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Find a Job You Love in Germany
Start your job search on the right foot with career coaching.
Book a FREE 15-minute discovery call to find out if our career coaching services are right for you.
Cheryl Howard
Why You Should Work With Cheryl
Cheryl’s a Canadian who’s been living in Berlin for 10+ years. She’s held a number of different visas and worked as both a freelancer and a permanent employee for various companies. She even found a new job during the pandemic and again in 2023 during the recession and tech layoffs. That said, she knows what it takes to find a job in Berlin.
Cheryl’s also worked as a hiring manager and knows what German companies want from their candidates. She’s seen the common mistakes that people make on their job applications and during interviews. Cheryl knows that people often don’t match the person on their CVs, as they’re usually way more amazing.
Cheryl’s here to help you you bring out your best self in your job applications and interviews.
What People Are Saying
Testimonials
This (CV) feedback is golden for me! I feel like this will place me in a better standing as a candidate! This a great service and helps me feel more confident in the process of moving. Thank you so much for the work that you do.
Dayna, Los Angeles
I hate writing resumes. Thankfully Cheryl made the experience much better. I’m confident my new CV will bring me many new opportunities. Thank you Cheryl!
Victor T, Toronto
Thanks for all your help in building my CV and cover letter and for the interview practice. It’s a vital service you offer in my opinion. I’ve been on the hunt for a job in Germany and I really hadn’t a clue what I was doing until I got in contact with The Berlin Life and I can’t overstate how helpful it has been for me. I feel a lot more clear and confident in my search. Thanks again!
Luke, Germany
I 100% recommend working with Cheryl. She is professional, understanding and a pleasure to work with. Job hunting can be disheartening and Cheryl’s coaching sessions made me feel more confident! I also strongly recommend subscribing to the newsletter!
Cécile Maurice, Berlin
I had a very favorable experience with Cheryl in this coaching session. She brought up some strong arguments and offered very helpful tips for the improvement of my cover letter. She provided a PDF with more detailed information on every aspect of my letter, including small details that I never thought needed improving. Now I feel much more confident with my job search and I’m confident that my letter is as strong as it can be.
Nicolas, Berlin
Cheryl played a crucial role in refining and enhancing my CV. While my resume was satisfactory, Cheryl’s expertise and strategic insights brought significant improvements. Her ability to view my professional history objectively allowed for precise adjustments and optimizations that I wouldn’t have identified on my own. I highly recommend Cheryl to anyone seeking to tailor their CV for the German market. With her assistance, I am confident that my job search will yield better results.
Rosana, Berlin
Paola, Berlin
Thank you Cheryl for in-depth analysis, valuable insights and direct suggestions for updating my CV, this is exactly what I was looking for. Everything is clear and to the point. I’m glad I have reached out, as it saved me a lot of time on researching the topic. Thank you!“
Vitaly, San Francisco
Are you applying to German companies and finding that you’re not getting any responses?
There are a number of reasons why this happens. Honestly, we could talk about this over coffee (or beers!) for a really long time.
A lot of it boils down to people not knowing how to present themselves in their job applications. Sometimes it’s due to English being a second language and more often than not, people downplay their skills, education, experience, and more.
I can help you create a job application that will get you noticed by German employers.
We can work together to create a job application that will land you interviews. Through coaching sessions, we can talk about how to best showcase your skills, education, and experience. We’ll examine the types of roles you’re applying for and decide how to position you for the job. Also, there are probably things you haven’t thought about even putting on your CV that may be important to add.
By the end of the coaching session, you’ll have a draft CV or cover letter that you can use for all future job applications. Not only that, you’ll know how to customize it as well.
Coaching Services
Cover Letter Coaching – €90
By the end of our 50 min session, you’ll have:
- Detailed feedback via a workbook about how to improve your current cover letter
- Our call to review the workbook together, discuss the feedback, and how to apply it using my proven method
- A complimentary review from me once you’ve drafted your cover letter
- A bonus 10% discount for a future coaching session
- Ability to come to me anytime for follow-up questions and advice (lifetime support)
CV Coaching – €90
By the end of our 50 min session, you’ll have:
- Detailed feedback via a workbook about how to improve your current CV, plus a list of relevant resources
- Our call to review the workbook together, discuss the feedback, and how to implement it
- Knowledge about how to approach your CV in the future
- A complimentary review from me once you’ve drafted your new CV
- A bonus 10% discount for a future coaching session
- Ability to come to me anytime for follow-up questions and advice (lifetime support)
Interview Coaching – €90
Are you about to have your very first job interview in Germany? Are you feeling nervous, unsure about what to expect, and curious to know more about the norms of interviews in Germany? Sessions will be catered to individual needs and we can cover some of the following things:
- Discuss what to expect in German job interviews, as well as success tips
- Develop your responses to typical interview questions like the time-old, “Tell me about yourself” including how to structure your answers
- Practice answering questions together through a mock interview format, with me providing observations and suggestions
- Answer any questions or concerns that you have
- Ability to come to me anytime for follow-up questions and advice (lifetime support)
How Coaching Sessions Work
1) Once you book a session and complete payment, you’ll receive a link so you can book a date and time.
2) A minimum of one week prior to the meeting (it’s best to send this info on the same day of booking), you’ll send me your CV or cover letter, so I can start preparing. Let me know what type(s) of positions you’re applying for and if possible, share link to relevant job postings.
3) My preparation includes the creation of a personalized coaching workbook where I deep dive into your CV or cover letter and provide extensive feedback, like design/content suggestions, things for us to further discuss, things for your to explore, and more.
4) To make the most of our time together, kindly arrive at our session on time and make sure you’re at your computer in a quiet, distraction-free environment.
5) When we meet, we’ll review the workbook together and discuss certain areas in greater depth. Based on our discussions, I’ll offer further feedback and suggestions. As we undertake this exercise together, you’ll learn how to structure a CV or cover letter on your own, in an easy-to-understand, step-by-step manner.
6) At the session’s end, you’ll have a better understanding of how to position yourself in German job applications. You’ll also walk away with a workbook (forever yours to keep) to guide you in creating the next version of your CV or cover letter.
7) As an added bonus, after revising your CV or cover letter, you can send it to me for a free review.
Note – this option is only available for 30 calendar days after our coaching session.
Career Coaching FAQ
1) Should CV and cover letter coaching sessions be booked separately?
Yes. Both involve a different process and based on my approach, it would be impossible to cover both topics in a single session.
2) How many sessions should I book?
If you wish to create a complete job application, book two sessions – one for a cover letter review and another for a CV review. If you want help getting ready for job interviews, you can also book one or more sessions for that too.
3) What does an interview coaching session look like?
Interview coaching sessions are customized based on your needs. We can do a mock interview together, work on appropriate answers to common questions, or talk about the general things to expect from German job interviews. If you purchase interview coaching, we’d meet once before our session to discuss your specific requirements and agree on an agenda together.
4) I'm unsure about booking a session. Can I speak with you first?
Yes, I offer free 15-minute discovery calls where we can address your questions, discuss how I can help you, and review in more detail how the process works. Note that discovery calls are only for those interested in booking a coaching session and are not available for quick reviews or mentor hours.
5) Do you offer discounts?
If you’re in a tight spot financially, get in touch and we can discuss a small discounted rate. Be aware that I don’t offer my services for free or in exchange for something. I also don’t work with the job center at this time.
6) Do you offer refunds?
All bookings are final. If I receive your CV and cover letter and feel that no improvements need to be made, I’ll happily issue a full refund.
7) Can I reschedule a coaching session?
You can reschedule once if you provide 24 hours’ notice. Please get in touch with me right away so we can schedule a new date and time.
8) What happens if I don't show up to the appointment?
A coach<> client relationship needs to be based on mutual trust and respect. This means you need to be invested in the process and take it seriously. If you don’t show up for our appointment, I’ll give you one chance to reschedule. Failure to show up a second time or provide the required 24-hour notice of cancellation will result in the termination of our working relationship.
9) Do you offer sessions in person?
Most sessions are done online via Google Meet. If you’re in Berlin, we can also talk about meeting in person. 😊
10) What payment methods do you accept?
At the moment, payment is only possible with a credit card. If you don’t have one, email me and we’ll work out something else using Paypal, Wise, or a bank transfer. Payment must be received in full before our work together starts.
11) Can you write my CV or cover letter for me?
I don’t write cover letters or CVs for clients. However, I can provide expert guidance through feedback and/or coaching.
12) I need my job application reviewed ASAP. Do you do rush jobs?
As The Berlin Life is a side hustle for me (in addition to my full-time job), there is a minimum turnaround time of one week for all services, be it career coaching, a job application review, or a mentor hour.