First contact

You can contact your future employer in a variety of ways. First of all, think about whether you are responding to an advertised vacancy or whether you are writing a speculative application. In either case, it is sensible to ring the company in advance to ask any questions you may have.

A phone call also shows that you have initiative and the courage to make personal contact. If you call ahead of your application, you will stand out from others who may only have submitted a written application. Your voice and demeanor on the phone will leave a much more vivid impression.Ask questions that show that you have already researched the company. Avoid asking questions that are answered on the company website.

Always bear in mind that the phone call is not just your first personal contact with the company but your first sales pitch, so to speak.Don’t be too modest! When you respond to a vacancy advert, it is possible that the text already contains all information about the application process or names a specific person. Ringing the company to inquire about those details can seem somewhat pointless. But there are nearly always open questions to ask.

Present the advertised job to a friend. What information is missing? What questions does your friend have? You can ask the company those questions during your phone call. Do not forget to keep your own notes and information at hand and have pen and paper ready to take notes during the conversation.

The phone call will also give you insight into the company. How are you treated as an external caller? Is the person on the phone friendly and professional? Are they curt? You also need to find out whether the company is a good match for you.

If you are not sure who the right contact is, it will be better to call the next level up so that your application is not sent to the wrong address and the actual recruiter does not feel slighted. Always make sure that you gather all available information about a future employer (e.g., through the internet, word of mouth, the company’s annual report) before submitting an application. Once you have gathered enough material and feel confident that the new environment will be conducive to your goals, you can take the plunge and get in touch.

To calm your nerves before your first call, establish a routine (by calling the least promising company first), consider standing during your phone call (to make your voice more confident and convincing), and have a mock phone call with a friend first.

Job fairs and trade fairs (e.g., CeBIT, Hannover Messe etc.) are another way of establishing contact with recruiting employers. Job fairs are events where recruiters get to meet young academics who are looking for employment. Every year, around 200 such events take place in Germany, but not for all sectors. A distinction is made between recruiting fairs and contact/information fairs.
A personal conversation with recruiters or specialists from a company’s various departments allows you to find out what the people at the company are like.
Presentations, networking events, congresses, and seminars are good opportunities for a glance behind the scenes of a business.
Taster days: Why not ask an interesting employer whether you could spend a day at the company to get a feel for it? Some companies offer open house days, which also give you a chance to look behind the scenes and find out more about the employer.

Tips for presenting yourself at a fair
Guidelines for conversations with employers

You are welcome to visit our Job Fair (organized in partnership with Stellenwerk), which is currently scheduled for the spring, and our Career Day, currently scheduled for the autumn. Often, you will be able to pick up some interesting news at the fairs as well as meet recruiters. When you express interest in a company, you can easily find yourself in the middle of a conversation without having any actual information about the employer. Curiosity and polite questions are encouraged. Meeting a recruiter face to face helps in making a lasting, personal impression.
Articles about job fairs in Netzeitung Arbeit und Beruf

Many companies, especially larger ones, offer trainee programs for graduates. The purpose of these programs is to train future managers internally. Most trainees have their own projects from the start, and they get to experience a range of departments. In some companies, you will be working at branch offices abroad for a period of the trainee program. On top of giving you practical work experience, such programs also offer you networking opportunities, e.g., with other trainees at the same company. Most companies provide information about the available programs on their website. You can also find out more on the Traineegeflüster site.