I'm not getting any answers. Does it help to translate things to german?
Doesn't seem to make sense translating.. . I don't want to make them think I speak german...
Whats your opinion on this?
I've been sending my cover letter and CV in english, applying for jobs that are written in german.
Are you able to, say in the mean time, attend classes and grab an A1 or A2 certificate in German / French / Italian in the mean time ?
Once I applied from Australia in English to a Polish employer. The answer was:
Without speaking Polish in Poland, why would anyone hire you ?
Substitute Poland / Polish with Spain / Spanish or Portugal / Portuguese and I think you know it better.
makes no sense at all
edit.. i mean it doesnt make sense applying in german when you cant speak it
If the job description is written in German then why on Earth would you, as a non-German speaker, feel qualified to apply for it?
A good rule is if the advert is in German, then you have to apply in German, and on the job you will be expected to speak German.
If the advert is in English, then you can apply in English.
So don't bother applying until you can speak the language to at least a good tourist level.
It's difficult to write English slower and Louder...
If the job doesn't specifically say they want a german speaking person I think I may have a chance. Of course they are expecting german speaking candidates but what if my skills are better than everyone else's? Some companies may value the skills more than the language, it's up to the recruiter to decide.
That's my answer to the "...why on Earth would you...", you make it sound like I'm doing some very straaaaange thing...
Yes I will begin german classes shortly if all goes well, and will continue to practice my french.
I suspect your chances will be better once you put down A1 for DE / FR under languages.
I once was interviewed by an IT company here. German ( Grundkenntnisse = basic German ) was required and I had just completed 3 months for A1 and stated as such in my CV.
Interview was briefly in DE and went on to English / Denglish. I got the job ( contract ).
I'll go for it...A1...A2.... I will only stop in Z.
Listen, as is usually the case with forums here, my statements can solely be based on the info you provide. Based on your first post, it did appear quite strange, or at the very least a huge waste of time.
Now, with this new information, if you do feel that you have an unusually strong skill or skill set, then I would definitely highlight that in your cover letter. And, if it were me, I would write it in (broken) German to demonstrate that you are making an effort to learn the language and reinforce that with (as has been mentioned) intensive language courses.
I agree that broken german would be better than english.
My french is better than my german. But architecture jobs are all on the german side, for every 50 job offers in architecture 1 is on the french side and the rest on the german side.
I wonder why such disparity.
Sorry can't agree, that is probably the worst thing the OP can do.
Klappern gehoĢrt zum Handwerk. Get your CV translated first and get it professionally translated, makes a good first impression, then when you get an interview make it clear that your German is less than stellar, however you can manage.
I don't think it makes sense to write it in German. Good luck.
As others have said. If the job is written in German, the polite response would be to respond in German. Likewise in French, with French. In English, with English. So you may well need 3 perfectly translated CVs depending on where you are applying.
If you dont speak German, still send your CV in German, BUT put some comment in there about your level. Otherwise, they will assume you are a fluent speaker and will be annoyed to find out otherwise.
I used to screen CVs and the language of the job ad changed depending on the requirements of the job. If someone sent me a CV in a language that differed to that of the advert, the CV would quickly make its way to the bottom of the pile. If I hadn't found the required 5 that fit the bill and we wanted to interview, I might take a cursory glance at the other CVs at the bottom and then contact them to ask them to resend in the required language. But I very rarely ever had to do that.
I'm in no way an expert in architecture, but in CH do you not need to know all the building regulations of the community in which the building will be, which vary from community to community and will be in the local language? On top o this, will you not have to converse with clients and tradesmen. Although they may speak English you may not get the best out of them in their non-native language. There have certainly been threads on here where people have been seeking English-speaking architects, so that they can communicate their wishes properly.