How to Get a Job in Germany
This page covers everything you need to know to get a job in Germany. From where to find suitable jobs and how to approach the job hunt to German CV tips and interview guidance, we cover the ins and outs of landing a job in Germany.
As the 5th largest economy in the world and with an extremely low unemployment rate, Germany is a rich hunting ground for international job seekers, especially if you are a skilled worker with a university education.
In particular, Germany offers up a wide range of jobs for foreign workers in the fields of engineering and science, IT and tech, finance, sales and marketing, renewable energy, healthcare, hospitality and tourism.
Whether you are looking to secure a role in southern Germany’s world-renowned manufacturing and engineering sector, ply your trade in Frankfurt’s finance district or make a name for yourself in Berlin’s exciting startup ecosystem, Germany is brimming with possibilities for international workers.
Where to find a job in Germany
You may have all the skills in the world, but to get a job in Germany, you first need to know exactly where to look for job openings. For a full overview of where to search for work in Germany, see our German Job Boards Guide.
Large Job Boards
If you are not hell-bent on working in a specific niche industry in Germany, then large job boards are definitely your best starting point for finding suitable job openings. For example, if you are a business analyst or front-end developer, then large job boards cover the majority of suitable openings across Germany.
When it comes to large job boards, there are a lot to choose from. However, we recommend sticking to the following:
✅ Indeed
✅ Jobbird
While there are 100s of other job aggregator sites, we believe that the 5 job boards listed above will ensure you have a broad overview of the vast majority of suitable roles in Germany.
Smaller Job Boards
While the large job boards are good for getting a broad overview of suitable openings in Germany, you can quickly get bogged down in the sheer volume of listings. Therefore, many applicants prefer to search for jobs on smaller, more specialised job boards. Here are some great places to start your search:
✅ GermanTechJobs (IT and tech jobs)
✅ Landing.Jobs (IT and tech jobs)
✅ English Jobs Germany (English-speaking jobs)
✅ Berlin Startup Jobs (startup jobs)
✅ Good Jobs (social and sustainable jobs)
✅ Absolventa (graduates and young professionals)
✅ Dasauge (creative jobs)
✅ JobVector (engineers, IT workers, doctors and scientists)
✅ Experteer (executive positions)
Job Platforms
While searching for jobs on job boards is the most common way of finding suitable openings, there are also a number of high-quality job platforms. On these platforms, you create a profile for potential employers to review, who will then contact you if you match their requirements:
✅ Honeypot
Instead of manually searching for jobs, create a profile and let employers find you!
Company Career Pages
If you have your heart set on working in a niche industry (for example, hydroponics and vertical farming), it is a good idea to start on the company career pages of the specific employers you wish to work for.
Companies do not always post all their openings on public job boards, so going directly to the company career pages will give you an overview of all the job openings in the specific companies you wish to work for.
As niche industries often only have a handful of potential employers, this is an efficient approach instead of trawling through large job boards with thousands of job listings.
How to approach your job hunt in Germany
Now that you know where to find a job in Germany, here are some tips for how to approach the job hunt.
1️⃣ Move to Germany
Unless you have specific skills that make you extremely employable, it is very difficult to land a job in Germany if applying from overseas, especially as you cannot attend in-person interviews.
Therefore, the best thing you can do to improve your chances of landing a job in Germany is to actually move to Germany to search for work. Germany even has a specific visa for this in the form of the Job Seekers Visa, which allows you to move to Germany for 6 months as a job seeker.
To find out how to apply for a German Job Seekers Visa in your home country before travelling to Germany to search for work, see here.
2️⃣ Understand the visa process
Unless you are an EU or EEA citizen, you will need a Work Visa or EU Blue Card in order to work in Germany.
Larger international companies in Germany are generally familiar with the visa process for non-EU workers so will generally be happy to wait while your visa application is processed. Other smaller companies, with limited international hiring experience, may need some more convincing.
In any case, it is important that you have a clear understanding of your visa process when attending interviews. Being able to confidently explain the visa process will really help employers feel comfortable. In short, for non-EU citizens, a job offer just needs to go through a simple approval process before a Work Visa or EU Blue Card can be issued.
When talking to employers, we suggest saying something along the lines of:
"In order to start working, all I would require from you is a simple job description form (Stellenbeschreibung) and an employment contract. With these documents, I will seek approval for a work visa from the authorities, a process that takes around 2-4 weeks from the time of application. This process would not cost your company anything".
It may be worth taking a copy of the job description form (Stellenbeschreibung) to your interviews so you can show them that all they would need to do is complete that form and issue a contract. You can find a blank copy of the job description form here.
For a full overview of how to apply for a Work Visa or EU Blue Card, see our guides:
Work Visa
EU Blue Card
3️⃣ Only apply for jobs that are likely to be granted visa approval
If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen, you cannot obtain a work visa in Germany with just any old job. The job must meet some basic requirements.
For a reasonable chance of approval:
You must be employed on comparable terms to domestic employees.
You must be earning a sufficient salary to sustain your life in Germany.
These employment conditions are assessed on a case-by-case basis as part of your visa application. There is no set salary amount that will guarantee visa approval as this varies for each application. However, here is a website that provides average salaries for different job titles across Germany to give you some idea of what salary you should be aiming for.
4️⃣ Create a German-style CV
When it comes to CVs, Germans are quite particular with regard to format, style, content and structure. Frustratingly, recruiters and hiring managers in Germany will be quick to reject a CV that does not adhere to the standard norms of a German-style CV.
To avoid having your application tossed out at the very first instance, we have written a guide on how to create a German-style CV. At the very least, we hope our instructions will ensure that your CV is considered on its merits, and not rejected just because it does not meet the ‘normal’ guidelines for a German-style CV.
5️⃣ Learn some German
Whether or not you are applying for jobs that have a German language requirement, it is always beneficial to learn some German when applying for jobs in Germany. Learning some German will help show recruiters and hiring managers that you are serious about setting up in Germany and that you are already making some efforts to integrate.
For an overview of some of the best language schools in Germany’s major cities, see our German Language School Guide.
6️⃣ Carefully tailor each job application
Job hunting is time-consuming and tiring. Therefore, it can be very tempting to just fire off your CV to as many companies as possible, with little attention to the actual job advertisements. After all, this is far less exhausting.
However, in most cases, this approach is unsuccessful. Just to make it to the interview stage in Germany, you need to adapt your CV to each different position so that you come across as a suitable candidate. Your standard CV is unlikely to be suitable for different job titles, so always tailor it based on the specific job title and skills listed in the individual job advertisement.
Similarly, if an employer requests additional application documents (such as a cover letter or example of your work), always provide this. Failing to do this will show a lack of attention to detail and may be perceived as laziness. The easiest way to have your application rejected is to just provide a standard CV without the accompanying documents that are requested in the job ad.
It is important to keep in mind that employers often receive hundreds of applicants. To stand out, your application needs to always be complete and rigorously focused on the specific position applied for.
How to create a German-style CV
When it comes to CVs, German recruiters and hiring managers have quite specific expectations. Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take to meet these expectations.
German-style CVs follow a familiar structure used around the world, but with some specific requirements:
Personal information
Name
Address
Date of birth
Citizenship
Contact details (including phone number and email address). Employers move fast, you need to be easily contactable or they will quickly move on.
A photo of yourself. This should be a high-quality photo in a professional setting (no holiday snaps!). This is a unique feature to Germany and an important CV requirement that employers expect to see.
Personal statement
This is a short attention-grabbing statement highlighting the key takeaway from your CV. Here is an example that you may find helpful:
I specialize in helping companies produce engaging and effective online content. As a native English speaker, I primarily work with companies to polish and perfect their content so that it appeals to English-speaking markets.
Professional experience
Detail your previous work experience starting with your most recent employer. Include the employer name, job title, location and duration that you worked in the position.
In particular, highlight responsibilities and achievements that are directly relevant to the position you are applying for. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate specific skills that are detailed in the job advertisement.
Educational background
Detail your educational background starting with your most recent qualification. Include the name of the educational institution as well as the name and duration of the study programme.
If there are aspects of your education that are relevant to the job you are applying for, then be sure to highlight these.
Other information
The remainder of your CV is slightly more flexible. However, common sections to include are:
Volunteer work
Certifications
Scholarships
Awards
Skills (e.g. languages, IT skills, etc.)
So, what does a German CV look like? Below is an example of what a German-style CV may look like in practice:
❗ For more in-depth instructions, see our dedicated guide on how to create a German-style CV.
Additional CV tips
Detailed above is the basic information about how to structure and format a German CV. When creating your CV, here are some additional pointers to keep in mind:
✅ Always keep things professional
From your photo to your email address, you need to present a professional image of yourself. Recruiters will not give your CV a second look if you are sipping a cocktail in your photo and your email address is cocktail_lover@gmail.com.
✅ Be as focused as possible
Keep your CV to two pages. And ensure the information in your CV is focused on the job you are applying for. It is advised to omit experience that is not relevant as well as details of your personal life and hobbies.
✅ Pay attention to detail
Typos and grammatical errors will hurt your application. Make sure you run your CV through a spelling and grammar checker before submitting it to a potential employer.
Should my CV be written in English or German?
In almost all cases, your CV should be in the same language as the job advertisement. Unless you are applying for a German-speaking position or a position that requires a reasonable level of German, your CV should be written in English.
If you are a non-German speaker but provide a German CV, then this can easily give a misleading impression of your German language abilities (which may prove embarrassing at the interview stage).
Germany is becoming increasingly internationalised so it is quite common to now apply for English-speaking jobs in Germany with an English CV.
How to interview for a job in Germany?
So far, we have covered where to find a job in Germany, how to approach the job hunt and how to construct a German CV.
Next up in the German job-hunting process comes the interview stage! For the highest chance of landing the job, here are our top tips for interviewing in Germany:
1️⃣ Be punctual
In Germany, no one is ever late! To ensure you start the interview process on a positive note, arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.
2️⃣ Pick the right outfit
In Germany, fitting into the company culture is a big factor that is assessed at your interview. Turning up too scruffy or too smart may indicate to the interviewer that you are not quite the right fit for the company.
3️⃣ Do your research
Knowing the ins and outs of a company is a surefire way to be perceived as an enthusiastic applicant. You can usually learn all about a company’s values, goals and mission on its website, as well as an overview of what they are working on and what projects they have in the pipeline.
All this information can be used by you to demonstrate how you fit into the company’s vision, culture and future!
4️⃣ Prepare some answers
While some interviewers will throw the odd curveball, the questions asked in interviews in Germany are largely familiar. They may ask you to talk about:
Strengths and weaknesses.
Particular skills that you bring to the position.
Workplace scenarios you have encountered and how you dealt with these.
What attracts you to the company.
Before your interview, it helps to give these topics some thought – this will ensure you do not need to think of answers on the spot, which can always be tricky in a pressured situation.
5️⃣ Have realistic salary expectations
Employers almost always ask you about your salary expectations. Go too low, and you may be underpaid for years, go too high, and you may miss out on the job if it is outside of their budget.
Before your interview, use a website like kununu in order to ascertain what is a realistic salary for the position you are applying for.
6️⃣ Prepare some questions
Interviewers love attention! Prepare some questions for them that help demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest in the job, company or industry you are hoping to work in.
Questions can also help you identify any red flags with regard to the role or company.
At the end of the interview, find out what happens next. It is common for the application process to take 4 – 6 weeks in Germany so it is useful to know a rough timeline if you were to be successful.
7️⃣ Bring a copy of your full application
It can be useful to bring a copy of your full application in case your interviewer does not have this to hand. Bring your CV, any certificates or diplomas you have obtained as well as any other application documents that were requested such as a cover letter or portfolio.
8️⃣ Follow-up via email
After an interview, it is always helpful to follow up with an email. Just a quick note is sufficient in which you can thank them for the opportunity, reaffirm your enthusiasm and welcome any future steps in the application process.
Starting a Job in Germany
So, the big day has arrived! You have received a job offer in Germany – but what happens now?
Well, aside from receiving and signing your shiny new work contract, you will need to complete a number of steps in order to be fully onboarded at your new workplace and legally start working in Germany. In short, you will need to arrange your:
✅ German Tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer)
✅ German Health Insurance (Krankenversicherung)
✅ German Social Security Number (Sozialversicherungsnummer)
We have covered exactly how to complete these different steps in our Starting Work in Germany Guide.