career counseling for experienced professionals will also put you on the path to receiving alerts as soon as a new job is listed with the counselor or recruiter.

 

Meet recruiters personally

Take the time out to visit your new location, and meet recruiters and HR professionals personally. You could also contact local recruitment firms and set up meetings beforehand. This shows your dedication towards your shift and will also create a favorable impression with the chosen companies or recruitment firms.

 

Target specific companies

If you targeting companies you would like to work with, start by applying to them directly. Always mention (in your cover letter) that you are shifting to their location on a specific date or within a time frame. Write friendly, open cover letters, and whenever possible, speak directly to the HR in your target company. Introduce yourself, explain your position, and let them know when you would be visiting so that you can meet them personally.  If you’re unsure of how to do this, seek career counseling for experienced professionals to ease your worries.

 

Update your LinkedIn profile

Once you have decided on your chosen city, update your LinkedIn profile location so that recruiters have a chance to view your validity. This also helps recruiters who prefer hiring through online job portals and view profiles according to geography and pin code. You could also join LinkedIn groups that are specific to your new location. Many times, headhunters and recruiters directly post jobs in specific groups to meet their selection criteria.

 

Reach out to existing connections

If you know anyone who lives in your chosen city, then reach out to them and reconnect to let them know you are planning to shift. Let your friends, family, professional, and personal connections know that you are planning a move. Even if they are not able to help directly, they might be able to connect you to someone who might be able to assist you with your job search. You can also do this by speaking to a career guidance counselor who specializes in cross country or international relocations.

 

Ask for a transfer

In case you work for a company that has multiple branches or offices, you could speak to your superiors to transfer or get you a relevant position in the new city within the existing organization. Simultaneously, you could also ask if they would allow you to work remotely at your current job and only travel for important meetings and conferences.

 

Don’t rely on relocation expenses

Many employers reject candidates simply because there are relocation expenses involved. If you are shifting to a higher job or package, your new employers might offer relocation expenses, but this is a rarity. Unless you are confident in your background and abilities, offer to pay for relocation expenses on your own. Many times, this is the deciding factor for recruiting out-of-town candidates. If you are uncertain of how to broach this discussion, speak to a career coach and receive advice to ease this difficult discussion.

 

Don’t shy away from Temporary or Contract positions

If you are unable to secure permanent positions, do not hesitate to accept contract/temporary positions since this will give you ample time to continue your job search while taking care of relocation and settling expenses. At the end of your term, it will also give you the credibility to apply for new jobs within your new location to gain permanent employment. Get career advice to understand the pros and cons of this shift in greater detail.

Use these tips to broaden your job search and apply to jobs in a new city. Remain flexible and keep all your options open as you start your job search. Visit the new city as often as you can, so that you can start networking and building newer connections.

by Talentese Team 19/01/2018

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