Your Guide to German Job Market

If you are planning to make a career overseas and Germany is your destination, then you must have some knowledge of the German job market. Having some knowledge about the job market before you begin your job search will help. You can plan your job search strategy and consider your chances of success.

Let us first give you the bare facts, finding a job in Germany especially if you are from a non-EU country can be difficult. But if you know where to look for a job, have your job application strategy in place and know the sectors to apply for then you have better chances of finding a job.

 Sectors with most job opportunities:

Research says that around 75% of Germany's working population is employed in the services sector. There is a demand for skilled workers in the fields of IT, engineering and healthcare sectors.

Sectors with a significant number of job openings include medical services, education, R&D etc. There are job openings in the automotive and agriculture sectors. Foreign workers are in demand in the energy and environment fields and in small and medium companies.

Profiles that have better chances in Germany:

German companies prefer candidates with specialized skills rather than those with general skills. You have better chances if you have a higher level of experience. Profiles such as web developers and engineers are always in demand, get better salaries and can even get a Blue Card visa.

 Educational qualifications and language skills:

If you are looking for entry-level jobs, it does not matter if you have a bachelor's or master’s degree because there is only about 6 to 10% difference in the salary at this level.

If you have any certificates or licenses related to your profession, the business organization, trade association or the chamber of crafts related to your field will decide if it is equivalent to the ones in Germany. This applies to a wide range of jobs. The recognition of your certification or if you need further training depends on where you are from and the quality of educational institutes in your home country.

As far as language skills are concerned your knowledge of German can determine your success in finding a job.  A B2 level in German is mandatory for most jobs except for jobs in multinational companies, engineering sector or research facilities. You can get by with your English language skills in these sectors.

However, you need to know a fairly good level of German if you are looking for jobs in the healthcare sector or jobs that require you to interact with customers or clients.

You have better chances of finding jobs in German cities with international companies even if you have minimum knowledge of the German language.

Job hunting methods:

When searching for a job in Germany, you should also decide on the best methods to hunt for a job. This depends on your personal and professional profile and the type of job you are looking for.  You can search for openings in the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit), the official job portal.

You can take the help of private recruitment agencies which will help you search for jobs in specific regions or specific fields. Surprisingly many job openings are advertised in the classified sections of newspapers. While the national newspapers in Germany advertise positions for highly qualified candidates, the local papers carry advertisements for lower-level positions.

Apart from this, there are several online job search sites that have details of job openings in various German companies. Most of these sites provide minimum information about the companies along with contact details. You can call the companies directly and send in your application.

Getting a job in Germany requires knowledge of the German job market. This will help you plan your job search strategy and succeed in your efforts.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like… The 6 steps to get a job in Germany