Lektionsüberblick

After you’ve submitted your application(s), you will mostly receive one of two responses: 1. eine Absage (a rejection) or 2. eine Einladung zum Vorstellungsgespräch (an invitation to an interview, literally an “introduction conversation”). There is generally nothing left to do, once you have received Absage. An Einladung will prompt a few steps, which will be covered in this lesson. In the end, you will be able to 1) respond to an invitation to an interview, 2) understand and respond to typical interview questions, and 3) ask some typical questions utilizing the appropriate register for spoken workplace communications.

1) Die Einladung zum Vorstellungsgespräch

Wie aufregend! You have been invited to an interview! Eine Einladung zum Vorstellungsgespräch kann telefonisch oder per E-Mail sein. Your invitation has been sent by email. Please read the invitation below and answer the comprehension questions that follow. Then listen to the recording and answer the questions.

Now that you can understand the invitation, let’s work on responding to it. Look at the invitation above again.

You have most of the pieces you need to respond to the invitation. Look at the model letters below for a response “der Termin passt” and “der Termin passt nicht“.

Some things to consider:

• If Max Schmidt sent you the invitation via email or he prompts you to respond with email, everything following and including the greeting would be the body of the email.
• If Max Schmidt has any pronouns listed other than sie/ihr or er/ihm, then a correct greeting could be “Guten Tag, Max Schmidt”.
• If Max Schmidt uses the “du” form in the invitation, you should respond using “du” as well. In other words, you should match the tone/register of the person communicating with you.
• You do not need to list three alternative Termine (dates/times). Two would also be fine.
• If you would welcome a call, your final lines could be “Sie können mich auch unter [Telefonnummer] erreichen, um einen Termin abzusprechen. Ich freue mich auf eine baldige Rückmeldung.”

2) Das Vorstellungsgespräch

Before you go to your Vorstellungsgespräch, let’s listen to some advice on what to do and what not to do. What type of tips do you anticipate hearing? Before you watch the video, jot down some words in English or German that you anticipate that you will hear in the video. Turn on the closed captions too so that you can hear and read the German at the same time. Relax and see what you can understand. (Hint: Feel free to skip over the product placement halfway through the video).

What did you understand?

You can check out this longer video “Bewerbungsgespräch: 12 Fehler, die Deine Chance zerstören” (13m) with 12 tips to have a more successful interview (without product placement).

You have probably had some type of job interview before or heard about them from others. What are some typische Fragen that you might hear during a job interview? The questions generally asked in a German interview are not much different than what you’d expect to hear in an interview in the United States. Write down the questions you’d expect to hear in English in your written journal. Which words do you already know in German?

Now match the typical interview questions below.

3) Meine Fragen im Vorstellungsgespräch

At some point in an interview, you should ask the interviewers questions. It shows you are prepared and that you are also interviewing them. Regardless of how communication has been until this point, you should be prepared to use the Sie (the formal you) with people you meet during the interview. (There are exceptions: If you are only talking to the person or people with whom you have had written or telephone communication per du. Or if your interviewer(s) address you with du.)

To be successful, it is good to practice hearing and using the Sie to ask questions. First, let’s look at some questions that could be directed at you Sie or you du.

Let’s practice.

🎥 For more information about the difference between “du” or “Sie,” you can watch this video from Easy German.

In a successful interview, the job candidate (you!) also asks questions. It is important that your questions could not be answered with a quick internet search about the company.

Media Attributions

• Video Vorstellungsgespräch Erfolgreich Meistern: Tipps für dein Bewerbungsgespräch by Daniel Korte, licensed under CC BY-SA International License.