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For most HR managers, the CV is the most important document in the application and is often read first.

A tabular CV should therefore be standard in the application. Its clear two-column structure makes it very easy to read and allows the most important information to be captured in a short space of time.

As an applicant, you should make sure that everything important and relevant to the advertised position is immediately apparent.

Use facts, keywords and key terms from the job advert.

The motto is: short and concise - that's how your CV should be.


What should I bear in mind when structuring my CV?

Start with a title and heading.

You can also put your photo, personal details and an introductory sentence on a cover page. This gives you more space in your CV for your career.

Our tip: You can find out what to include on the cover page and photo here in our blog article.

State the position you are applying for.

The next points are your professional career path, your education and special skills.

Organise the individual sections ‘antichronologically’ by starting with your last position, your last place of training or your last further training course. This way, your counterpart in the HR department will know what you have recently done.


What information should be included in your CV?

For a perfect CV, all mandatory information must be included. This includes:

• Personal details

• Professional experience / career path

• Education and training

• Relevant knowledge

• Place, date

• Signature
  
  

There is also voluntary information to supplement and complete your CV:

• Application photo

• Additional qualifications

• Interests & hobbies

• Social commitment / honorary posts

• Awards.
  

Our tip: Create an individual CV for each position. The order of the individual points may vary. In any case, make sure that your strongest arguments and unique selling points are at the top of the CV and are therefore read first.


Did you know that there are ready-made application designs and samples in Microsoft Word? They provide a good guide to how your application documents should look. The Internet also offers many free templates.

Or you can simply use the Trenkwalder CV designer on our website.


Further Tips for your Application

Pay attention to the overall impression. HR managers respond to a professional appearance - 66.2% according to a study by Ruhr University Bochum.

That's why your application should look like a unified whole. Use the same font and font size, pay attention to indents, line spacing and colours.

Under no circumstances should each part of your application look different and not match the other documents.


Missed the start of our series? Discover the articles on the application portfolio, cover letter, cover page and photo now.

Test your new application knowledge and apply now for one of the many jobs on our website.

No suitable job listed? Then send us your unsolicited application.

Interested in finding out more? Then stay tuned!

At Trenkwalder, we value diversity deeply and foster a culture of mutual respect and appreciation, regardless of age, abilities, gender, sexual orientation and identity, ethnic or cultural background, or religion. Each team member is a unique individual whose varied experiences and backgrounds enrich us.


Our behavioral guidelines are defined in our Code of Conduct.


Generational Diversity

At Trenkwalder Germany, many departments and offices are made up of mixed-age teams, allowing us to benefit from the skills, qualifications, perspectives, and knowledge that employees of all generations bring. We believe that employees at every stage of their careers are essential to our success.


Work-life balance

Trenkwalder attaches great importance to a family-friendly company policy, because our success depends on satisfied employees. Not only employees who are about to start a family, but also older employees whose family members are in need of care are increasingly looking for flexible working hours, home office solutions, part-time opportunities, parental leave for mothers and fathers alike or sabbaticals to realize private projects when choosing their employer. Trenkwalder supports all employees and finds the right model for everyone.


Equal opportunities for all genders

For Trenkwalder, equal opportunities does not only mean that women should hold management positions. It also means opening up more opportunities for fathers in the area of family life and thus promoting parental leave and part-time work for fathers.

We engage in regular dialog with our employees in order to reduce inequalities and find new opportunities for equal opportunities. Over 40 percent of management positions at Trenkwalder Germany are already held by women. Many male colleagues take the opportunity to go on parental leave. But there is certainly room for more and we will continue to strive to promote equal opportunities.


Inclusion

At Trenkwalder, we are committed to creating a working environment in which our employees can develop their talents and abilities to the full. To this end, we break down barriers in everyday working life and create individual opportunities to cater to special needs.

This begins with the design of the workplace and continues with individual career planning and raising awareness among team members and managers. In this way, we can optimally promote the potential of our employees.


Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity in the workplace means that companies are open to hiring employees from different backgrounds, regardless of ethnicity, religion or culture. For Trenkwalder, diversity is not just an empty buzzword, but a key success factor. After all, a variety of mentalities, perspectives and approaches promotes innovation, boosts motivation, prevents social discrimination and promotes equal opportunities.


Sexual orientation & gender identity

The sexual orientation and identity of an employee is often described as a "private matter", which often leads to the true identity being hidden or disguised in order to avoid discrimination. At Trenkwalder, everyone is allowed to be who they are. Because only an open-minded and open corporate culture releases synergies and promotes equal cooperation. This benefits employees and the company in equal measure.

Learn more about our company and our values on our website.


Interested in finding out more? Then stay tuned!

There is a lot of discussion about the purpose of a cover page. For some it's a must, for others it's just a can.


Our tip: If the cover page serves to make an otherwise complex application clearer and offer added value in terms of content, then you should definitely use a cover page for your application.


Another advantage: even if an application photo is no longer a must today, you have more space for it on the cover page and therefore attract more attention. You can also use the extra space on your CV.


A professionally designed cover page can enhance your application documents enormously.


But please note: if there is no added value for the recipient, it is better to leave the cover page off.


Application photo - yes or no?


The General Equal Treatment Act stipulates that the application photo is now only a voluntary addition to the application.


Nevertheless, every recruiter is happy to receive an application with a photo. It rounds off the profile and gives the application a personal touch.


Our tip: Continue to use an application photo, either on the cover page or in the CV.


You should always bear the following points in mind:

Only use a professional photo from a photographer - selfies or holiday photos are an absolute no-go.

Whether you use colour or black and white is up to you. However, the photo should always be a half-portrait. Make sure you wear clothes that match the desired location. The background should be neutral and harmoniously emphasise your appearance. Smile in the photo - this immediately makes you more likeable.


Our tip: if you are stressed, annoyed or simply not in a good mood, postpone the photo shoot. Otherwise the photos will quickly look artificial and not authentic.


Further tips for the application photo

• The ideal size is 6 x 4 or 9 x 6cm

• The photo should be either placed on the cover page or in the CV at the top of page 1

• Always look ‘inside’ the page.

• Embed the image digitally in your application or attach it with a glue stick.

Also use professional images on your social media channels.


Our next post is all about a perfect, powerful CV.

Missed the start of our series? Discover the articles on the application portfolio and cover letter now.

Interested in finding out more? Then stay tuned!

You now know how to structure your application portfolio. Now let's move on to the individual points of your application, starting with the cover letter.


The cover letter is probably the most difficult part of the application. This is why companies have started to offer an application without a cover letter.
However, it is worth investing time and effort in a cover letter, as applications with a cover letter are usually more successful. It helps you to stand out from the crowd and at the same time emphasise and explain important points on your CV. Especially Career changers benefit from a cover letter.


What should you bear in mind when designing and formulating your cover letter?

A professional cover letter should be not longer than one DIN A4 page.

Describe your motivation for the position you are applying for, emphasise relevant strengths and soft skills and put yourself in the spotlight.

You should never repeat your CV in your cover letter!


The structure of a cover letter is clearly defined.

Regardless of whether you are applying in analogue or digital form, always use a letterhead. This contains your contact details, the recipient's details (company, department, contact person, with or without address), place and date as well as a subject line.

The cover letter itself should begin with a personal salutation. If no contact person is specified, try to find the right person to whom you would like to address your cover letter.

This is followed by the be-all and end-all of every cover letter: an unique, inspiring introductory sentence. Start with a quote or a sentence that describes you perfectly.
Please do not start your cover letter with: ‘I am hereby applying as...’.


In the main part, create a link between your skills and soft skills and the position you are applying for. Don't just list them, but back them up with concrete examples.

According to Google HR manager Laszlo Bock, there is a formula for the perfect application. Formulate previous successes according to this formula: ‘I have achieved X, relative to Y, by doing Z.’

The more specific, the better!


In the final sentence, you are confidently looking forward to an invitation to an interview - so the subjunctive is unnecessary here!

Even if a signature in the digital cover letter is old school, it looks more personal and professional.

Don't forget to list the attachments so that your interviewer knows immediately what information will follow.


Proofread the cover letter carefully, preferably by a third party, so that no spelling or grammatical errors creep in.

Did you know that Microsoft Word offers many different designs for your application in the templates? Just give it a try.


And always remember: practice makes perfect!


You will find many interesting offers on our job page.


Our next article is all about the cover page for your application and the application photo.

Interested in finding out more? Then stay tuned!

You are looking for a new professional challenge and want to impress your potential employer with your application portfolio?


The application portfolio is the be-all and end-all of every application. It is your figurehead and summarises who you are, what skills you have and where you have already worked. You will need it both for an analogue application, i.e. on paper, and for a digital application by e-mail.


These 5 steps will put you at the top of the application pile.

Tip 1: The classic application documents should follow a certain order and usually consist of a cover letter, cover sheet (optional), CV, references, certificates and/or work samples.

Tip 2: For a written application, you should choose a high-quality cardboard application folder in a neutral, elegant colour, such as black, dark blue or bordeaux.

Tip 3: For an e-mail or online application, you should combine all documents, including the cover letter, in one PDF.

Tip 4: When sending by e-mail, pay attention to the file size. The guideline is a maximum of 5 MB.

Tip 5: Be sure to write a short accompanying text in the e-mail and refer to the full application file with the detailed cover letter.


Are you looking for a job? Then take a look at our job page.


At Trenkwalder, you can apply for any position simply and easily via WhatsApp. You can find a detailed description here.


Our next article is all about writing a convincing, informative cover letter.



Interested in finding out more? Then stay tuned!