Lektionsüberblick

You have found a job that is a possible fit for your skills and has the benefits that you seek. Now, it’s time to learn about the the application process (der Bewerbungsprozess). By the end of this lesson, you will  1) be familiar with the application process, 2) be able to talk about your education path, 3) know the different kinds of Lebenslauf and be able to write a detailed Lebenslauf and a tabular Lebenslauf.

1) Der Bewerbungsprozess

Similar to the United States, Germany has many job-specific websites (Jobplattformen) where you can search job openings. You might remember some of the listings you read through in the previous lesson. Each place of employment might have steps in the Bewerbungsprozess that are specific to that company, but there are some Schritte (steps) that are generally the same. Think of what some of those steps are in America and what some important words to know might be. Then read and listen to the vocabulary in the flash cards below.

Now, imagine that you are interested in a job at Bosch, a large technology company headquartered in Germany. Watch the video below as the Bewerbungsprozess is explained. See if you recognize any words or phrases that help you get the “gist” of what is being said. Be sure to turn on the closed captions if you want to increase your German input and increase comprehension. Complete the activity after watching the video.

Let’s practice.

Here is the audio for the text you just completed.

2) Mein Bildungsweg

This is a simplified overview of the various school systems in German-speaking Europe. As you can see, school starts with first grade. What we call preschool is called Kindergarten in the German context and Kindergarten is decidedly not school. It is a time of play and socialization and lasts between 2-3 years. The people working there with the children are not called Lehrer*innen (teachers), but Erzieher*innen (childcare worker, educator).

When talking about the US school system in German, we typically use Grundschule for elementary school and then either die Middle-School or some translation like Mittelstufe or Mittelschule. High school is die High School, not the translated Hochschule, because that is another word for a post-secondary place of education (it is a kind of university). With the exception of the word Hochschule, the word Schule is otherwise never used in the university context. Another linguistic difference between the languages can be found in the words for the children at the different stages. Although English has the word pupil for primary and secondary education, in the US, at least, most children in school (and perhaps also in daycare and preschool) are called students. The designation Student*innen (nowadays referred to as the gender neutral Studierende) are terms used solely for people working toward a BA, MA, or PhD. All children in grades 1-13 (1.-13. Klassen) are called Schüler*innen. Those in trade school are called Berufsschüler*innen. Children in Kindergarten are called Kindergartenkinder or just Kinder.

Where we can see the biggest differences between the US and the German-speaking countries in secondary education. While we often split children off into advanced or remedial subject-specific groups or classes, commonly already in elementary school, abroad, the children stay in one group until the end of primary school. Then they are split into two or three different kinds of schools. The finishing degree for each school serves a specific purpose. Only the Abschluss (degree) from Gymnasium (in Liechtenstein, Deutschland und Österreich) and the gymnasialen Maturitätsschule (in der Schweiz), allow graduating pupils to attend university or other post-secondary institutions of higher education. This Abschluß is called Matura in Liechtenstein, der Schweiz, and Österreich and Abitur in Deutschland. The other finishing Abschlüsse can allow those graduating pupils to attend the next level of schooling (e.g. in Germany, with the Hauptschulabschluss, one could continue one’s education at the Realschule).

Unlike in the US, the goal for most school children is not to attend university. Instead, each country has a very robust Lehr– oder Ausbildungssystem (system of apprenticeships) which allows most pupils to earn a training certificate and title that are financially and socially meaningful.

Click on the plus signs to read about the different schools in German. See if you can figure out which information in German matches with the information in the previous paragraphs.

How much do you remember? Without looking back at the image or text above, mark all of the words that refer to a kind of school. You can also listen to the text.

Again, without checking, put the schools in the right order from youngest to oldest pupils.

3) Der Lebenslauf

As part of the Bewerbungsprozess, you will most likely be asked to submit a Lebenslauf or resume. Similar to American culture, you will encounter many varieties of resumes depending on the type of job you are applying for, company expectations, and your own personality. However, there are usually common elements you will see in most resumes. First, let’s look at the two kinds of resumes from the German-speaking world, the detailed and the tabular resumes. The following presentation was written for Austrian high school students (österreichische Schüler an einer polytechnischen Schule) with English subtitles added in this OER for clarity.

Der ausführliche Lebenslauf

The detailed Lebenslauf is generally not the standard, but some companies might ask for a Lebenslauf in this form. Der ausführliche Lebenslauf is written in paragraph form, is usually handwritten, and offers the potential employer a glimpse into the language competency, writing capabilities, and personality of the applicant. Look at Annika’s detailed Lebenslauf below.

Let’s practice some of the expressions and structures seen in Annika’s Lebenlauf.

Der tabellarische Lebenslauf

Now let’s look at two tabellarische Lebensläufe. The form seen below is the more common form used and resembles the style of many resumes seen in the U.S. What common elements do the two examples share? How are they different? (You notice the repeated use of the word “Muster” used on the right resume. In this case, it means sample/example.)

Full-size version of image

Let’s practice.

🎥 For a clear description of the Lebenslauf, you can watch this Goethe Instititut video.

Media Attributions

• Video Karriere & Unternehmen: Benefits & Bewerbungsprozess bei Bosch – in voller Länge by JobStairs, licensed under CC BY International license.