Curriculum Vitae, Job-Interview

Curriculum Vitae

· Your C.V. should be separated in ‘personal facts', 'education', 'job-experience'.
· 60% job, 30% education, 10% personal. As beginner you should write: education 80%, private 20%.
· Don’t write about normal, personal hobbies (reading, swimming, football, etc.).
· First your birth date, -place and family-status
· No dates of wedding, names of children, etc.
· No names or jobs of your parents.
· School, high school, university with degree and final result.
· Time of military service.
· There should be no „holes“ in your c.v. You can write “June 2003 travelling to ...“ or so.
· No pictures from photo-machines!
· Go to a professional photograph.
· Cloth yourself for the picture like you would go to the company and introduce yourself.


to select the job offers:

· Does this job fit to your aims?
· Do you know the company?
· Are you fit for this job/position?
· Can you ask a friend or someone about this company?


How to introduce / to talk to foreigners?

If you got an invitation for the work interview you had a great success! You can present yourself personally!

Preparing:

· Get many information about the company, read papers, see website, …
· Plan exactly how to come to the company. Which route, which subway ? Be in time!
· In some European companies you will be asked which salary you expect. Think about this monthly, yearly.


Questions you should ask to your maybe-employer:

· Questions on the company.
· Questions to your position
· Questions to the possible career in the company.
· Questions to salary, training, holydays, ...etc.


Questions from your interviewer:

· Tell us about the main points of your education, your job experience.
· What are your positive points?
· What are your weak points ?
· What kind of work or things do you hate?
· How do you react if you have stress?
· What do you know about the company?
· Why did you look for a job in our company?
· Why should we employ you?
· What would you do first if you start working in our company?
· What would you change if you could start your life new?
· What will you do in 15 or 20 years?


Sometimes questions can be provoking or unfair:

· Why did you clothe like this?
· Do you think that your necktie is nice?
· Why are you so nervous?
· Do you think that you can find a job with your kind of c.v.?


Your appearance

· No new clothes!!! No fashion-experiments. No strong coloured neckties. No white socks. Your interview partner shall look in your face, not at your clothes
· Maybe you can ask prior someone in the company what to wear. A lot of European managers prefer casual clothes
· Be in time!
· Say “Hallo” to the guard, the secretary, other employees
· If you have to wait bring a newspaper with you.

Interview

· Most important are the first 10 seconds when you enter the room. Smile! Look to your partner! Don’t wait at the door. Go slowly in his direction. Normally he will shake your hands (also women!!!). Then wait to be placed.
· This is your show! If your partner don’t asks so much than you can talk or ask. Ask questions with how?, when?, where?, who?, what? Show that you are interested!
· The rule: 70% speak and 30% hear.
· Ask if you are allowed to note some points of the interview.


Body language

· Be open. Don’t close your arms. Build no barriers on your desk in front of (like books, coffee-cup, …).
· Look up, almost in the face of your partner. Don’t look down on the desk, on your feet or on your pencil.
· Try to sit relaxed and try to sit like your partner. Both feet on the ground! Don’t move your hands very often.

The result

· Don’t leave the room without some remarks on the interview. Tell the interviewer that you liked the interview. Tell him that you would like to work in this company, that this job is interesting for you.
· Ask your interviewer what he/she is thinking about this interview
· Say “Good bye” to all people which you meet in the room, at the floor, at the door.