Working overseas sounds like an adventure to many people. However, work in Austria needs more than just the obvious Austria cover letter and Austria CV writing and translation – it requires methodical preparation. You will face issues that probably did not even cross your mind when you decided to go for a job search in Austria.
Do not underestimate the big impact employment in Austria can have on the result of your adventure! For example, you will experience the different immigration rules and practices, job application procedures, selection trends and the management culture.
When applying for jobs in Austria, you may use either German, English or other foreign languages, depending on the company and your fluency. Stick to one language once chosen. However, you need to accept that not knowing the German will put you at a real disadvantage from the local job seekers.
Prepare yourself – before writing your CV research the company you want to work for. Such information will help you to adapt your CV more effectively to each specific job and use proper examples illustrating your achievements.
In some cases, Austrian employers want a handwritten CV but a typed copy is usually sufficient. Depending on experience, the CV should be between one and three A4 pages. Write your Austria CV in a concise and factual style using reverse chronological order – detailing your most recent activities first.
A CV is similar to a resume in that it provides more details about one’s professional qualifications, experience and education. However, the term “Curriculum Vitae” most often called CV, typically carries a different meaning depending on whether one distributes the CV within the US, Canada or internationally (external to the US or Canada) or is seeking a faculty, academic, research, clinical or scientific position.
You can turn your current resume into a CV. A CV is similar to a resume in that it outlines your professional qualifications and history, but it does so with more detail by adding to the resume the detailed descriptions of your educational and/or professional experiences and personal information that may include nationality, date of birth, marital status, etc.
The aim of your Austria CV should be to persuade the employer to invite you for a job interview. For that reason, your CV is a marketing tool, which you should customize to the market in which you intend to use it. Try to relate to the firm or even the position you apply for. Write an introduction that contains many keywords, power words and action verbs. Scanners can notice these words.
Start your Austria CV with contact information. Include your name, address, phone/fax number with international access code and e-mail address. Often CVs are kept on file for long periods, so any contact details you give have to remain accurate in the long term. A daytime phone number with an international access code and e-mail are most important.
In personal details list your date and place of birth, religion, parents’ names and occupations, marital status with a number of children and military service or community service in lieu of military service (where appropriate).
Often after personal details, in one sentence, applicants state the desired position they apply for.
Then detail your education, starting with the primary school through secondary school/college to university giving location, dates of attendance and degrees. Include specialized training and skills like driving license, computer knowledge etc. Mention your native tongue and describe the level of fluency for the other languages. Follow with your practical experiences including apprenticeships, if you have any because Austrian employers attach great importance to them.
List in “Employment History” the responsibilities you had in each job with dates, their locations and your titles – emphasizing areas relevant to the position for which you are applying. Make your CV more effective by providing examples to illustrate your achievements. Use action words and phrases to describe your achievements, such as contributed, organized, trained, managed, developed, coordinated etc. Bullet points them at the start of a sentence for maximum impact.
Close your Austria CV with any extracurricular activities, such as hobbies, special interests, voluntary work, and membership of organizations or sporting, political or other associations, since such activities are important to Austria employers.
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Carefully consider what to leave out of your CV and exclude anything that might give prospective employers a chance to discriminate against you. If your Austria CV has a fairly large gap, explain why the gap exists and what you did during that period.
Put your signature with the date at the end of your CV. A photograph of yourself, with personal details on the back, is usually attached to the upper right-hand corner of the first page.
Enclose proof of employment from all previous employers as well as a copy of your highest diploma and a list of references. Put all these documents in one or more plastic folders.
It is more common in Austria to apply for a job through the Internet. However, you should be aware that an electronic CV does not look the same as a standard printed one. Employers often scan CVs, so make your CV scannable by avoiding for example lines or italic fonts etc.
Check the spelling and grammar of your Austria CV. Use the word processor’s spell and grammar checker. If you are not confident of your ability to detect grammatical, punctuation and language usage errors in German or other languages or if you need help in organizing your CV, send it to a professional for assistance.
