Greg is the co-founder of GermanTechJobs.de.

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

On this page

1. Before your job search Can you work in Germany? Do you require to speak German? How long does it take to get employed? Salaries in Germany General job search English-speaking tasks Tech tasks Creative tasks: media, interactions, design Startup tasks Internships, temperature work and minijobs Freelance work Restaurant tasks German resumes Cover letters The phone screen The technical interview Meet the group Salary settlement The job contract Things your company requires Things you need to know Career training Before your job search

Can you work in Germany?

If you are not a person of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you require a home authorization to work in Germany. You can get a work visa or a Blue Card, for example. There might be a minimum wage or education requirement.

Do you need to speak German?

No, but it assists. You can discover English-speaking jobs, however many companies desire German speakers.

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

Tech companies

• Companies with English-speaking workplaces
• Delivery services like Lieferando, Wolt and Flink
• Customer care and call centres
• Restaurants and bars
  
  Do you need to speak German in Berlin?
  
  For how long does it require to get employed?
  
  A few months. Even if you discover a job rapidly, the employing procedure is really slow.
  
  Know how much you should earn, and how much taxes you should pay. This assists you negotiate a better wage.
  
  Calculate your earnings tax
  
  1. Search for tasks
  
  General job search
  
  Indeed.com - Job online search engine. You can filter by language and set informs. LinkedIn - Networking website with a big tasks section. Incredibly 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 listing site. Made in Berlin. ArbeitNow - Job listing website. Made in Berlin. Jobted Xing - Similar to LinkedIn. You can't filter by language. Glassdoor - Company reviews, salary reports and job listings. You require an account.
  
  English-speaking jobs
  
  These sites just have English-speaking tasks, or let you filter by language:
  
  Berlin Startup Jobs - Most tasks 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 jobs by language and salary The Local tasks - Run by a popular English-speaking newspaper Jobted English-speaking jobs in Berlin - Facebook group, 89,000+ members English tasks in Berlin - Facebook group, 43,000+ members
  
  Tech jobs
  
  GermanTechJobs - You can filter by language and innovation. Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking tasks in startups and tech business Administrator/ Web Entickler/ Entwickler Jobs - German-speaking tech jobs Imagine Foundation - They assist software application designers from developing nations find a task and get hired
  
  Creative jobs: media, communications, style
  
  dasauge (in German) - Media-related tasks Mediengestalter Jobs (in German) - Creative tasks
  
  Startup tasks
  
  Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking tasks in start-ups and tech business Startup Sucht (in German). tbd * job board (in German) - tbd * is a site for entrepreneurs. You can filter by language. Wellfound - International start-up job portal. Germany Startup Jobs - You can filter tasks by and income. Berlin Startup Jobs - Facebook group, 56,000+ members. Berlin Startup Jobs, 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 firm. Manpower (in German) - Large temp work agency. Randstad (in German) - Large temperature work agency. Craigslist - Most job listings are for restaurants and cafés
  
  Freelance work
  
  Berlin Freelancers - Facebook group, 25,000+ members
  
  Restaurant tasks
  
  Berlin Food Stories - Restaurant tasks in Berlin. Huntler - English-speaking dining establishment tasks in Berlin
  
  2. Request tasks
  
  German resumes
  
  German CVs are longer than American resumes. They include your date of birth, your citizenship and an image of you.1 You must go to a picture studio and get an expert picture for your resume. A career coach can help you write a much better resume.
  
  Useful links:
  
  How to write a German resume - HalloGermany. German resume examples - Imagine structure. Resume list - Imagine structure. Lingoking - Translate your resume to German
  
  Cover letters
  
  Include a short cover letter (Anschreiben) with your application. It's an individual intro. It explains who you are, what you do, why you request this job, and why they need to employ you.
  
  Don't send out the same cover letter to everyone. Do your research study, and personalise the letter for each job offer. Keep it short and easy to check out. Get feedback from other people before you send it. A career coach can help you compose much better cover letters.
  
  How to write a German cover letter - HalloGermany. Advice for cover letters with examples - Hacker News
  
  3. The task interview
  
  In Germany, the interview procedure is long. It can take a couple of weeks, and even a few months. You may have numerous interviews with various people. It depends upon the business and the job. You require a great deal of time for this.
  
  The phone screen
  
  The interview process begins with a brief call. An employer or hiring supervisor will ask you a few concerns. They will attempt to understand who you are, what you desire, and how you fit the task deal. It's a simple check before they welcome you for an interview.
  
  How to prepare - Imagine Foundation
  
  The technical interview
  
  Most tech companies have technical interviews or coding obstacles. They verify that you understand how to do your task.
  
  Technical interviews are different at every company. They may ask you technical concerns, ask you to resolve an issue during the interview, or complete a technical difficulty at home. Some business do not have technical interviews.
  
  Meet the team
  
  Most business have a group interview. You meet your future group to see if you work well together. This interview is more unwinded. You might simply talk with the team, or have lunch together.
  
  4. The task deal
  
  After your interview, the business can make a job offer.
  
  Salary negotiation
  
  After you get the job deal, you can work out a better income. You can also request things like a moving bonus or more getaway days.
  
  Salaries in Germany
  
  The job agreement
  
  Read your job contract thoroughly. If your employer promised something to you during the interview, verify that it remains in your contract. Only sign the contract if you concur with everything. Send the signed contract by e-mail or by post.
  
  If you are not sure about your contract, request help or talk with a lawyer.
  
  5. Get a house license
  
  If you are not a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you need a home authorization to live in Germany. Sometimes, you should wait for your residence permit to start working. It can take a few months.
  
  How to get a home permit
  
  If you currently have a house authorization, you may need the Ausländerbehörde's approval to change jobs. Sometimes, you can start your new job right away. Sometimes, you must await your new residence permit. This can take a couple of weeks.
  
  How to change jobs
  
  6. Start working
  
  Things your employer needs
  
  During your very first month at a brand-new company, your company needs a few things:
  
  A checking account. Your company will pay you by bank transfer. For this, you require a bank account that supports SEPA transfers. Any European bank 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 start working. - More info. Your medical insurance number (Krankenversicherungsnummer). You get a Krankenversicherungsnummer 2 to 7 days after you select medical insurance. Your company needs this number to take medical insurance payments from your wage. Your employer can select health insurance for you, but it's a bad idea. Ask a broker to help you pick, it's free. Your social insurance coverage number (Sozialversicherungsnummer). If you have public health insurance coverage, you get this number automatically in the mail. If you have personal medical insurance, you must apply for it. Your company can in some cases assist you with this. - How to get a social insurance coverage number
  
  Your company can't require an address registration certificate.5
  
  Things you must understand
  
  In Germany, many people are paid when each month, usually on the 1st or 15th day of the month. You get your first income after 30 or 45 days after you begin working. You generally make money by bank transfer.
  
  Most workers in Germany are paid by bank transfer as soon as per month, on the very first day of the month.4 Your company takes wage tax, health insurance coverage, pension insurance coverage and unemployment insurance coverage from your paycheck.
  
  Income tax calculator
  
  How taxes work
  
  During your very first 6 months at a brand-new company, you are in your probation duration (Probezeit). 2 During that time, it's much easier to get fired. It's also harder to find a house, because you do not have a steady job.
  
  How does the probation period work?
  
  All staff members in Germany earn money getaway days, and paid sick leave. You do not deal with public holidays, but you still make money.
  
  How to take trips
  
  What to do when you are sick
  
  7. Make a tax statement
  
  Many of your job search expenses are tax-deductible:3
  
  Relocation costs If you move better to your new task, you can deduct your moving expenses Job search costs Coaching, resume composing, expert photos, translations, printing expenses, task search services ... Travel expenses. Fuel, train tickets, hotels, meals and parking costs to go to task interviews.
  
  If you started operating in the middle of the year, you most likely paid excessive salary tax. Make a tax declaration to reduce your income tax, and get some refund.
  
  Need help?
  
  Where to get help about work
  
  Career training
  
  These individuals can help you get hired. For employment example, they can examine your resume and cover letter. Their cost is tax-deductible.