Finding a job in Germany is not easy, but if you look, there are more opportunities here than it seems. There are a few more loopholes in German employment that will appeal to those who at one time did not spare time to learn English. With such luggage, you have the opportunity to find a successful job. Among the listed options, there are obvious ones, and there are some that will surprise you.
Although one of the most common occupations for migrants is teaching English, especially in small towns and villages, this is far from the only option. Depending on the level of education and qualifications, you can find a job.
With No German, but with English
Finding a legal permanent job in Germany without knowing a foreign language is good luck. The subsequent receipt of a work visa is fantastic! English-language jobs in the German labor market are not available in every industry. But there are still options for moving to Germany for work without knowing the German language.
By starting to search for a job in Germany without knowing German, the applicant gives competitors an edge. It is more convenient for a German to speak his native language, which means that other factors will be required. The employer will sign a contract with the interviewed foreign candidate if he sees a direct benefit to the firm. An immigrant without a language will have to go with such trump cards as a lot of work experience and lower salary claims. But learning a language at home to the B1 level and then looking for a job will take a couple of years. The same 2 years will be required for a migrant to master Deutsch while working in Germany. Raising a salary with German is easier, there will be two options available: changing the company or talking to the boss.
Jobs without German and the labor market branch
The demand for language skills among employees depends on the branch. Without knowing the Germans language, a doctor cannot get a position in a hospital. English-speaking sales and marketing workers are of little interest to employers. The closer the employee’s workplace is to the client, the more important is knowledge of the language. German companies are targeting German-speaking customers – that makes sense!
But firms whose products are focused on the foreign market are also not uncommon. An example is the IT sector. In German IT companies, English is required more often than German. SAP, the world leader in enterprise management system programming, offers hundreds of English-language vacancies every year.
Large firms in Germany speak the English language
Lack of local labor force and globalization are forcing employers to look for specialists among migrants or set up branches in other countries.
In large German companies with foreign subsidiaries, it is impossible to speak only German. Meetings, presentations, internal mailing – English has taken the niche of the basic means of communication between colleagues. Examples are Adidas, BASF, Volkswagen. The use of English as the official internal language of the company in Germany allows for a high level of German knowledge of foreign languages.
Types of work without knowing the German language
There are several types of job that do not need knowing the German language:
Teacher
It is the most widespread position among foreigners in Germany. Such vacancies are good because they allow you to get a job even in small cities. Finally, private tutoring and Skype lessons have not been canceled.
Research participant
Germany annually accepts a large number of people to work on a grant. Several of these studies are on strengthening transatlantic relations.
For example, a scholarship founded by the Marshall Foundation (Berlin) is open to people of different specialties and is available to residents of countries. If you are interested in studying on a grant, pay attention to those German institutions that focus on global topics. Usually, it is there that vacancies are offered where knowledge of the German language is not required. The main thing you need is a master’s degree “or an equivalent qualification” in a particular field. One of these universities is the Hamburg German Institute for Global and Regional Studies (GIGA).
The employee of a startup or tech company
Ideal for those with a passion for technology and the pleasure of monitoring new inventions on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The language of projects is often English because developers always want to represent it in the international market.
Berlin is considered one of the world’s startup capitals. Here 17% of similar projects in Germany are concentrated. The list of vacancies is very diverse – from software developers to advertising and public relations specialist. You also have the opportunity to work with larger companies. For example, Amazon is looking to create over 2,000 new jobs in Germany.
Non-governmental organizations
Most of these organizations are in Berlin. They regularly post jobs for English speakers. Also in the capital, there are branches of the largest NGOs, such as:
- Amnesty is a British organization dedicated to the protection of human rights, in particular, the observance of physical and psychological integrity;
- Oxfam is a worldwide organization dedicated to addressing poverty around the world; its main headquarters are in Oxford;
- ONE is a non-profit organization that fights extreme poverty and disease in third-world countries.
These companies often require English-speaking assistants, although they often need a basic level of German as well.
Also, check out the online petition platform Change.org. Today, the site is used by about 4.5 million people in Germany to campaign for change locally, nationally, and globally, according to their German chapter.