Greg is the co-founder of GermanTechJobs.de.
This guide helps you find a task in Berlin, from finding task listings to your very first day at work.
On this page
1. Before your job search Can you work in Germany?
Do you require to speak German?
How long does it require to get employed?
Salaries in Germany
General job search
English-speaking jobs
Tech tasks
Creative tasks: media, communications, design
Startup tasks
Internships, temp work and minijobs
Freelance work
Restaurant tasks
German resumes
Cover letters
The phone screen
The technical interview
Meet the team
Salary negotiation
The job agreement
Things your company needs
Things you need to know
Career coaching
Before your task search
Can you work in Germany?
If you are not a person of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you need a home permit to work in Germany. You can get a work visa or a Blue Card, for example. There may be a minimum wage or education requirement.
Do you require to speak German?
No, however it assists. You can discover English-speaking tasks, but a lot of business want German speakers.
If you do not speak German, you can still find tasks in ...
Tech business
- Companies with English-speaking workplaces
- Delivery services like Lieferando, Wolt and Flink
- Customer support and call centres
- Restaurants and bars
Do you require to speak German in Berlin?
For how long does it take to get hired?
A couple of months. Even if you find a task quickly, the hiring process is extremely slow.
Know how much you need to earn, and how much taxes you must pay. This helps you work out a better income.
Calculate your income tax
1. Try to find jobs
General job search
Indeed.com - Job search engine. You can filter by language and set alerts.
LinkedIn - Networking site with a huge tasks area. Very 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 noting site. Made in Berlin.
ArbeitNow - Job noting site. Made in Berlin.
Jobted
Xing - Similar to LinkedIn. You can't filter by language.
Glassdoor - Company reviews, wage reports and task listings. You need an account.
English-speaking jobs
These sites only have English-speaking tasks, or let you filter by language:
Berlin Startup Jobs - Most jobs are in English-speaking offices
Englishjobs.de - Only English-speaking tasks
JobsInBerlin.eu - You can filter jobs by language
Germany Startup Jobs - You can filter tasks by language and income
The Local tasks - Run by a popular English-speaking newspaper
Jobted
English-speaking jobs in Berlin - Facebook group, 89,000+ members
English tasks in Berlin - Facebook group, 43,000+ members
Tech tasks
GermanTechJobs - You can filter by language and technology.
Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking tasks in start-ups and tech companies
Administrator/ Web Entickler/ Entwickler Jobs - German-speaking tech tasks
Imagine Foundation - They assist software application designers from establishing nations discover a task and get employed
Creative tasks: media, communications, design
dasauge (in German) - Media-related tasks
Mediengestalter Jobs (in German) - Creative jobs
Startup jobs
Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking tasks in start-ups and tech business
Startup Sucht (in German).
tbd * job board (in German) - tbd * is a site for entrepreneurs. You can filter by language.
Wellfound - International start-up task portal.
Germany Startup Jobs - You can filter jobs by language and salary.
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 company.
Randstad (in German) - Large temp work agency.
Craigslist - Most task listings are for dining establishments and cafés
Freelance work
Berlin Freelancers - Facebook group, 25,000+ members
Restaurant jobs
Berlin Food Stories - Restaurant jobs in Berlin.
Huntler - English-speaking dining establishment jobs in Berlin
2. Request jobs
German resumes
German CVs are longer than American resumes. They include your date of birth, your citizenship and an image of you.1 You should go to a picture studio and get an expert picture for your resume. A career coach can help you write a much better resume.
Useful links:
How to compose a German resume - HalloGermany.
German resume examples - Imagine foundation.
Resume list - Imagine foundation.
Lingoking - Translate your resume to German
Cover letters
Include a brief cover letter (Anschreiben) with your application. It's an individual introduction. It explains who you are, what you do, why you obtain this task, and why they need to hire you.
Don't send out the exact same cover letter to everybody. Do your research study, and personalise the letter for each job deal. Keep it short and easy to check out. Get feedback from other individuals before you send it. A profession coach can assist you write much better cover letters.
How to write a German cover letter - HalloGermany.
Advice for cover letters with examples - Hacker News
3. The task interview
In Germany, the interview process is extremely long. It can take a couple of weeks, and even a few months. You might have multiple interviews with different individuals. It depends upon the company and the task. You need a great deal of time for this.
The phone screen
The interview procedure starts with a short call. An employer or employing manager will ask you a couple of concerns. They will try to comprehend who you are, what you want, and how you fit the task deal. It's a simple check before they welcome you for an interview.
How to prepare - Imagine Foundation
The technical interview
Most tech companies have technical interviews or coding obstacles. They verify that you know how to do your job.
Technical interviews are various at every business. They might ask you technical concerns, ask you to fix a problem during the interview, or complete a technical obstacle in the house. Some companies don't have technical interviews.
Meet the group
Most business have a team interview. You meet your future team to see if you work well together. This interview is more unwinded. You may just talk with the team, or have lunch together.
4. The task offer
After your interview, the company can make a job offer.
Salary settlement
After you get the task deal, you can work out a much better income. You can likewise ask for things like a moving bonus offer or more holiday days.
Salaries in Germany
The task contract
Read your task contract carefully. If your employer promised something to you during the interview, confirm that it's in your contract. 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, ask for aid or talk to a lawyer.
5. Get a home license
If you are not a person of the EU, EEA or disgaeawiki.info Switzerland, you need a house license to reside in Germany. Sometimes, you must await your home permit to start working. It can take a couple of months.
How to get a residence license
If you currently have a home license, you may require the Ausländerbehörde's consent to alter tasks. Sometimes, you can start your new task right away. Sometimes, you should wait for your new residence authorization. This can take a few weeks.
How to change jobs
6. Start working
Things your employer requires
During your very first month at a brand-new business, your company requires a few things:
A checking account.
Your company will pay you by bank transfer. For this, you need a checking account that supports SEPA transfers. Any European bank account will work.
Your tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer).
You get a tax ID when you register your address for the 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 begin working. - More info.
Your health insurance coverage number (Krankenversicherungsnummer).
You get a Krankenversicherungsnummer 2 to 7 days after you choose medical insurance. Your employer requires this number to take medical insurance payments from your income. Your company can pick health insurance coverage for you, however it's a bad concept. Ask a broker to assist you select, it's free.
Your social insurance coverage number (Sozialversicherungsnummer).
If you have public health insurance, you get this number automatically in the mail. If you have personal health insurance coverage, you need to look for it. Your company can sometimes help you with this. - How to get a social insurance coverage number
Your company can't need an address registration certificate.5
Things you should know
In Germany, many people are paid as soon as per month, usually on the 1st or 15th day of the month. You get your very first income after 30 or 45 days after you begin working. You normally earn money by bank transfer.
Most employees in Germany are paid by bank transfer as soon as per month, on the very first day of the month.4 Your employer takes income tax, medical insurance, pension insurance and joblessness insurance coverage from your income.
Income tax calculator
How taxes work
During your first 6 months at a new business, you remain in your probation duration (Probezeit). 2 During that time, it's easier to get fired. It's also more difficult to find a house, due to the fact that you don't have a steady job.
How does the probation period work?
All employees in Germany make money getaway days, and paid sick leave. You do not deal with public holidays, however you still get paid.
How to take holidays
What to do when you are ill
7. Make a tax statement
Many of your task search expenses are tax-deductible:3
Relocation expenses
If you move more detailed to your brand-new task, you can deduct your moving expenses
Job search expenses
Coaching, resume composing, professional photos, translations, printing costs, task search services ...
Travel expenses.
Fuel, train tickets, hotels, meals and parking charges to go to task interviews.
If you started working in the middle of the year, you probably paid excessive salary tax. Make a tax statement to decrease your income tax, and get some money back.
Need assistance?
Where to get help about work
Career coaching
These individuals can assist you get hired. For instance, they can review your resume and cover letter. Their fee is tax-deductible.
