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Before I apply to anything...

 
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sohniye



Joined: 15 Mar 2011
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:47 pm    Post subject: Before I apply to anything... Reply with quote

Hello,

I will apologize in advance because I feel like I have asked a similar question here in the past.

Stats: US citizen, MA in Education, qualified but not registered with my state to teach prmary-secondary students. English, Spanish and German speaker. One year's experience.

I am not interested in teaching in an ESL environment but rather an international school.

My question is about how to best present myself to prospective employers. What does the typical German resume look like? How many pages? Does it include pictures? Does anyone have any examples?

I have an electronic resume-website that is split up into sections. If anyone wants to take a peek at it, I can PM the url.

Danke:D
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thought you were on your way to Russia?
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sohniye



Joined: 15 Mar 2011
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

spiral78 wrote:
thought you were on your way to Russia?


I hope that is the case!

...But when you have gone through and done everything your prospective employer has asked you to do---an inevitable visa snafu hits and they accuse you of having a faulty passport on purpose and you find your job advertised on the internet overnight...you start wondering. Shocked

Horrible.
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artemisia



Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 875
Location: the world

PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Try googling "Lebenslauf Muster" (or Lebenslauf Beispiel). You'll get images of various examples. Here are a couple of websites that give you basic tips:
http://www.berufswahl-tipps.de/lebenslauf-muster.htm

http://www.bewerbung-tipps.com/lebenslauf.php
"Der Lebenslauf sollte mit Computer oder Schreibmaschine geschrieben werden. Der Umfang erstreckt sich auf ein bis maximal zwei Seiten. Zus�tzlich kann ein Deckblatt angelegt werden, welches Ihre pers�nlichen Angaben und das Bewerbungsfoto beinhaltet".

Hope it all works out for you.
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sohniye



Joined: 15 Mar 2011
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you guys, this does help quite a bit. Very Happy

Are there any 100% absolute pitfalls to avoid that an American teacher such as myself needs to avoid when applying to German jobs?
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artemisia



Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 875
Location: the world

PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

None that I can think of!

I don't know if you plan to go ahead with going to Russia. Despite the passport difficulties you've had, it would probably be easier given the limitations of being without an EU member passport. I take it you are aware of those restrictions: Schengen zone legislation and the difficulties of offering non EU passport holders employment in Western Europe?

Your subject line suggests you haven't applied for anything yet. I think you plan to target international schools but are there any vacancies that you're going to apply for? Have you made any contact with any international schools in Germany and got information from them? I don't think it's easy to get work with them, even with an EU passport.

I don't wish to be negative about your chances, and you may have been offered the possibility of work for all I know, I just think you should be aware that the competition these days is pretty much cut-throat. Everyone wants those jobs and there are a lot of qualified and experienced teachers around. It doesn't mean a school won't be interested in you but if it were me, I'd definitely want to test the waters before arriving in Germany. It doesn't hurt to have a resume ready and you might want to give it a try as a freelancer in Germany as well, though I suggest you read recent threads here first.
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JN



Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Posts: 214

PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 6:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have just been kind of curious as to why you would want a Lebenslauf if you are applying to international schools. (You don't actually have to respond to that statement.) I am sure they would want a CV. Some, of course, may want it with a picture, but I can't really say exactly.
Yes, I'd say it is difficult to get into an international school, but soon they should be advertising for jobs that will be open this fall.
I would assume they would look at EU citizens first, but I do have a non-EU friend that works at a school here. He is also a non-native English speaker, but he has had years of teaching experience in various countries and speaks excellent English.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll third the idea that there are not an abundance of job openings at either the international school or university level in Germany. It's also true that any such school that hires you will have to argue to the authorities that you have some qualification that none of the EU member citizen candidates for the job had, in order to get you the exceptional visa required to work in such positions.

I've worked in a university on the border with Germany on and off for about seven years now. We have partner universities in Germany, and some of our staff are German and work on projects in the country. Basically, I know quite a few people who work in the country at levels above private language schools.

Overall, the job market is very tight. Advertised openings are often advertised only to fulfill the legalities- there is often already a candidate chosen (I mean, apply anyway - who knows - but don't be discouraged if you get little/no response as it's entirely possible that the job wasn't really 'open' to begin with). Vast majority of openings are filled by someone local who has local connections. Some proficiency in the German language is nearly always a requirement as well; that would be an advantage for you - you speak German, you said, right? I'd be sure to highlight to what level you can do this on a CV (CEF B2 and up will help your chances a bit).

It's much easier overall to find a job in Russia, though getting a visa may be more hassle Smile

If it were me, I'd apply to whatever openings I could find for Germany, but I'd extend my job search to other regions as well. This one is a bit of a long shot.
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sohniye



Joined: 15 Mar 2011
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 8:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello everyone,

Thanks once again for the abundance of advice. Very Happy

I am asking these sort of questions with long term goals in mind. Perhaps in two to three years time a move to Germany is within reason. In the meantime I hope to do very well in Russia, perfect my German and generally enjoy life.

I agree, I can see from what is advertised, and that 90% of the time EU citizenship is required. That being said, I have a friend who in the same degree program as I and with an Australian passport is now teaching in Germany. I believe it could happen...but it's much harder.

I have kind of a dumb question for Spiral or anyone else who might know CEF B2....I know of this scale but is there any formal test I could take to prove to a prospective employer my level of German profiency?

Also when is the standard hiring season for new German jobs?

Thanks everyone Very Happy
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artemisia



Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 875
Location: the world

PostPosted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 1:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As you've studied German, you must surely be aware of the courses offered by the Goethe Institute? Their scale corresponds to the European framework and they offer a range of tests.
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sohniye



Joined: 15 Mar 2011
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

artemisia wrote:
As you've studied German, you must surely be aware of the courses offered by the Goethe Institute? Their scale corresponds to the European framework and they offer a range of tests.


Oh yes, thank you for reminding me! I remember checking this out when I was considering German language teacher certification. I think it might be worth really getting a handle on grammar for about a year and then giving the test a go in summer.
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ioamosalerno



Joined: 09 Aug 2011
Posts: 40
Location: Belgium

PostPosted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 4:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

some places might prefer a Europass CV...... personally I don't like them, but I had to make one for a few places.
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sohniye



Joined: 15 Mar 2011
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ioamosalerno wrote:
some places might prefer a Europass CV...... personally I don't like them, but I had to make one for a few places.


I have never heard of this, sounds interesting! Do you have an example? Very Happy
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JN



Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Posts: 214

PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Try this:

http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/home;jsessionid=2F1C96966FE7E447962B00A0BFF482B3.wpcnew
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sohniye



Joined: 15 Mar 2011
Posts: 90

PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 11:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JN wrote:
Try this:

http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/home;jsessionid=2F1C96966FE7E447962B00A0BFF482B3.wpcnew


Thanks JN Very Happy
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