How to find a Job In Berlin

Greg is the co-founder of GermanTechJobs.de.

This guide assists you find a task 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 need to speak German?
The length of time does it require to get employed?
Salaries in Germany
General job search
English-speaking tasks
Tech jobs
Creative jobs: media, communications, design
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 need to understand
Career training
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 operate in Germany. You can get a work visa or a Blue Card, for example. There may be a minimum wage or education requirement.

Do you need to speak German?

No, however it helps. You can discover English-speaking tasks, referall.us however most companies want German speakers.

If you don’t speak German, you can still discover tasks in …

Tech business
– Companies with English-speaking workplaces
– Delivery services like Lieferando, Wolt and Flink
– Client service and call centres
– Restaurants and bars

Do you require to speak German in Berlin?

The length of time does it require to get worked with?

A couple of months. Even if you find a job rapidly, the hiring process is really sluggish.

Know how much you must make, and how much taxes you should pay. This helps you negotiate a better income.

Calculate your earnings tax

1. Try to find tasks

General task search

Indeed.com – Job search engine. You can filter by language and set signals.
LinkedIn – Networking site with a big jobs 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 noting site. Made in Berlin.
ArbeitNow – Job noting site. Made in Berlin.
Jobted
Xing – Similar to LinkedIn. You can’t filter by language.
Glassdoor – Company reviews, income reports and task listings. You require an account.

English-speaking tasks

These websites just have English-speaking jobs, or let you filter by language:

Berlin Startup Jobs – Most jobs remain in English-speaking workplaces
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 tasks

GermanTechJobs – You can filter by language and technology.
Jobs – English-speaking jobs in start-ups and tech companies
Administrator/ Web Entickler/ Entwickler Jobs – German-speaking tech jobs
Imagine Foundation – They help software application developers from developing countries find a task and get employed

Creative jobs: media, communications, style

dasauge (in German) – Media-related jobs
Mediengestalter Jobs (in German) – Creative tasks

Startup tasks

Berlin Startup Jobs – English-speaking tasks in startups and tech companies
Startup Sucht (in German).
tbd * job board (in German) – tbd * is a website for entrepreneurs. You can filter by language.
Wellfound – International startup task portal.
Germany Startup Jobs – You can filter tasks by language and salary.
Berlin Startup Jobs – Facebook group, 56,000+ members.
Berlin Startup Jobs, Internships & Co-founders – Facebook group, 14,000+ members

Internships, temperature 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 temperature work firm.
Manpower (in German) – Large temp work agency.
Randstad (in German) – Large temperature work firm.
Craigslist – Most task listings are for dining establishments and cafés

Freelance work

Berlin Freelancers – Facebook group, 25,000+ members

Restaurant tasks

Berlin Food Stories – Restaurant jobs in Berlin.
Huntler – English-speaking dining establishment jobs in Berlin

2. Make an application for tasks

German resumes

German CVs are longer than American resumes. They include your date of birth, your citizenship and a photo of you.1 You must go to a photo studio and get a professional picture for your resume. A profession coach can help you write a much better resume.

Useful links:

How to write a German resume – HalloGermany.
German resume examples – Imagine foundation.
Resume checklist – Imagine structure.
Lingoking – Translate your resume to German

Cover letters

Include a brief cover letter (Anschreiben) with your application. It’s an individual introduction. It describes who you are, what you do, why you obtain this job, and why they ought to employ you.

Don’t send out the very same cover letter to everyone. Do your research, and personalise the letter for each task offer. Keep it brief and simple to check out. Get feedback from other individuals before you send it. A career coach can help you compose better cover letters.

How to compose 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 couple of weeks, and even a couple of months. You might have numerous interviews with various people. It depends on the company and the task. You require a lot of time for this.

The phone screen

The interview process begins with a brief call. A recruiter or employing supervisor will ask you a few questions. They will try to understand who you are, what you want, and how you fit the job 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 challenges. They validate that you know how to do your task.

Technical interviews are various at every company. They may ask you technical concerns, ask you to solve an issue throughout the interview, or finish a technical obstacle in the house. Some companies don’t have technical interviews.

Meet the team

Most business have a group interview. You fulfill your future group to see if you work well together. This interview is more unwinded. You may simply talk with the team, or have lunch together.

4. The task deal

After your interview, the business can make a task offer.

Salary settlement

After you get the job deal, you can work out a much better income. You can also request for things like a relocation benefit or more trip days.

Salaries in Germany

The job contract

Read your task contract carefully. If your employer promised something to you throughout the interview, validate that it remains in your contract. Only sign the agreement if you concur with whatever. Send the signed contract by email or by post.

If you are not exactly sure about your agreement, ask for aid or speak with a lawyer.

5. Get a residence permit

If you are not a resident of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you require a home permit to live in Germany. Sometimes, you should wait for your home permit to start working. It can take a few months.

How to get a residence license

If you currently have a residence authorization, you might need the Ausländerbehörde’s consent to change jobs. Sometimes, you can begin your new task instantly. Sometimes, somalibidders.com you must await your new residence license. This can take a few weeks.

How to alter jobs

6. Start working

Things your employer requires

During your first month at a new business, your employer requires a few things:

A bank account.
Your company will pay you by bank transfer. For this, you require a checking 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 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 info.
Your health insurance coverage number (Krankenversicherungsnummer).
You get a Krankenversicherungsnummer 2 to 7 days after you choose medical insurance. Your company needs this number to take health insurance payments from your salary. Your company can pick medical insurance for you, but 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 coverage, you get this number immediately in the mail. If you have personal health insurance, you need to look for it. Your employer can often assist you with this. – How to get a social insurance number

Your employer can’t require an address registration certificate.5

Things you should know

In Germany, most individuals are paid when each month, generally on the 1st or 15th day of the month. You get your first income after 30 or 45 days after you start working. You usually earn money by bank transfer.

Most staff members in Germany are paid by bank transfer once monthly, on the very first day of the month.4 Your employer takes income tax, health insurance, pension insurance coverage and joblessness insurance from your paycheck.

Income tax calculator

How taxes work

During your first 6 months at a brand-new business, you are in your probation duration (Probezeit). 2 During that time, it’s easier to get fired. It’s also harder to find a house, since you do not have a steady task.

How does the probation period work?

All workers in Germany make money holiday days, and paid ill leave. You don’t work on public holidays, but you still get paid.

How to take holidays

What to do when you are sick

7. Make a tax declaration

A number of your task search costs are tax-deductible:3

Relocation costs
If you move closer to your new job, you can deduct your moving expenses
Job search expenses
Coaching, resume composing, expert photos, translations, printing costs, task search services …
Travel expenses.
Fuel, train tickets, hotels, meals and parking costs to go to job interviews.

If you began operating in the middle of the year, you probably paid excessive income tax. Make a tax statement to decrease your income tax, and get some refund.

Need help?

Where to get assist about work

Career coaching

These people can help you get employed. For example, they can review your resume and cover letter. Their charge is tax-deductible.