Job Applications in English - What to keep in Mind & CV Template

Are you interested in pursuing a career at an international company? Not being confined to one country and interacting with many different cultures certainly does sound appealing, yes?

 

To get a job at such companies, you usually have to apply in English. However, simply slapping your resume into a translator isn't enough. There are actually a few differences you should be aware of. These are usually just minor points, but making 20 of them (hypothetically!) is not a good look either.

 

So, what should you keep in mind?

 

 

 

Formalities in the Cover Letter

Once you decide to write an English cover letter - or if it is even required by the company - the following applies: adapt to the standards of British or American English.

 

Date

The periods are omitted here. For example, 03.03.2023 becomes 03 March 2023 or 3rd Mar 2023.

Subject

It's important to state the job title again here.

Salutation & Closing

It shouldn't be "Yo, what's good gang," lol. The most common salutation is "Dear Mr/Ms Name" or "Dear Sir or Madam" or "Dear Recruiter/Hiring Manager" if you don't know the person's name.

You can close with "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely." You can use a comma after this or not, although a comma is widely accepted and expected.

 

In the United Kingdom, by the way, they call a CV a resume.

 

 

Date

This is where things get a little tricky. Americans swap the month for the day. March 3, 2023 isn't the best example of this, lol. March 4, 2023 becomes "03-04-2023" or "March 3, 2023" if you want to avoid any misunderstandings.

Subject

For US applications, you don't need to include a subject.

Salutation & Closing

Here's the formal version, similar to the UK version. The only difference is that you use a period and a colon. It looks like this: "Dear Ms./Mr. Name:" or "Dear Sir or Madam:".

At the end, you can also use the previous formatting, but keep the comma, like this: "Yours sincerely."

 

In the US, a CV is called a resume. By the way, if you have a sponsored visa, it is also a good idea to mention this in your cover letter.

 

 

Resume

There are also some differences here compared to German resumes.

The standard information, such as contact details, personal profile, work experience, education, skills, hobbies, and references, are of course a must.

 

By the way, to structure your resume well, you can use the order mentioned above.

Unlike in German resumes, however, you are discouraged from including a photo of yourself or information about your age, gender, religion, ethnic origin, or marital status. This is an attempt to avoid discrimination in the application process.

 

Some English-speaking companies place great value on references or contacts. These could be former superiors, for example. You should, of course, first ask them if they are open to questions about your skills.

Grades

There are many different grading systems around the world. For an English application, the so-called Grade Point Average (GPA) is usually required.

Simply look for your final or midterm grade in the table below and see what your GPA is.

 

 

Don't forget: some German or international universities weight grades differently, so you should definitely double-check whether the grading systems relevant to you deviate significantly from the standard.

 

If you're applying to a company that operates exclusively in one country, such as the UK, you can of course also use the British grading system. It looks something like this.

 

 

CV Template

Now that we are through with the basic differences, you can get started on crafting your very own CV (or resume, if you prefer)! Do it in seconds by clicking below.

 

Generate your CV in seconds

Conclusion

There are still some small but subtle differences to consider when applying in English. With our tips, however, these shouldn't be too big a hurdle. In most cases, work experience in an international company is always a good idea. Many companies abroad are even looking for qualified young talent, for example, from Germany.

 

If you are thinking about studying abroad, then take a look here:

 

Studying Abroad: Guide