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Local Germany
22-05-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Five hard truths foreign job seekers in Germany need to know
Estimates suggest that the number of unfilled work positions in Germany runs comfortably into the hundreds of thousands, and this is particularly acute in areas such as tech, construction, healthcare, and education. These well-publicised labour shortages, as well as government policies designed to attract skilled workers (often accompanied by well-funded promotional campaigns), paint a picture of Germany as a country ready and willing to welcome skilled migrants with open arms. The reality for many foreign job seekers arriving in Germany can be dramatically different. Here are five hard truths for job seekers who have just arrived in the country -- or are planning to come soon. 1) Applying from abroad is unlikely to work The Make it in Germany website provides an excellent overview for foreign job seekers, covering everything from qualification recognition to visa options, income requirements, available support, and the sectors most urgently in need of new workers. While it is technically possible to apply for work in Germany from abroad, as the website indicates, in practice your chances of finding a good job rise exponentially if you're actually in the country. Advertisement In part, this is because German working culture still puts a lot of emphasis on face-to-face meetings (applicants who can attend interviews in person have a clear advantage over applicants interviewing online). But mostly, it's because employers are likely to follow the path of least resistance. Faced with two candidates for a position with similar skills and qualifications, most will opt for the candidate who is already nearby and already has permission to work in Germany. If you are applying from abroad – and need a firm offer of employment before you can apply for a visa – make sure you're up front about this during the application process. Typically, you will need a job description from your future employer as well as a contract. Once you have these documents, securing a work visa takes around two to four weeks in the majority of cases. READ ALSO: How many skilled worker visas are being granted in Germany? 2) Do your homework – and try and keep your expectations under control Whatever you might have heard or read on the internet, people who arrive in Germany and simply walk into their dream job are about as rare as hens' teeth. There are open positions in Germany, which do offer good wages and long-term security, but they no longer come as standard, and finding one is more often the result of good preparation than good fortune. Do your research. While there are significant labour shortages in Germany, many companies and organisations – including in the sectors experiencing shortages – are currently laying off staff and putting a freeze on hiring. In public sector education and healthcare roles, for example, budgets are prohibitively tight. In heavy industry and auto manufacturing, competition from abroad is forcing many leading companies to downsize rather than grow their workforces. Manage your expectations. Accepting an entry-level position or even an internship may be necessary as a way of getting your foot in the door. Foreign job seekers can struggle to find work in Germany. Photo: Sarah on Unsplash 3) You'll be much better off if you speak German Despite what literally thousands of people claim on the internet, most jobs in Germany still require a strong grasp of the language. You may be able to get away without speaking German in some tech roles or at a Berlin-based startup – or if you have a very specific skill set. These jobs are rare, however, and competition for them is fierce. Bear in mind that you'll also be competing against bilingual Germans, as well as newcomers to the country. READ ALSO: Can you get a job in Germany without German language skills? Advertisement Look through the list of professions in demand. Most of these jobs require constant interaction and the ability to communicate clearly – and most employers will be looking for at least B1 or B2 level German . 4) Discrimination and bias exist Germany has relatively strong anti-discrimination laws . Unfortunately, not every employer in the country has received the memo. Generally, hiring staff at German companies still expect to see a photograph, your D.O.B, and your marital status on a C.V. Naturally, no one will admit to using this information to screen for race, age, or gender – it's 'just the way things have always been done here' – but anecdotal evidence suggests that the goal of a 'harmonious team' is still interpreted rather too narrowly, rather too often. Unfortunately, foreign job seekers have limited options when their C.V.s are repeatedly overlooked or when they're asked inappropriate questions during interviews. Forewarned is forearmed, however, and it would be foolish to pretend that discrimination doesn't exist in Germany. READ ALSO: 'No-one will offer me a job' - How having a foreign name affects life in Germany Advertisement 5) The paperwork is endless Germany, famously, loves paperwork. Once you have an offer of work in the country, prepare yourself for a blizzard of form filling and numerous trips to various different ministries and institutions. Your new employer will expect you to produce: a valid German work visa, a German tax ID number ( Steueridentifikationsnummer ), German health insurance ( Krankenversicherung ), a German social security number ( Sozialversicherungsnummer ), and a German bank account number. READ ALSO: What you need to earn to get an EU Blue Card in Germany in 2025 Once you start Starting work in any new country presents significant additional challenges, from mastering the language to adjusting to the culture – and an increased risk of misunderstandings. HR staff are available if you need support but ultimately represent the interests of the employer rather than the employee. Most German companies also have a Workers' Council ( Betriebsrat ), however, tasked with representing workers' interests and providing support and advice when necessary. Whenever you start a new job in Germany, it's always a good idea to find your Betriebsrat representative and introduce yourself. What advice did we miss? Share your own thoughts in the comments section below.
Local Germany
10-04-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
How easy is it to hit the salary for a skilled worker permit in Germany?
Faced with an aging population, Germany is currently desperate to attract the best and brightest from abroad into its economy - either as students, as jobseekers, or on one of its skilled worker visas . Skilled worker permits are work permits for people with vocational training or a university degree who want to come to Germany to work in their chosen profession. One of the best known is the EU Blue Card: a residence permit available to non-EU nationals, intended to allow skilled professionals to live and work in the EU. Some 25 out of 27 member states issue them. Germany's scheme is one of the most in-demand. Applicants must have a degree in their chosen field - with the exception of experienced IT professionals - and also secure a job offer that meets the minimum salary requirement. As of January 1st, 2025, this rate is set at: - €48,300 (€4,250 a month) for most professions - €43,760 (€3,647 a month) for career starters and applicants in shortage occupations , including IT, construction and education Meanwhile, Germany's skilled worker visa doesn't require a university degree, with vocational training and two years' of experience sufficing instead. The minimum salary threshold for this type of permit is €43,470 per year. READ ALSO: How Germany is making it easier for skilled workers to get an EU Blue Card If you want to check if you're in a "shortage occupation", a full list can be found on the government's Make it in Germany website here . How hard is it to meet these thresholds? According to the Federal Office of Statistics (Destastis), the median salary in Germany in 2024 stood at €52,159 . This means that half of workers last year earned more than this amount, while the other half earned less. Germany's median salary is therefore around €8,700 more than the threshold for an ordinary skilled worker visa, and around €4,000 higher than the threshold for an EU Blue Card. Advertisement Of course, there are huge variations across different professions and regions, but the median salary is nonetheless a good reference point. It's also worth noting that the lowest ten percent of earners commanded gross salaries of €32,526 or less. For a more detailed view, Federal Employment Agency (BA) statistics give an estimate of salaries at the 25 th percentile in various professions from 2023. You can check your profession on the BA website (in German) here . The 25 th percentile means that three out of four people working in that profession earn more. This figure can therefore be used to estimate whether most jobs in that sector pay enough to meet Blue Card minimum salary requirements. Two Blue Cards for foreign skilled workers are on a table at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees in Bavaria. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Daniel Karmann Two-thirds of computer scientists, for example, earn more than €4,968 a month - comfortably above the Blue Card threshold. Most computer scientists should therefore have no trouble meeting the requirements for the regular rate, though STEM professions are actually on the shortage list and therefore benefit from the lower minimum salary. READ ALSO: How much do software developers typically earn in Germany? For teachers, the figure stands at €4,113. Because teachers are on the shortage occupation list, this means most teachers should be able to benefit from the Blue Card scheme. Nurses, meanwhile, are on the cusp, with the vast majority earning €3,603 per month or more - almost exactly the threshold for shortage occupations. This could mean that some nurses will need to negotiate to edge up to the salary they need. Advertisement Professions where most will find it difficult to quality for the scheme include dental assistants (€2,387), paralegals (€2,500) and plumbers (€3,006). However, these are general figures, which mask wide variation across areas in Germany, ages and gender. Salaries are typically higher in the western federal states and lower in the former East Germany. Men typically earn more than women, while salaries rise by age until they start dropping in the mid-50s. The figures are also over a year old, which means they are likely a little lower than salaries on job ads active now.
