LITHUANIA | Internship: At work | Applying for an internship
Applying for an internship or a job vacancy
You are well advised to use any contacts (your network) you might have to find a job in Lithuania. Sending a speculative application to the local office in which you would like to work is a reasonably successful strategy in Lithuania. Lithuanian employers value a good academic background, linguistic and computer skills and an understanding of business. An important piece of advice is to learn Lithuanian, for this is an obvious advantage when applying for a job in Lithuania.
In general, a letter of application should create enough interest to make the potential employer want to look at your application in more detail and hopefully invite you for an interview. Your application letter, however, should not provide too much information about experience and qualifications; this will be provided in your CV. It should focus on why you are applying for the particular position. In Lithuania, when personal contacts lead to an application, the first phase of having to write an application letter is often replaced by less formal telephone or e-mail contact. The cover letter in Lithuania should be short (maximum one page) and typed.
The key focus of your CV should be to persuade the employer to invite you for an interview. Therefore your CV is a marketing tool, which should be adapted to the market in which you intend to use it. In Lithuania, educational experience is briefly discussed. Only relevant education is mentioned. It is important to mention your English skills on your CV. Languages are considered very important in Lithuania. Besides Lithuanian, Russian is widely spoken. It is important to pay attention to the layout and make sure your CV is well structured and focussed. Each item is briefly discussed, almost in a ‘shopping list’ format. Mention your skills in your CV. Do also mention (relevant) membership of associations and/or clubs. It’s becoming more popular to apply for a job via the internet.
An interview
You should realise that interviews are the most important part of the application procedure in Lithuania. It is important to look interested, therefore ask questions during the interview. It is good to provide examples to prove your achievements. Never sit down until invited to do so at a job interview in Lithuania. Do not forget to bring copies of your diplomas and references to the interview and never criticise former employers. Furthermore, do not exaggerate, but stay calm and stick to the facts.
Useful websites for the CV writing
http://www.cvmarket.lt/career.php?menu=1&lastmenu=22&text_id=561&career_style=
Useful websites for the preparation of a cover letter
http://www.cvmarket.lt/career.php?menu=1&lastmenu=23&text_id=30
http://www.isidarbink.lt/?laiskas
Examples of CV and cover letter