Greg is the co-founder of GermanTechJobs.de.
This guide assists you find a task in Berlin, from discovering job listings to your very first day at work.
On this page
1. Before your job search Can you operate in Germany?
Do you require to speak German?
How long does it take to get hired?
Salaries in Germany
General job search
English-speaking tasks
Tech jobs
Creative jobs: media, interactions, employment design
Startup tasks
Internships, employment temperature work and minijobs
Freelance work
Restaurant tasks
German resumes
Cover letters
The phone screen
The technical interview
Meet the team
Salary negotiation
The task agreement
Things your employer needs
Things you should understand
Career coaching
Before your job search
Can you work in Germany?
If you are not a person of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you need a residence permit to work in Germany. You can get a work visa or a Blue Card, for example. There might be a minimum income or education requirement.
Do you need to speak German?
No, employment however it helps. You can discover English-speaking tasks, but many companies desire German speakers.
If you do not speak German, you can still discover jobs in ...
Tech companies
- Companies with English-speaking offices
- Delivery services like Lieferando, Wolt and Flink
- Customer support and call centres
- Restaurants and bars
Do you require to speak German in Berlin?
The length of time does it require to get employed?
A couple of months. Even if you discover a task rapidly, the working with process is very slow.
Know just how much you ought to earn, and just how much taxes you should pay. This assists you work out a better wage.
Calculate your income tax
1. Search for jobs
General job search
Indeed.com - Job search engine. You can filter by language and set alerts.
LinkedIn - Networking site with a big jobs area. Popular.
Jobsuche der Bundesagentur (in German) - Run by the Agentur für Arbeit
Talent Berlin - Run by the state of Berlin. You can't filter by language.
HeyJobs - Job listing site. Made in Berlin.
ArbeitNow - Job listing site. Made in Berlin.
Jobted
Xing - Similar to LinkedIn. You can't filter by language.
Glassdoor - Company evaluations, income reports and task listings. You require an account.
English-speaking jobs
These websites just have English-speaking tasks, or let you filter by language:
Berlin Startup Jobs - Most tasks are in English-speaking offices
Englishjobs.de - Only English-speaking jobs
JobsInBerlin.eu - You can filter jobs by language
Germany Startup Jobs - You can filter jobs by language and wage
The Local jobs - Run by a popular English-speaking newspaper
Jobted
English-speaking jobs in Berlin - Facebook group, 89,000+ members
English jobs in Berlin - Facebook group, 43,000+ members
Tech jobs
GermanTechJobs - You can filter by language and innovation.
Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking jobs in startups and tech companies
Administrator/ Web Entickler/ Entwickler Jobs - German-speaking tech tasks
Imagine Foundation - They assist software developers from establishing countries discover a task and get employed
Creative tasks: media, communications, style
dasauge (in German) - Media-related jobs
Mediengestalter Jobs (in German) - Creative tasks
Startup tasks
Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking jobs in startups and tech business
Startup Sucht (in German).
tbd * job board (in German) - tbd * is a site for business owners. You can filter by language.
Wellfound - International start-up task website.
Germany Startup Jobs - You can filter jobs by language and income.
Berlin Startup Jobs - Facebook group, 56,000+ members.
Berlin Startup Jobs, Internships & Co-founders - Facebook group, 14,000+ members
Internships, temperature work and minijobs
Zenjobs.
BSIG - Berlin Startup Internships - Facebook group, 10,000+ members.
Foreign Young Professionals in Berlin - Facebook group, 8,000+ members.
Jobsuche der Bundesagentur (in German) - Run by the Agentur für Arbeit. Has a filter for internships.
Adecco (in German) - Large temperature work agency.
Manpower (in German) - Large temp work agency.
Randstad (in German) - Large temp work company.
Craigslist - Most job listings are for dining establishments and cafés
Freelance work
Berlin Freelancers - Facebook group, 25,000+ members
Restaurant jobs
Berlin Food Stories - Restaurant tasks in Berlin.
Huntler - English-speaking restaurant jobs in Berlin
2. Make an application for jobs
German resumes
German CVs are longer than American resumes. They include your date of birth, your citizenship and a photo of you.1 You must go to a photo studio and get an expert picture for your resume. A career coach can assist you compose a better resume.
Useful links:
How to write a German resume - HalloGermany.
German resume examples - Imagine structure.
Resume checklist - Imagine foundation.
Lingoking - Translate your resume to German
Cover letters
Include a short cover letter (Anschreiben) with your application. It's an individual introduction. It discusses who you are, what you do, why you get this job, and why they should hire you.
Don't send the very same cover letter to everyone. Do your research study, and personalise the letter for each task deal. Keep it brief and easy to read. Get feedback from other individuals before you send it. A profession coach can assist you write better cover letters.
How to compose a German cover letter - HalloGermany.
Advice for cover letters with examples - Hacker News
3. The task interview
In Germany, the interview procedure is very long. It can take a few weeks, and even a few months. You might have several interviews with different people. It depends on the business and the task. You require a great deal of time for this.
The phone screen
The interview procedure starts with a short call. A recruiter or employing manager will ask you a few concerns. They will attempt to comprehend who you are, what you desire, and how you fit the job offer. It's an easy check before they invite you for an interview.
How to prepare - Imagine Foundation
The technical interview
Most tech companies have technical interviews or coding difficulties. They validate that you know how to do your task.
Technical interviews are different at every company. They may ask you technical concerns, ask you to fix an issue throughout the interview, or complete a technical challenge at home. Some business don't have technical interviews.
Meet the group
Most companies have a team interview. You meet your future group to see if you work well together. This interview is more relaxed. You might simply talk with the team, or have lunch together.
4. The job offer
After your interview, the business can make a job deal.
Salary negotiation
After you get the job offer, you can work out a better income. You can also ask for things like a moving benefit or more holiday days.
in Germany
The job agreement
Read your task contract thoroughly. If your company assured something to you during the interview, validate that it's in your agreement. Only sign the contract if you agree with whatever. Send the signed agreement by email or by post.
If you are uncertain about your contract, request for help or speak to an attorney.
5. Get a home license
If you are not a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you need a home permit to live in Germany. Sometimes, you should wait on your residence authorization to begin working. It can take a few months.
How to get a home permit
If you currently have a house permit, you may need the Ausländerbehörde's authorization to alter tasks. Sometimes, you can begin your brand-new job instantly. Sometimes, you should wait on your brand-new residence authorization. This can take a couple of weeks.
How to change jobs
6. Start working
Things your company requires
During your first month at a brand-new company, your company needs a couple of things:
A bank account.
Your employer will pay you by bank transfer. For this, you need a checking account that supports SEPA transfers. Any European savings account will work.
Your tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer).
You get a tax ID when you register your address for the very first time. If you can't register your address, you can still get a tax ID. If you can't get a tax ID, you can still start working. - More details.
Your health insurance number (Krankenversicherungsnummer).
You get a Krankenversicherungsnummer 2 to 7 days after you choose health insurance coverage. Your company requires this number to take health insurance coverage payments from your income. Your employer can select health insurance coverage for you, employment however it's a bad concept. Ask a broker to help you select, it's free.
Your social insurance number (Sozialversicherungsnummer).
If you have public health insurance, you get this number immediately in the mail. If you have personal health insurance coverage, you must get it. Your company can sometimes help you with this. - How to get a social insurance number
Your employer can't need an address registration certificate.5
Things you should understand
In Germany, the majority of people are paid once per month, normally on the 1st or 15th day of the month. You get your first income after 30 or 45 days after you start working. You generally get paid by bank transfer.
Most workers in Germany are paid by bank transfer as soon as monthly, on the very first day of the month.4 Your company takes income tax, health insurance, pension insurance and unemployment insurance from your paycheck.
Income tax calculator
How taxes work
During your very first 6 months at a brand-new business, you are in your probation period (Probezeit). 2 During that time, it's easier to get fired. It's also harder to discover a home, since you do not have a stable job.
How does the probation period work?
All employees in Germany make money trip days, and paid sick leave. You don't deal with public holidays, but you still earn money.
How to take holidays
What to do when you are sick
7. Make a tax statement
Many of your job search expenses are tax-deductible:3
Relocation costs
If you move closer to your new job, you can subtract your moving costs
Job search costs
Coaching, resume writing, expert pictures, translations, printing costs, job search services ...
Travel costs.
Fuel, train tickets, hotels, meals and parking charges to go to job interviews.
If you started operating in the middle of the year, you probably paid too much salary tax. Make a tax declaration to decrease your income tax, and get some cash back.
Need assistance?
Where to get assist about work
Career training
These individuals can assist you get employed. For example, they can evaluate your resume and cover letter. Their cost is tax-deductible.
