Is It Easy To Get A Job In Germany?

Like with any foreigner who is searching for an employment opportunity in Germany, it can be difficult to know where to begin your job search and whether there are job opportunities for foreigners in this wonderful nation.

Below is an in-depth guide to help you understand whether it is easy to get a job in Germany and some of the best jobs for foreigners in Germany. Also, this guide will familiarize you with several online jobs that are suitable for English speakers residing in Germany. Most importantly, you will get acquainted with the secret to working in Germany even when you lack a decent command of the dominant German language.

So, is it easy to get a job in Germany?

Germany boasts the lowest unemployment rate among the EU nations. The unemployment rate is even lower in Bavaria and other southern parts of the country. Data from the government’s labor department indicates that foreigners from non-EU nations are likely to get employed within the first 12 months after obtaining a German working visa.

Germany is a nation of possibilities, not just for the Germans, but for foreigners as well. The world’s fourth-largest economy is home to some of the best firms and multinationals. Therefore, foreigners stand a chance to get a job in Germany and also settle there while working.

Nevertheless,  finding a job in Germany has become a bit complicated in recent years following a massive influx of refugees, which has been going on since 2015. But chances of getting a job are significantly higher for foreigners with a good education coupled with a vocational qualification. Moreover, foreigners with work experience and a decent knowledge of the German language are better poised to get a job in Germany.

Overly, the demand for skilled workers in various professions is quite high in Germany following a shortage of a skilled workforce. This includes qualified and skilled engineers, health and social workers, and IT specialists. Courtesy of the country’s vibrant manufacturing sector, there is also a huge demand for skilled workers in various manufacturing positions. Germany has a rapidly expanding aging population. As such, skilled foreign workers, especially in health, geriatric and nursing professions, are highly likely to get a job in Germany.

There are also numerous international companies in Germany, such as BMW, Adidas Volkswagen, and Siemens, among others. All these firms require skilled workers to work for them. Therefore, foreigners with relevant qualifications find it easy to secure employment with such companies.

Generally, it is much easier for foreigners to get a job in Germany than in any other country worldwide. Because of the rapid population decline in the country over the years, German firms recruit more foreigners compared to most European nations. Medium-sized and small firms are the country’s driving forces. Such companies employ more migrants than their bigger counterparts.

Foreigners who come from Germany’s trade partners such as the US, France, UK, and Italy are exposed to more employment opportunities in Germany. This is because such foreigners are conversant with the languages that are crucial for collaboration with Germany. Again, this category of foreigners has an easy time getting a work visa in Germany.

Germans are quite traditional when it gets to recruiting. They highly value specialization. The country’s labor market largely favors skilled professionals. As such, generalists have a difficult time getting a job in Germany as opposed to their professional counterparts.

Simply put, the easiness of getting a job in Germany depends on a foreigner’s working experience and level of qualification. The more skilled and qualified you are, the easier it is to get a job in Germany. Having a good command of the German language is an added advantage for foreigners searching for a job in Germany. The predominant German language is used in most industries, and thus foreigners who can speak this language frequently stand high chances of getting decent jobs in Germany.

Also read: Requirements For Studying In Germany

Jobs In Germany For Foreigners

Germany has transformed into a haven for foreigners searching for employment. If you are seeking employment in Germany, you could be interested in knowing what kind of jobs are in store for you. Fortunately, Germany’s job market has opened up to foreigners, especially due to a lack of a skilled workforce. Currently, there are over 1.2 million employment vacancies for foreigners in Germany. These shows they are tremendous job opportunities for foreign workers.

Moreover, the German government recently came up with an Immigration Act that is specifically meant for foreign professionals.  Moving forward, therefore, most sectors will be full of job opportunities for foreigners. Here are some of the sought after jobs in Germany for foreigners.

• Nursing jobs

Germany’s health sector is plagued by a lack of qualified health professionals. The healthcare sector needs approximately 5,000 healthcare professionals, mostly physicians, and nurses.  Foreigners who have undergone medical training have plenty of nursing jobs awaiting them.  Foreigners working in the healthcare sector are eligible to earn between 65,000 euros to 80,000 euros annually.

But before getting employed as a nurse or any healthcare professional, foreigners are required to obtain a medical license. Furthermore, there is a raft of requirements that foreigners aspiring to secure nursing jobs should meet. First, they ought to possess medical qualifications that are equivalent to German qualifications. Secondly, foreigners must also undergo a 3-year vocational program.

• Engineering jobs

Germany’s job market is very favorable to engineers. Foreigners rarely encounter obstacles while searching for engineering jobs in Germany. The German government has put in place measures to enable companies to hire foreign engineers without having to follow lengthy procedures unlike before.  Besides, the government is backing programs meant to hire engineers from abroad, particularly engineers from EU nations.

The chances of a foreigner getting a job in Germany as an engineer depends on their qualifications. Nevertheless, foreigners with prior engineering experience stand high odds of getting high paying engineering jobs. The salary for a foreign engineer is mainly determined by academic qualifications and experience. It further depends on the employer. For instance, smaller engineering firms pay much lower than large engineering firms. But foreign engineers in Germany are paid between 5,840 euros and 14,000 euros on average.

• IT specialist jobs

Foreigners with a specialty in information technology have numerous job opportunities as IT specialists. Considering that Germany is slowly emerging to become the IT hub in Europe, then the demand for IT specialists have skyrocketed over the years.

There is a general shortage of IT skills in Germany, consequently leading to a huge demand for IT professionals. The newly enacted Immigration Act, coupled with the shortage of IT skills, has made it easier for foreign IT specialists to get a job across a wide array of IT-based industries. Foreign IT specialists earn good salaries just like their local counterparts. They mostly earn an annual salary of 37,000 euros to 74,000 euros on average.

• Software developer jobs

The German job market for software developers is thriving, and it has grown in leaps and bounds. Germany is a great country for foreign software developers, thanks to the numerous opportunities for software developers. Findings from the country’s Federal Employment Agency indicated that vacancies for software developers and programmers could remain open for hundreds of days before getting filled since there are very few professionals in this field. There are also minimal restrictions on foreign developers striving to get a job in Germany.  Software developers in Germany enjoy high salaries compared to most professionals in other fields. On average, software developers are paid between 37,000 euros and 64,000 euros.

Unskilled jobs for foreigners

Besides massive skilled jobs for foreigners in Germany, there are also unskilled jobs for foreigners with no relevant skills and qualifications. Some of the common unskilled jobs include general labor jobs, machine operators, cleaners, gardeners, and gatekeepers, among others. However, foreigners are also required to get work visas for them to secure any unskilled jobs in Germany.

Online jobs in Germany for English speakers

Although the German language is Germany’s dominant language, English speakers can still find a host of online jobs that are suitable for them. Still, tons of websites in Germany offer jobs specifically for English speakers. Even if you fail to get a job in Germany due to the language barrier, you can take advantage of these German online jobs below if you are an English speaker or if you hail from any English-speaking nation.

• Graphic designer

If you possess graphic design skills, several German websites offer English-speakers with graphic design opportunities.  Germany has tons of online job opportunities for graphic designers. Below are some of the web design websites in Germany which you can sign with as an English speaker and start working almost instantly.

• 3 Media Web-the web design website specializes in web development, web design, and digital growth. Most of the clients on this website are small and medium-sized businesses. The website has gained popularity not just for being among the best web design websites for English speakers, but also for being a topnotch web design provider.
• But to join the platform, you must have a great web design and development skills at your fingertips. The best thing about joining this website is that there are plenty of English-speaking clients, and thus you won’t experience any sort of language barrier while interacting with them.
• Bachoo– Bachoo is another platform that is excellent for English-speakers with web design skills. Apart from web design, the website also accepts members with app design and app development skills. The five-year-old website has been working with top German clients, including Airfox, Mercedes AMG, and Polibious, among others.
• DockYard, Inc. -The digital agency offers plenty of jobs to English-speakers with app and web design skills. But to join this platform, you strictly need exceptional web design services.

• IT jobs

Any English-speaking IT specialist won’t have trouble getting an online job in Germany, thanks to the numerous IT-based websites that accept applications from English-speakers with impeccable IT skills. These German websites here are an ideal starting point for English-speaking IT experts.

• Webentwickler-jobs.de– the website offers IT and tech experts massive employment opportunities. The website is also a haven for front-end engineers and web developers. Whether you have a specialty in software engineering, interface design, or app development, this website is a haven for all IT-related jobs.
• Softwareentwickler-jobs-de– this website is a great place for IT experts, including software developers. It brings together a community of English speaking IT experts ranging from interface designers, IT administrators to system engineers.
• GULP– the website offers specialized IT services in the field of IT. English-speaking IT specialists can find tons of projects here. The site is great for both seasons and novice IT experts alike since they are at liberty to pick projects that suit their experience.

• English teaching jobs

English teaching jobs are probably the best online jobs for English-speaking foreigners living in Germany. Even if most people prefer taking German lessons to help them conform to the country’s cultural aspects, there are still countless people that are interested in learning English as their second language.  Despite there being an influx of sites that offer English courses, English-speakers aspiring to get a job in Germany as online English tutors have to obtain certification first. After certification, you can start offering English learning courses such as TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA.

• Content writer

Content writing is also among the popular online jobs among English-speakers in Germany. Content writers are required to work remotely under a flexible schedule. Content writers with English, German, and bilingual language skills are in high demand.  Content writers can also work for different sites that offer content writing services in Germany.

In a nutshell, there are tons of online jobs for English-speakers in Germany. The trick, however, is getting an online job that suits your experience and your level of creativity.

Work In Germany Without Speaking German

Although Germany is a popular destination for foreigners striving to make a good living, the language barrier itself can make life in Germany difficult for non-German speaking foreigners. If you aspire to get a job in Germany and you are wondering how to work there without speaking the German language, it is worth understanding that there are several possibilities for foreigners like you.  Here is a simple way of coping with life while working in Germany, even if you don’t speak German.

• Go for jobs that don’t require you to speak in German

While looking for jobs in Germany, it is always a brilliant idea to search for jobs that don’t require you to speak in German. Several jobs don’t require you to have any German speaking skills. For instance, you can first try pet sitting, cooking, cleaning, and mystery shopping. Even if you are a skilled foreigner with an awesome skillset needed to work with the best German companies, you might have trouble searching for a decent job that matches your qualifications if you don’t speak German. And since you can’t learn a foreign language like German in an overnight, going for non-German speaking positions is truly the best idea for you.

• Understand the legal issues in Germany

Every country has its set of legal issues, with Germany not being an exception. Understanding the legal issues in Germany before setting foot in the country is vital. For instance, familiarize yourself with the relevant paperwork and documents you need to stay and get a job in Germany.

Foreigners are required to hand lots of documents before getting permission to start working in Germany. Again, the German legal process varies significantly from one set of foreigners to the other. For instance, EU citizens, including foreigners from Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, aren’t supposed to get any work permits for them to get a job in Germany. All they need is a valid national ID or a passport.

But for non-EU foreigners, they must first get a residence title from the authorities, especially if they plan to reside in Germany for over 90 days. Next, this category of foreigners needs to get a work visa for them to secure a job in Germany. Moreover, they will need to obtain a residence permit after staying in Germany for over 90 days.

The more you acquaint yourself with these legal issues in advance, the more you will face fewer legal hurdles while securing a job in Germany. As such, pay attention to the legal issues that revolve around working and staying in Germany before coming into the country.

• Find a job in global companies and multinationals operating in Germany

The beauty of Germany is that there are tons of globally renowned multinationals and firms operating in the country. Most of these companies have a significant number of English-speaking employees working with them. If you are a skilled and qualified foreigner, you can try getting a job with such companies. This allows you to join a group of fellow English-speaking foreigners whom you can be interacting with while working in Germany. It will be a huge relief since you won’t have to struggle with the language barrier in the long-run.

• Learn basic German

While the German language is among the most difficult European languages, you can still learn the basics of this language with time. For instance, learn how to greet people in German and how to say basics words such as food, places, and things. This will simplify your life in Germany, and best of all, you won’t fall victim to the language barrier, which affects so many foreigners. Luckily, you necessarily don’t have to attend a college to learn German.  You just have to choose a credible German learning site and start familiarizing yourself with the language.

Also read: Adventurous Things to Do in Germany

Conclusion

Still, concern whether it is easy to get a job in Germany as a foreigner? It all depends on the job you want and your qualifications. If you are qualified, for instance, getting a job in Germany will be easy. But generally, it isn’t difficult to get jobs in Germany since it is a country of endless opportunities!