Bevor Sie eine Initiativbewerbung an ein Unternehmen schicken, ist es ratsam, per Email oder telefonisch Kontakt aufzunehmen, um die Interessenlage zu erkunden und ggf. den Namen des zuständigen Ansprechpartners herauszufinden. Gleichzeitig klären Sie damit auch ein paar Fragen bezüglich der weiteren Vorgehensweise. Eine solche Anfrage per email kann wie folgt aussehen:

Erster Email-Kontakt

Hello,

I am a German student of business administration who is currently seeking an internship in marketing** in the United States.
I am aware that your company is a member of the German American Chamber of Commerce in New York,*** and so I thought you might be interested in hiring international interns. If so, I would like to submit my resume and therefore kindly ask you to let me know the name and email address of your internship coordinator. Also I would appreciate to know if you prefer applications online or on paper.

**in the automobile industry, in public relations, in the software industry, etc.

*** was an exhibitor at the 2004 CEBIT computer fair in Hannover, is a significant manufacturer in the automobile sector, has several offices and manufacturing plants worldwide, etc.

Thank you very much for your cooperation, I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

your name

Erster Telefonkontakt

Für den ersten Telefonkontakt sind hier ein paar typische Sätze und Fragen als Anregung:

Hello, this is Markus Müller from Hannover, Germany. Could I speak to your Internship Coordinator, please?

Could you give me the the name / phone number of the person who is in charge of internships?

When is he available? At what time?

Can I call him this afternoon at about 4 p.m. your time? Or which time would be more convenient for him?

I would like to inquire about internship opportunities. I am a student of business administration in Germany, and I am interested to do an internship in your marketing department. Could I send you my application?

Do you prefer my application by e-mail or by regular mail?

I would like to email my resume. Is that okay? Which email address should I use?

Thank you so much. You've been very helpful. I will send my resume this afternoon.

Falls Sie nach einer Woche keine Antwort auf Ihre Online-Bewerbung haben, haken Sie nach:

I would like to confirm with Mr. XY whether he received my resume.

I would like to clarify the next steps.

Do you need any other information from me?

Weitere Hinweise für Telefonate

• Phone Interview Tipps
• Quick Guide to Interviewing Resources