What German recruiters scan first on a Lebenslauf
The first thirty seconds of screening often decide whether your application moves forward. Here is what typically gets checked.
Field notes
Guides from the application desk
Short articles on how German employers read documents and profiles — written for candidates mid-search, not for generic productivity advice.
Anschreiben that answers the vacancy, not your biography
A strong German cover letter is short, specific, and anchored to the posting — not a second CV in paragraph form.
Xing versus LinkedIn when targeting German employers
Many German recruiters still live on Xing while international teams lean on LinkedIn. Positioning both without contradiction matters.
Explaining a career break to a German hiring panel
Breaks for caregiving, relocation, study, or health are common. How you frame them on paper and in interview changes the conversation.