Job application tips

Everything you need for a stand-out job application

To give you a better idea of what to expect when you apply for a job or attend an interview, we've compiled some guides with useful tips and information. You should think of your application as your business card or the first sample of your work that a potential future employer gets to see. For the recruiter looking for an intern or to fill a vacancy, your application provides them with their first impression of you and they will make their initial assessment based on the documents you submit. Applications that have been compiled carelessly, contain mistakes or are incomplete tend to leave a strong (and lasting) negative impression on recruitment managers.

We offer advice and training sessions covering a wide range of recruitment-related topics, such as preparing your application, compiling and formatting a CV, mastering job interviews, etc. See our Events section for more information.

With the introduction of its Europass initiative, the European Union has provided a set of tools (e.g. CV template, language passport) that facilitate recognition of professional skills and academic qualifications from different countries. The Europass CV template can help job applicants present their qualifications and skills in a standardized way if they are looking for employment in Europe. However, if you are thinking of applying for a position in Germany, we would not recommend using the Europass template.

If you are an international student planing to work in Germany, you should take a look at our Student Career Roadmap to get a better picture of the necessary skills and the hurdles that might be involved.

Student Career Roadmap

Application documents check

The Career Center offers Saarland University students and graduates an online application documents check before applying for a work placement, internship or graduate position in Germany. The Career Center team will carefully review your application documents, make suggestions for any changes that might be necessary and will usually return your documents within 3–5 days. If you would like to make use of this service, please send your cover letter and CV to career(at)uni-saarland.de

Students at Saarland University who want to apply for a job or a work placement / internship in a French-speaking country can contact the 'Arbeitswelt Frankreich' team at the International Office to schedule an appointment to have application documents written in French reviewed.

The university's support centre for doctoral researchers, GradUS, also offers personal consultation sessions in which doctoral students can analyse their skill sets and their individual career plans.