How To Get Interviews and Pass HR (At Least)

Intro

Following up on my article on structuring the job search, I have actually achieved some results through my own testing – these are likely tips you have heard before. The main difference here is that I saw an increase in my positive reply rate. The results might be slightly biased toward the German market, and I’ve structured them into the following stages:

  1. Preparing the application
  2. Applying + follow-up
  3. Preparing for the interview
  4. Speaking at the interview

I still haven't landed a job yet, but I have secured several interviews and received positive feedback afterward, so I’m happy to share these tips!

1. Preparing for the application

It’s easy to get discouraged when applying for a long time, but I suggest revisiting your CV and cover letter periodically. You might find new ideas or notice mistakes that are crucial for these documents. I found errors and lapses in logic that made me think, "Who could have even written this?" Well, I did, and no one I asked to check it noticed.

Another thing I learned the hard way: keep both your CV and cover letter concise and simple. By "simple," I mean even the technical aspects. I used to make my CV in Canva; it looked great, but it likely failed during parsing. I switched to Google Docs, keeping the formatting as simple as possible, and it worked. For the cover letter, I use the following structure, which is specific to my situation:

  1. A formal notice that I am applying for the position (including a job code if applicable).
  2. Two paragraphs on why my experience and skills are a good fit, ideally mentioning specific relevant experience and results.
  3. My story: how and why I moved to Germany.
  4. What I did in my most recent role.
  5. References with links to their LinkedIn profiles.
  6. Logistics: how I plan to handle the commute or a move to another city (one sentence).
  7. My work permit status (one sentence).
  8. A polite closing note expressing hope that I provided enough info to minimize their risks or misunderstandings (one sentence).
  9. Best regards.

With Arial 11pt and 6pt spacing between paragraphs, the cover letter occupies roughly 3/4 of an A4 page. The parts that change are the first, second, and sixth. Keep in mind that the more you change, the higher the risk of introducing errors.

2. Applying + follow-up

Some obvious points, in case you weren't aware:

  1. Always apply through the company's website if a form is available, or via email if requested.
  2. Calling in advance helps.
  3. Always include the cover letter and a Reference or Letter of Recommendation (Qualifiziertes Arbeitszeugnis in Germany), whether they ask for it or not. Include your diploma recognition (Anerkennung) as well, if you have it – if not, apply for it ASAP.
  4. Sometimes they'll only have one field to upload a file, so merge your PDFs in this order: cover letter first, CV second, references third, and diploma recognition last.
  5. Keep exploring different job boards: some become irrelevant while others rise; my latest find for Germany is HeyJobs.
  6. LinkedIn works best when you post regularly and recruiters find you.
  7. If you post on LinkedIn, 1/3 to 1/2 of your posts can be external content – don’t overstress yourself.

In Germany, the common rule of thumb is to expect a reply within two weeks; in reality, they often start inviting candidates to interviews within one week. I’ve concluded that it makes sense to follow up after one week. By the way, vacancies older than a week are probably not worth it. To follow up, you can try calling, but meetings often get in the way – email works just fine.

3. Preparing for the interview

Standard stuff again – just do your homework:

  1. Read their website. Know how many employees they have and what they do; write it down and memorize it.
  2. Think about the questions they might ask. I don't mean "strengths and weaknesses" – if they respect you, they won't ask that. The "big three" for me are: tell us about your experience/story, your best achievement so far, and your biggest challenge.
  3. Prepare your answers: write them down, check for mistakes, and say them out loud several times to get used to them. Simplify them if they are difficult to remember.

4. Speaking at the interview

Based heavily on my own mistakes, I present the following tips – especially if you are not speaking in your native language:

  1. Speak slower and articulate more clearly than you think is necessary. You are a new person to them, and they need time to adapt to your speech pattern.
  2. Show empathy: use active listening and comment on points they mention. Show involvement and understanding, even if they don't explicitly ask a question.
  3. With HR, you need to prove you’ve actually read the job description. Talk about it and explain how you interpret the role.

And one of the most valuable tips that works (from the Primagen): at the end of the interview ask for a brief feedback. In the era of corporate correctness you'll get some bits of information it's almost impossible to get otherwise.

Conclusion

That’s all for today. I hope you learned something new! :)