GitLab

Greg is the co-founder of GermanTechJobs.de.

This guide assists you discover a job in Berlin, from discovering task listings to your very first day at work.

On this page

1. Before your job search Can you operate in Germany? Do you need to speak German? For how long does it take to get worked with? Salaries in Germany General task search English-speaking tasks Tech tasks Creative tasks: media, communications, style Startup tasks Internships, temperature work and minijobs Freelance work Restaurant tasks German resumes Cover letters The phone screen The technical interview Meet the team Salary negotiation The job contract Things your employer requires Things you must know Career coaching Before your job search

Can you operate in Germany?

If you are not a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you require a house authorization to work in Germany. You can get a work visa or a Blue Card, for instance. There may be a minimum salary or education requirement.

Do you need to speak German?

No, however it helps. You can find English-speaking tasks, however the majority of business desire German speakers.

If you don't speak German, you can still discover tasks in ...

Tech companies

• Companies with English-speaking workplaces
• Delivery services like Lieferando, Wolt and Flink
• Customer support and call centres
• Restaurants and bars
  
  Do you need to speak German in Berlin?
  
  How long does it take to get hired?
  
  A few months. Even if you find a job rapidly, the hiring procedure is extremely sluggish.
  
  Know just how much you need to earn, and how much taxes you need to pay. This helps you work out a much better wage.
  
  Calculate your earnings tax
  
  1. Look for tasks
  
  General task search
  
  Indeed.com - Job online search engine. You can filter by language and set alerts. LinkedIn - Networking site with a huge jobs section. 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 website. Made in Berlin. ArbeitNow - Job noting site. Made in Berlin. Jobted Xing - Similar to LinkedIn. You can't filter by language. Glassdoor - Company evaluations, wage reports and job 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 jobs JobsInBerlin.eu - You can filter jobs by language Germany Startup Jobs - You can filter tasks by language and salary The Local jobs - Run by a popular English-speaking paper Jobted English-speaking jobs in Berlin - Facebook group, 89,000+ members English jobs in Berlin - Facebook group, 43,000+ members
  
  Tech tasks
  
  GermanTechJobs - You can filter by language and innovation. Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking tasks in startups and tech companies Administrator/ Web Entickler/ Entwickler Jobs - German-speaking tech jobs Imagine Foundation - They assist software application designers from developing nations discover a job and get hired
  
  Creative tasks: media, communications, design
  
  dasauge (in German) - Media-related jobs Mediengestalter Jobs (in German) - Creative jobs
  
  Startup tasks
  
  Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking jobs in startups and tech companies Startup Sucht (in German). tbd * job board (in German) - tbd * is a site for business owners. You can filter by language. Wellfound - International start-up job portal. Germany Startup Jobs - You can filter tasks by language and wage. Berlin Startup Jobs - Facebook group, 56,000+ members. Berlin Startup Jobs, employment Internships & Co-founders - Facebook group, 14,000+ members
  
  Internships, temp 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 temp work agency. Manpower (in German) - Large temp work firm. Randstad (in German) - Large temperature work firm. Craigslist - Most task listings are for dining establishments and cafés
  
  Freelance work
  
  Berlin Freelancers - Facebook group, employment 25,000+ members
  
  Restaurant jobs
  
  Berlin Food Stories - Restaurant tasks in Berlin. Huntler - English-speaking restaurant tasks in Berlin
  
  2. Request jobs
  
  German resumes
  
  German CVs are longer than American resumes. They include your date of birth, your citizenship and a picture of you.1 You should go to a picture studio and get an expert portrait for your resume. A profession coach can help you compose a better resume.
  
  Useful links:
  
  How to compose a German resume - HalloGermany. German resume examples - Imagine structure. Resume checklist - Imagine structure. Lingoking - Translate your resume to German
  
  Cover letters
  
  Include a brief cover letter (Anschreiben) with your application. It's a personal introduction. It describes who you are, what you do, why you look for this task, and why they must employ you.
  
  Don't send the very same cover letter to everyone. Do your research study, and personalise the letter for each job deal. Keep it brief and easy to check out. Get feedback from other individuals before you send it. A profession coach can assist you compose much better cover letters.
  
  How to write a German cover letter - HalloGermany. Advice for cover letters with examples - Hacker News
  
  3. The job interview
  
  In Germany, the interview process is long. It can take a few weeks, and even a couple of months. You might have numerous interviews with different people. It depends upon the and the job. You need a lot of time for this.
  
  The phone screen
  
  The interview process begins with a short call. An employer or employing manager will ask you a couple of concerns. They will try to understand who you are, what you want, and how you fit the job offer. It's a simple check before they welcome you for an interview.
  
  How to prepare - Imagine Foundation
  
  The technical interview
  
  Most tech business have technical interviews or coding obstacles. They validate that you understand how to do your task.
  
  Technical interviews are various at every company. They may ask you technical questions, ask you to fix an issue during the interview, or finish a technical difficulty in the house. Some companies do not have technical interviews.
  
  Meet the group
  
  Most business have a group interview. You meet your future team to see if you work well together. This interview is more relaxed. You may simply talk with the group, or have lunch together.
  
  4. The task deal
  
  After your interview, the company can make a task deal.
  
  Salary negotiation
  
  After you get the job deal, you can negotiate a much better wage. You can also request for things like a moving perk or more trip days.
  
  Salaries in Germany
  
  The job agreement
  
  Read your job agreement thoroughly. If your company assured something to you during the interview, verify that it's in your contract. Only sign the agreement if you agree with everything. Send the signed contract by email or by post.
  
  If you are uncertain about your agreement, request help or talk to an attorney.
  
  5. Get a residence permit
  
  If you are not a person of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you require a home authorization to reside in Germany. Sometimes, you must await your home authorization to begin working. It can take a couple of months.
  
  How to get a residence license
  
  If you already have a home authorization, you might need the Ausländerbehörde's consent to change jobs. Sometimes, you can begin your brand-new task immediately. Sometimes, you need to wait on your brand-new home permit. This can take a couple of weeks.
  
  How to alter jobs
  
  6. Start working
  
  Things your company needs
  
  During your first month at a 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 checking account will work. Your tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer). You get a tax ID when you register your address for the very 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 details. Your medical insurance 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 employer can select health insurance coverage for you, however it's a bad idea. Ask a broker to help you choose, it's complimentary. Your social insurance number (Sozialversicherungsnummer). If you have public health insurance, you get this number immediately in the mail. If you have private health insurance coverage, you should look for it. Your company can in some cases help you with this. - How to get a social insurance coverage number
  
  Your employer can't require an address registration certificate.5
  
  Things you should understand
  
  In Germany, many people are paid when monthly, usually on the 1st or 15th day of the month. You get your first paycheck after 30 or 45 days after you start working. You typically earn money by bank transfer.
  
  Most staff members in Germany are paid by bank transfer as soon as per month, on the first day of the month.4 Your company takes salary tax, medical insurance, pension insurance and unemployment insurance coverage from your income.
  
  Income tax calculator
  
  How taxes work
  
  During your very first 6 months at a brand-new business, you remain in your probation duration (Probezeit). 2 During that time, it's simpler to get fired. It's likewise harder to discover a home, because you don't have a steady job.
  
  How does the probation period work?
  
  All staff members in Germany get paid holiday days, and paid authorized leave. You don't deal with public vacations, however you still make money.
  
  How to take trips
  
  What to do when you are ill
  
  7. Make a tax declaration
  
  A lot of your task search expenses are tax-deductible:3
  
  Relocation expenses If you move closer to your brand-new task, you can subtract your moving costs Job search costs Coaching, resume writing, professional images, translations, printing costs, job search services ... Travel costs. Fuel, train tickets, hotels, meals and parking fees to go to task interviews.
  
  If you began working in the middle of the year, you probably paid too much salary tax. Make a tax statement to reduce your earnings tax, and get some cash back.
  
  Need aid?
  
  Where to get help about work
  
  Career coaching
  
  These people can assist you get worked with. For example, they can evaluate your resume and cover letter. Their charge is tax-deductible.