Unsolicited (or Cold) Job Applications In Germany

Published about 1 year ago • 3 min read

Hallo there Reader -

Greetings from Berlin! Today we're back talking about unsolicited (or cold) job applications In Germany.

Let's Dive In

Before starting your job search in Germany, it’s a good idea to know which industry you’d like to work in and then start researching companies within that industry. We actually have a detailed guide as to how to go about doing company research!

As complete your research, you'll start developing a bigger picture of the various players, who the market leaders are, who pays the highest salaries, who has the most innovative CEO, who’s shaking things up, and more. It then won’t take you long to identify companies you’d like to work for.

For example, I have two top Berlin-based companies on my list known for their great coaching teams. I now work at one of them!

Once you know who you want to work for, you can scour their site for job openings. Sometimes, you’ll be lucky and see the perfect job right away. Other times, you may see open positions but not one that fits you. You may also see that many German companies welcome getting unsolicited or cold applications (Initiativbewerbung).

Should you send unsolicited job applications when looking for a job in Germany?

YES! If you really vibe with the company and can see yourself working there, go for it!

It’s a known fact that many jobs aren't advertised to the public and the company might just have open roles you wouldn't know about otherwise. Other times, companies might like you so much they go so far as to create a role just for you. While this is very rare, it can happen.

This means you need a really solid job application - including both a cover letter and CV. Lucky for you, we also have detailed guides about how to write a good cover letter and CV.

How do you position yourself in the cover letter when submitting a cold application?

A key difference when writing your cover letter is being able to convince the employer about why you want to work there and how you can help them.

As you won’t have a job description to base your cover letter on, you’ll really need to go into detail about how you can contribute while still tying it into your skills, experience, knowledge, etc.

So make sure you spend a lot of time making a good case giving them lots of reasons about why they should hire you.

Invite Them To A Conversation

In your closing, you can mention that even if they don’t have any open opportunities just yet, you’d welcome an in-person meeting or call. If they’re open to this, it can be a great way to build and keep a relationship with the company and perhaps get a job at a later date.

Do unsolicited applications really work?

I’d keep your expectations to a minimum, as your success will be dependent on numerous factors.

But don’t let that stop you. If you’re keen on working at some place, go ahead, apply, and create a kick-ass job application that is going to make them want to snap you up. If you don't ask for something, you won't get it.

Good companies will see you as a "go getter", someone who's bold and motivated to work for them. These types of companies will go to great lengths to cultivate relationships with potential employees even if they can't hire you just yet.

When You Don't Hear Back

When you submit a cold application, be realistic and know that it could be some time before you hear back from recruiters. They might be busy focusing on filling the open positions.

It’s also possible that you may never hear back and even if that’s the case, keep a watch on their job openings. If you ever see a relevant position pop up, don’t hesitate to apply again.

You can also follow up with them if you haven’t received a reply, but only do so once or twice max. Anything more than that will come across as spammy.

As always, I encourage you to join our community (beyond this newsletter):

Until next time,

Founder - The Berlin Life

Subscribe to The Berlin Life

Share this page