“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.
If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart .”
My experience in Germany certainly justifies the above saying. On the professional front, it is even more significant. Some Germans hesitate to converse in English just like how some of us hesitate to talk to a German in German, due to lack of vocabulary. It does not mean that they aren’t friendly but talking in German would help to develop a better friendship and a peaceful working atmosphere. I’ve been working for 9 months now and the official language at work is German. I work in a multi-cultural team with colleagues from Germany, Mexico,China, Iran etc. but we all communicate in German. I was also able to develop better contacts as I spoke entirely in German at conferences, trainings and events.
My first interview in German was for my first job. Since the company demanded good German knowledge from candidates, the entire interview was in German. The interviewers made me feel really comfortable, and were really friendly. I was obviously a bit nervous at the beginning but gradually I started feeling comfortable. Initially I felt their accent was a bit different and had to ask them to repeat at times. Nevertheless, I had no problems in understanding what they spoke and they had no problems with my German. This helped me to develop a better bonding with my team that all my colleagues started taking my suggestions during work and also apart from work.
In every interview I was appreciated for my German, especially my pronunciation, for which I am thankful to the Languedge, a.k.a Mathangi ma’am. Thanks to the classes I had at the Languedge, I also got to know about Cultural differences between Germany and India, topics that are usually discussed in ‘small talks’.
The questions mostly asked were all about my projects and my Master’s thesis. I also was proficient with all the technical words in German as I my conversations with my Thesis supervisor were usually in German. The interviewers usually are also sometimes OK if a candidate is not sure about the technical words and allow you to tell them in English. (Some companies are also OK with having the entire interview in English if the particular job doesn’t require any German knowledge). Apart from the usual preparation about my projects and Thesis, I also went through what I had written in my CV as I knew there would be questions raised on everything written on the CV.
TOP 5 TIPS TO TAKE YOUR INTERVIEW IN GERMAN :
- Listen to the question clearly and do not be in a hurry to answer.
- Do not try to guess the question based on the context, if you haven’t understood the question.
- Avoid one word answers and ‘ja’ /’nein’ replies.
- Do not hesitate to ask the interviewers to repeat their question if you haven’t understood their question.
- Do not take keep translating responses from English to German in your mind and do not take too long to respond.
INTERNSHIPS – CV / ANSCHREIBEN
For people who are applying for internships/jobs , I would suggest you to apply in German. The two main documents are the ‘Lebenslauf’ – CV and the ‘Anschreiben’ – a cover letter.
- A standard template for the CV – ‘the Europass’ format is widely followed, where the educational qualifications are mentioned in chronological order with a professional photograph at the beginning of the CV. It is advisable to restrict the CV to two sides.
- The ‘Anschreiben’ is a cover letter where one explains the reason he/she is applying for that particular position and how he/she is qualified for that position. All coursework and projects/internships relevant to the particular position can be explained here. But DON’T repeat the CV here! The cover letter should be restricted to one page.
- It is advisable to draft a new cover letter for every position to which one applies. The CV remains more or less the same.
To sum up, it is possible to survive in the German industry with no German knowledge. But to integrate well with the German society and to widen one’s horizon it is a NECESSITY to be well versed in German.
See you guys soon in the German industry !
Harish Kumar is a Development Engineer at Bertrandt Ingenieurbüro in Munich, currently working on projects for BMW. He completed his Masters in Automotive systems – Vehicle Dynamic, Esslingen .He dreams of becoming a Vehicle Dynamics Function Developer and contribute to the Automotive industry. He is as also a passionate Tennis player, a film buff and an energetic globetrotter.
You can reach him at harishkumar25393@gmail.com