A Professional's Guide to Applying For Jobs in Germany

Are you a German native who is getting ready to look for jobs in Germany? Or are you moving to this country soon and preparing to test the job market in Germany?

Unfortunately, the unemployment rate in Germany is a little higher than you might like. It recently hit its highest point in almost 2 years by reaching the 5.6% mark.

This doesn't mean there aren't any jobs in Germany to be had, though. It just means you'll need to figure out how to get a job in Germany to give yourself a better chance to get hired.

It doesn't matter if you're living in Germany now or moving there and working in Germany for the foreseeable future. There will be certain steps you'll need to take to get a job you'll love in Germany.

Here is a professional's guide to applying for jobs in Germany.

Secure a Visa

If you already live in Germany and have citizenship there, you obviously won't need to worry about securing a visa to get jobs in Germany. But if you aren't a citizen of the country, you'll need to get a visa to move to the country that includes a work permit.

The process to go about doing this will change based on where you're coming from, how long you plan to live in Germany, etc. But you should be able to find the information you'll need to get a work permit by going here.

Decide On a Job Type

Once you're qualified to work in Germany, you'll be able to kickstart your job search. But just before doing it, you should give thought to which types of jobs you'd like to look for.

Do you want to work at, say, a restaurant serving food and drinks? Or do you want to begin a career in IT? Whatever the case, you should have some general idea of which kind of job you want to get.

In some cases, you may need to obtain a college degree or trade-specific training to break into certain fields. It'll be good to know this in advance so that you can secure the right qualifications for the type of job you want.

Search for Open Positions

After you settle on the type of job you want, you can start searching for open positions. There are plenty of job websites that'll shed light on which jobs are available in Germany at the moment.

As we alluded to earlier, there might not be as many open positions as there would have been a couple of years ago. But there are still lots of positions that companies are trying to fill. Find them and get ready to start applying for them.

Consider an Apprenticeship

There are many jobs you'll be able to secure without much prior experience. But there are also some careers in Germany that'll call for you to have real-world experience for you to even be considered for an open position.

With this in mind, you may want to consider getting an apprenticeship that'll teach you the ropes in a specific field. It'll increase your chances of getting hired for jobs later on.

Check out some of the apprenticeship opportunities that exist at this time.

Create a Great Resume

It doesn't matter which country you live in. If you want to get a job in it, you'll most likely need to have a resume that stands out.

Long before you begin applying for jobs in Germany, you should take a good, long look at your resume and make any changes that may need to be made to it. You'll want to list all your most recent work experience on it along with any apprenticeships you may have done thus far in your life.

The better your resume is, the greater your chances of getting called for interviews for jobs in Germany. Spend your fair share of time tinkering with your resume to make it look more impressive.

Begin Filling Out Job Applications

When you reach this point, you'll finally be ready to start filling out job applications. You will have done all the necessary legwork to make yourself look like a strong candidate for jobs in Germany.

You can pick out some of the job listings that appeal to you most and start filling out applications for them. Make sure you follow the directions on applications and provide companies with all the right information.

Prepare for Job Interviews

Ideally, at least a few of the companies that you send job applications to will reach out to you and request interviews. For this reason, you'll need to start getting yourself ready for the job interviews you'll be going on.

Buy a nice suit or dress to wear for all your job interviews, and think about some of the top questions you might be asked. It'll put you in a much better position to come up with answers that you believe will give you the best chance to land jobs in Germany.

Begin Looking for Jobs in Germany

The job market in Germany might be slumping just a little right now. But you should still be able to find work when you live in the country.

You'll just need to be strategic about how to get jobs in Germany. By following the steps listed here, you should be able to land a job in no time so that you can start generating income in Germany.

Would you like to get more tips that'll help you get a new job? Look for them in some of our other published blog articles.