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MY GERMAN CAREER

JOBS

‘The work-life balance is fantastic’

In this week's My German Career Graham Polley from Ireland looks back on his six years in Frankfurt and explains how he managed to land a job without a word of German.

'The work-life balance is fantastic'
Photo: Submitted

Where are you located and what do you do?

I have recently left Germany but before that I worked as a software engineer in Frankfurt, Germany’s financial hub. While there, I worked primarily on financial market desktop software. My German wife and I lived just outside the city in a small town called Bergen-Enkheim.

What brought you to Germany and how long have you been here?

Like I mentioned, my wife is German. We met in 2006 while we were studying in Melbourne. After we finished our studies we decided to make the big move and settle in Germany for a while. After almost six fantastic years living here we just felt it was time to further our careers elsewhere, and decided to move back to Australia.

How did you land your job and do you have tips for anyone seeking similar work?

When we first arrived we were very unsure as to whether or not I would be able to find a job due to my lack of German. I had actually studied French at school so I didn’t have a single word back then. Ironically, it was much easier for me to find a job than it was for my wife. Being a native English speaker was in no way a hindrance. On the contrary, it was definitely an advantage. Software engineering is so global now and working with international, distributed teams is the daily norm. German software companies love to employ native English speakers and they also love to practise their English on us.

My top tips would be to learn some basic German for your interview and throw it into the conversation whenever you can. The Germans really appreciate it when you make an effort with the language. Also, make yourself very familiar with the German interview process. There are rules (such as how to greet people) and they take this seriously – even with expats. Finally, be prepared to do some coding tests. Every interview I attended incorporated at least one.

Is it important for you to be able to speak German in your position?

No, but there is no excuse for someone living and working in a foreign country not to pick up the language. I was able to converse reasonably well after about three years and I still practise my German out here in Australia with every German that I am fortunate enough to meet.

What are the best and worst parts about working in Germany?

The best is the six-week holidays. That is just awesome. The work/life balance is fantastic. The worst is that the salary for software professionals is not as good as in the rest of the world. Of course, it is relative as the cost of living is lower here. However, even taking that into consideration, the pay for my line of work is only average in Germany.

Do you plan on returning?

I’m not sure. Although I absolutely loved my time in Germany, Australia was always a place where I wanted to settle down. It just ticks all the boxes for me in terms of quality of life. But convincing my German wife to stay might still take some work. However, in saying that, Germany holds a very special place in my heart and I’m very grateful to have lived there. So you never know.

READ MORE: Spaniards stranded in fake German job scandal

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

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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