7 application tips for Silicon Valley
#1
Americans spread their applications more widely than Germans, which is why companies receive more applications for one position and can rarely read them all. Personal recommendations are therefore important; For this it is important to build a large professional network.
#2
- To get in touch with interesting institutes or personalities, it is advisable to ask for advice or a contact, but not directly for a job. The technical conversation can definitely turn into a job offer.
#3
- Don't shy away from the requirements of a position, including high GPA scores! You can also apply in the USA if you do not exactly meet all the requirements. It is important to be open about it and make it clear that you are willing to learn and have transferable skills.
#4
- Hiring foreigners is considered a risk for many US companies. The better the language skills and cultural adaptation, the easier it is to find a job. A possible misunderstanding: In the USA, public universities are often equated with worse universities - if necessary, clear up any doubts here. Companies unknown in the USA should be briefly described in the CV (equivalent to company X in the USA, y employees, etc.).
#5
- Job interviews are often structured like expert discussions. You should not only be able to answer questions, but also have several questions ready for different people. In Germany you are often asked about your successes; US recruiters are more likely to want to know how they learned from failure. After a job interview, we recommend sending a thank you email to remind you of yourself.
#6
- Practical experience and volunteer work are highly regarded in the USA. Bachelor's degree programs in the USA are significantly broader than in Germany; If you only have technical courses, you should have looked beyond your own subject in other areas.
#7
- In the USA it is easier to fire an employee without severance pay, but also easier to change jobs yourself. Changing jobs after six months is not a problem on your CV.
7 application tips for Silicon Valley
