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Obama restores confidence in America

The election of US President Barack Obama has more than doubled German confidence in America, a study released this week by the Washington-based Pew Research Center reported.

Published: 24 July 2009 11:25 CEST

Obama restores confidence in America

Look at Angie beaming at Saint Obama! Photo: DPA

Between 2008 and 2009, favourable opinion of the US jumped from 31 percent to 64 percent, the “Global Attitudes Project” found.

Germany’s almost euphoric reception of Obama is part of a resurgent US image that is nearly universal in Western countries, the study said.

“In France and Germany, no fewer than nine-in-ten express confidence in the new American president, exceeding the ratings achieved by Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel in their own countries,” a statement said on Wednesday.

This confidence rating in Germany spiked to a stunning 93 percent – up from just 14 percent when George W. Bush was still in office in 2008.

Opinions of America in key Latin American countries, Africa and Asia also improved, but the country is still met with animosity in the Middle East, the study conducted May 18 to June 16 found.

In Europe, approval of Obama’s international policies is also high. Some 84 percent of Germans back his decision to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, while 64 percent said they believe the president will take a multilateral approach to his foreign policy. Obama’s plan to send more troops to Afghanistan was the only issue Germans frowned upon – here some 63 percent disapproved.

Despite the improvement in the image of the United States, 20 of the 25 nations polled said they felt the American economy was damaging their own economies – a sentiment that was also strong in 2008. In Germany, 72 percent said the US economic influence is negative, the same number as last year.

The Pew Research Center questioned 27,000 poll participants for the study.

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Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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