Why doesn't anyone accept me even though I have a 1.8 average (engineering student)?
Hello,
I am studying Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering in the 8th semester
I've submitted countless applications for student jobs and, unfortunately, have only received rejections so far. My grades are generally good.
I really don't want to throw this out there, but I'm starting to fear that all the rejections have something to do with the fact that I'm not European/German.
For comparison, a friend who has a GPA of 2.7 and isn't as far along in his studies, and doesn't have the internship experience I already have, has significantly more to offer.
The rejections are always the same old phrases without any real explanation… well, I don't know what to do anymore.
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Have you tried his cover letter and changed only your information (name, semester, etc.)? Maybe your application just isn't as good as his.
Yes, racism can play a role, but there can also be many other reasons. For example, they might wonder why you're only looking for something "now" when many others are applying in earlier semesters. Or the companies might prefer your friend's hobbies and other appearance.
This is normal, and almost all companies do it these days. Simply because too many people, after being told the real reason, felt discriminated against and filed a lawsuit. And unfortunately, this doesn't just affect those who were actually discriminated against, but too many others as well, which is why hardly any company answers honestly anymore. Simply out of self-protection.
What rarely works is contacting them shortly after the rejection and asking what you could have done better. With luck, someone will respond honestly and even take the time to answer.
There's certainly more to say if we knew your application in detail. Because it's not just about your grade point average.
Possible causes could be:
– You apply to companies that simply aren't looking for a student trainee
– The companies you contact are looking for a working student for a longer period of time than you will still be a student.
– You make excessive demands in your application.
– Your application is unattractively structured (hard to read due to incorrect formatting, many spelling mistakes, unpleasant tone of voice, etc.) or it is missing documents or boring with far too many details and attachments.
My tip: Have someone else review your application, such as your friend who was more successful despite a lower grade. Ask for honest feedback. Don't sugarcoat it. If you're allowed to, take a look at their applications and ask if they simply sent something or if they had contacted you beforehand.
That's it.
I copied my friend's application. His application is actually mine. And they're identical.
But thanks for the answer anyway. I'll probably have to revise it again.
Hey, I think racism is rather unlikely.
Sure, it might be possible for one or two companies, but on a large scale? These days? In which federal state?
There is such a high demand for skilled workers that the circumstances are no longer important; the main thing is that the employee can do something.
So you're rejected outright, without an interview? I suspect there's something seriously wrong with your application.
Thanks to a shortage of skilled workers, even spelling and other issues are now being generously overlooked.
What I know is that young professionals hear that a mechanical engineer (or whatever) earns €90,000 a year and then write that in their application as their desired salary.
In doing so, young professionals forget that they are beginners and that slightly higher salaries are only possible with experience.
I've seen some young professionals who had salary expectations like someone with 10 years of experience xD
However, they are quickly rejected because "is half enough for you?" is a strange basis for negotiation.
I also know someone who had such high salary expectations and then preferred to remain unemployed for years because he was desperate to earn his 80,000 – as a beginner. In the end, someone like that doesn't get a job at all because he "never worked" and his training was too long ago. Crazy world.
greeting
First of all, I am always shocked by the kind of courses that are created for which there is probably no real need.
So you're studying "Industrial Engineering, specializing in Mechanical Engineering, B.Sc." The standard period of study is seven semesters, and the internship is supposed to take place in the seventh semester?
Source: Industrial Engineering, Specialization in Mechanical Engineering, B.Sc. – RWTH AACHEN UNIVERSITY – German (rwth-aachen.de)
Sorry, but if you're two semesters over, your grade doesn't matter unless you get around it in another way.
Why don't you apply where you already did your internship?
If necessary, just ask your professors. In my time, some of us got our internships through our professors.
Are you aware that you no longer need a personal photo for applications? And how about simply calling ahead and not putting everything in writing?
There are people in my program who have studied for 12 semesters or more.
I find it a bit of a shame that you create such "pressure" by using the standard period of study as a measure
As my parents used to say: "And if the others jump off the bridge, will you jump after them?"
If grades were to be taken before the standard period of study, then the pressure would only be shifted. Now imagine that from the perspective of an employer –> no student who hasn't already done practical work beforehand will start their studies with 100% leadership. They all have to be trained, regardless of their grades. Of course, some more than others. Who would you prefer: someone who grits their teeth and sees it through, or someone who clearly just needs more time for certain things?
In my experience, very few of the young engineers I've met and worked with have been truly productive after completing their studies. And grades are completely irrelevant.
Have you sought advice on your cover letter or compared it with successful friends?
It is also important to have a visually appealing presentation of the application documents, freedom from linguistic errors and similar formalities.
Did you apply to the same companies as your friends who got accepted?
I think that's rather unlikely.
Yes, exactly. We both always apply to the same company.
As mentioned in another comment, I even wrote down his application.
They are identical..
Are the applications formally identical, including paper, folder, decoration?
Regarding your assumption: How can one tell that you are not German?
Egyptian with Ghanaian roots. That means I also have darker skin and a foreign last name… but my first name is Jonas.
I know, a wild mix
Hmm, I'm surprised, but maybe you're right. I can't imagine it that way.
What kind of ethnic background is this?
From my name. This is also revealed by sublingual knowledge.
And yes, as I said, the applications are identical. I created them because he wasn't so good at it.
We cannot know the answer to your questions.
Yes, I have heard of cases where HR people said, "I would like to work with you, but I don't know how to communicate that to the team/employees, etc."
Such statements are also said to have been made regarding women in natural sciences.
The much more interesting point is how to deal with it?
Some recommend "Vitamin B" others recommend self-employment/assignments as a freelancer .
Without really knowing the cause, solving the problem is difficult, as unsatisfying as that may be.
What exactly are you studying? Industrial Engineering or Mechanical Engineering? Or both? In your 8th semester, yes, oh well, so I wouldn't even consider you as a student trainee.
Industrial engineering with a focus on mechanical engineering
It's an engineering degree. Almost no one completes it in the standard period of study. Actually, I'm still in my seventh semester and am now entering my eighth semester.
To be accepted as a working student, you should at least complete the course within the standard period of study; employers value this.
Let's keep it formal. No need to get personal right away.
I am not a know-it-all and if it came across that way, then it was not intentional
I am only saying what my lecturers and other fellow students have told me.
But I refrain from such answers
It's precisely because you're such a know-it-all (and clueless) that you won't get a job. 10 semesters for a master's degree might be okay, or for a diploma, but your performance is definitely not sufficient to warrant support from an employer.
No, that's not true.
Grades are truly more important. That's what my lecturer told me when I asked for advice. And many students who have even completed 10 or more semesters will confirm this.
Maybe your application is simply poorly written.
Maybe your application documents are simply bad.
I even wrote his application for him…
That is hardly the reason
Being a working student doesn't do any good anymore anyway.
you have to apply for jobs.
It must be a working student job because as a student you are not allowed to work more than 20 hours
You can also do something else while you are still studying.
I don't see it that way. Of course, it's better to work and gain experience in an area that's close to your future job. But I don't think having worked in a different industry leads to a downgrade.
If I were an employer, I would rather hire an applicant who has already worked somewhere rather than someone who has no experience of working life at all.
In a job interview, however, if asked why I worked elsewhere, I wouldn't answer "Because I couldn't find a job in other fields," but rather "Because I simply wanted to gain a broad range of experience. And that's much easier while you're a student than with a full-time job."
Which in turn would be seen as "bad" on your CV because you haven't worked in that field and so the vicious circle would continue haha.
But thanks for the answer anyway