At the GFZ, we focus on your qualifications, not personal details. Your CV does not require photos, age, or gender, your skills matter most.

1. Tailor It to the Job: Customise your CV for each position, emphasizing the skills and experience relevant to the specific role. Write the full date of your experience e.g. 05/202-06/2013.
2. Clear Structure: Divide your CV in sections like "Experience," "Education," and "Skills" to organise information. Keep it clean and easy to read.
3. Quantify Achievements: Highlight your accomplishments with numbers where possible, e.g., "XXYY" or "managed a team of 5."
4. Use Action Verbs: Start bullet points with strong verbs like "developed," "led," or "designed" to showcase what you have achieved.
5. Keep It Concise: Stick to 1-2 pages and avoid long paragraphs. Focus on relevant details and eliminate unnecessary information.
6. Highlight Key Skills: Create a skills section where you list technical and soft skills that match the job description.
7. Include Keywords: Use keywords from the job description to make your CV more likely to pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS).
8. Professional Formatting: Ensure uniform formatting with consistent fonts, bullet points, and spacing.

Make sure your CV reflects your qualifications, but also tells a compelling story about your professional journey!

Read the job ad carefully, if it mentions that English language skills are necessary, then you can send your CV in English because your skills will be used for working purposes. If the job ad does not mention English as a preferable skill and is only available in German, it's likely that the application should be submitted in German. Remember, your skills and experience are valuable. Even if you're unsure about the language requirements, submitting an application gives you the opportunity to showcase your qualifications and potentially discuss language flexibility.

In most cases, job ads will specify that you need to submit a CV and cover letter. However, some hiring managers may also request additional documents, such as a list of publications or letters of recommendation. If you don’t have all the required documents ready at the time of application, reach out to the hiring manager to ask if it’s possible to apply and submit the missing materials later. Make sure to assure them that you will provide the documents as soon as possible.

If you don't receive a response, don’t hesitate to apply anyway! Sometimes hiring managers are flexible adding to the fact that your experience and qualifications are what matter most.

Anabin is a German database used to assess the equivalency of foreign degrees with German academic qualifications, helping universities and employers determine recognition within the German system. The Anabin certification is an important criterion for determining pay level within the TVöD, Germany’s collective agreement for public sector employees. At the GFZ we use Anabin to verify degrees only after a hiring decision. Note that Anabin does not list all foreign degrees; if a degree is not found, the candidate must request the evaluation from the ZAB (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen).

What information do we collect?

When you upload your CV in the application form, it is processed automatically and stored in the applicant database. The attachments are captured by text recognition software and saved as a PDF for your data record; the original files are deleted. In the case of e-mail applications, all documents sent with the application (cover letter, CV, references) are stored in the applicant management system. If you submit your documents in person or by post, they will first be digitized and also recorded in the system, after which we will return the originals to you immediately.

Who processes your data?

The applicant portal is operated by concludis GmbH, Frankfurter Str. 561, 51145 Cologne. The applicant portal is hosted on servers of the company Hetzner Online GmbH, Industriestr. 25 in 91710 Gunzenhausen. Your CV is automatically processed by the Textkernel parsing tool. The parsing takes place on a server in Germany. Your data will be deleted after the parsing process at Textkernel.

For what purpose will my personal data be processed and to whom will it be forwarded?

Your application data will be processed exclusively by the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences for application purposes. The data will not be passed on to third parties.

Processing and deletion of your data

You have the right to receive information about your data and to correct it. If you would like to change or delete your data or your CV, please contact recruiting@gfz.de.

Your application data will be automatically deleted 120 days after completion of the application process, unless you remove it manually. You can revoke your consent to data processing at any time without any disadvantages. Send your revocation to recruting@gfz.de; your data will then be completely and irrevocably deleted. We reserve the right to discontinue this service at any time or to delete data without giving reasons.

Data security

We take precautions to protect your data and to prevent misuse from outside. Measures such as encryption (SSL encryption), firewalls, hacker defense programs and manual security precautions are used. SSL encryption is active when the key symbol at the bottom of your browser is closed and when the address begins with "httpS://". Please note that JavaScript™ technology is used on our pages.

Data protection officer

For inquiries regarding data protection, please contact the data protection officer of the GFZ:

Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Phone: 0331 288-1052
Email: datenschutzbeauftragter@gfz.de

Right of appeal

Without prejudice to other legal remedies, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority at your place of residence or work if you suspect that your data is being processed unlawfully. You can find an overview of the authorities here: Link to the supervisory authority

If the above link does not work, please copy the following text into the address bar of your browser:
https://www.bfdi.bund.de/DE/Infothek/Anschriften_Links/anschriften_links-node.html