IMA Schelling Deutschland
Application tips

Here are some tips to help you prepare for your application

APPLICATION TIPS

DO YOU FEEL LIKE STARTING AN APPRENTICESHIP WITH US?

Have you decided to start an apprenticeship or a dual study course at IMA Schelling?
Then there's only one thing left to do: sending your application.

Here you find valuable tips for creating a persuasive application.
Moreover you get a foretaste of what you can expect in job interviews and what you should pay special attention to.

WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY ELEMENTS OF A JOB APPLICATION ?

What your job application should include and not include:

  • cover letter
  • CV in tabular form
  • copies of the last two certificates
  • current passport photo
  • all documents in standard A4 document format
  • no dog-eared sheets, stains or tearing in the documents 
  • paper printed on one side only 
  • no orthographical mistakes
  • proper application folder, no loose sheets of paper

 

 

THE COVER LETTER

Your cover letter should be no longer than one page.
Make sure your cover letter uses a neutral, i.e. objective and factual, style of writing and a clear structure…

You should always include the details information in your application:

  • your postal address, with telephone number and email address (as far as available)
  • the complete registered address of the company, if possible with contact person
  • date
  • reference (application for an apprenticeship in …)
  • how did you become aware of IMA Schelling?
  • why are you interested in this particular apprenticeship profession?
  • closing greeting and signature
  • enclosures (CV, certificates, etc.)

Tip: 
A nice cover page always looks good on a job application.

THE CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)

The CV has to be complete, true and as short as possible, i.e. it should not exceed one page (standard A4 document format).

A CV is divided into three sections:

1. Personal details

  • First name and family name
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Place of residence
  • Phone number
  • Parents
  • Brothers & sisters
  • Marital status
  • Nationality

2. School education

  • Elementary school
  • Secondary education school(-s) and which type
  • Any other school(-s) if relevant, e.g. business administration school
  • Intended school-leaving qualification

Do not forget to include the details of the periods during which you were at each school.

3. Further information

  • Favourite subjects
  • Training courses taken (e.g. languages or MS Office)
  • Internships
  • Hobbies
  • Special commitment (e.g. mediator, youth groups)

IMPORTANT: 
You need to put your signature with the place and date at the end of your CV!This indicates that your CV is based on facts.

 

ONLINE APPLICATIONS

Online applications are becoming more and more important for businesses. 

Although many school leavers still prefer a job application folder, as before, ever more companies are going the way of the "paperless process”. You must therefore follow certain rules to ensure success.

Do not send your application to any – old – email address at the company, but use the official application portal.  Find out more about the company, and state why you want to apply to that company in particular.  Simply telephone the head office reception to find out who is the right contact person.  Important: Briefly introduce yourself! In addition to the cover letter and the curriculum vitae you should include all the relevant certificates and references from internships with the application. Ensure that you upload all the documents.

All the documents should be in PDF format.  An important thing in an online application is a personal and serious e-mail address. Something like superwomen@freemail.com might be amusing, but not to everybody. This is a better choice:  firstname.familyname@domain.de

Before you conclude the application process, carefully check your application one last time. If everything is correct: Print it and send it.

THE JOB INTERVIEW

If your application was convincing, the next step is the job interview. Even though it is of course somewhat tense for you, keep the discussion going in a relaxed way. The people from the human resources department usually want to get a better impression of you and to get to know you better. Just be yourself and do not try to impress. It is also an advantage if you look well rested and relaxed when you come to the job interview. 

That is a significant factor for success. Punctuality is also very important. That is part of the first impression, and that must be good. We recommend that you arrive at the company around 10 to 15 minutes before the interview. Not earlier, because the waiting time can then be too long and you could get nervous. Arriving 10 to 15 minutes beforehand has the advantage that you have a little time to collect yourself and take a deep breath.

Free apprenticeships

Click here to go to our open apprenticeship positions.

Note: For better readability, we refrain from using the language forms male, female and diverse (male / female / male) at the same time.
All personal names naturally apply equally to all genders.