Application

What do I need for the application

In Austria you have to pay attention to 4 things when you apply for a job:

1) You need German language skills:

• You can find the best way to learn German here: Learn German.
• Depending on the job, you have to be able to speak little or very good German.
• You should work several hours per day to improve your German language skills.

2) You need the right qualifications:

• If you need a special education in order to practice your job in Austria, you will find that on the website berufsanerkennung.at. Here you can also see what you need to do to get your school and work certificates recognized in Austria.
• If you have no school transcripts, diplomas or working references at this moment, you do not need to worry. Think about how to get them.
  • Can you do an internship at a company to prove your work experience?
  • Can you do this job on a voluntary basis so as to get the necessary transcripts and diplomas? Here you can find more information about voluntary work.
  • Can you make a deal with a company that will cover your training costs and in return you earn less money for the first few months?
• It is possible that you can not practice the job you have learned in your home country in Austria. Instead of despairing and remaining unemployed for the rest of your life, consider alternatives:
  • Think about whether you can do a job where there is a high demand of workers or want to retrain yourself: shortage occupations in Austria (only in German). For these jobs there are too few educated people in Austria. That means you can easily find a job here.
  • Ask the AMS which occupational fields are in great demand at the moment and which ones you could try out with your education.
  • Think about what else you can do! Talk to your Austrian friends to find out which jobs you could do with your skills.
    • Did you study English Literature? Maybe you can work as an English translator.
    • Have you studied physiotherapy? Maybe you can become a masseur.
    • Do you speak very good German? Maybe you can work as an interpreter.
  • Please note that not all requirements and qualifications written down in a job advertisement have to be met. It often suffices if you only fulfil 7 out of 10 requirements. After all, every boss wants the best employee. If nobody has all requirements, then the boss takes the next best candidate…

3) You need a CV:

• What is a CV (in German)?

• It is very important that the beginning of the curriculum vitae says:
  • “Work permit: free access to the labor market”
  • If you wish, you can also send this website with an explanation from the WKO with your application, insert it as a link in the CV or print it and take it with you to the job interview. It says here that every person who has asylum in Austria may work without a permit. Many companies are not very familiar with the laws concerning refugees and may think that they need to organize a work visa for you.
• If you do not have a CV, you can not apply for a job. This means that you will never find a job without a CV. Therefore, it is your personal task and duty to create a CV.
• Ask your AMS advisor or your Austrian friends to help you with the creation and correction of the CV. There must be no spelling or grammatical errors.
• Use Google to see other people’s CVs and adapt your resume. Google for “Resume Austria” (“Lebenslauf Muster Österreich”) and look at the pictures.
• You should print out your resume and always carry it with you. As soon as you pass a shop that is looking for a new employee, you can hand in the resume there immediately.

4) You need a letter of application or letter of motivation:

• In this letter you explain why you really want to do this job and why you will be a great employee.
• Each job application must be adapted to the job advertisement and the company, which is why it takes a lot of time. You should research as much as possible about the company and the job – here you should search the Internet or ask friends.
• Use Google to look at other people’s application letters and be inspired by them. Google for “application letter Austria sample” (“Bewerbungsschreiben Österreich Muster”) and click on pictures.