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From Galapagos to Germany: My workplace goal of 2020

Careers columnist Chris Pyak describes how the story of a motivated turtle presents all of us with a lesson about hard work and persistence.

Published: 21 January 2020 10:44 CET
From Galapagos to Germany: My workplace goal of 2020
A turtle in Baden-Würtemberg. Photo: DPA

Let me share a true story with you. This one will delight and inspire you for the rest of this week. I promise.

It is the story of one man, who through extraordinary commitment, saved the whole world. Well, his whole world.

READ ALSO: How to get a job in Germany if you don't fit all the criteria

Diego was already 50-years-old when he was selected to save a rare species of tortoises from – what seemed inevitable – extinction.

The time was the 1960s, the place was one of the Galapagos Island and only 14 tortoises had survived. Only two of them were male.

Now it is 50 years later and, when you walk along the beaches of Santa Cruz Island, you feel the sand between your toes and you see over 2000 giant tortoises making their way towards the ocean.

About half of them are alive because of Diego. His contribution to the survival of the species: Sex.

Learning what gets the job done

You see, Diego was one of the only two male tortoises that were still alive in the 60s. He wholeheartedly embraced both his mission and the “Make Love Not War spirit of the era. Diego is believed to have fathered about 800 tortoises. His playboy lifestyle saved the whole species.

That is commitment. And commitment gets noticed. Nobody talks about the second male tortoise that lived on that Island.

This year I want you to be like Diego. Commit yourself completely to your job search. Learn what really gets the job done and then do only that. Do it like there is no tomorrow.

READ ALSO: Working in Germany: The three tricks to impressing managers

I could stop here. I think you get the allegory. But real life requires one additional point, to help you move from understanding, to “doing it”, to victory.

As many people before me have pointed out: “It’s not the size that matters, but how you use it.” There are hidden rules in the German business culture. Ignore them and you will be trapped forever in the circle of “apply and good-bye”.

Adjust your approach just a little, invest a few hours of reading, learning and thinking: And you will go to job interviews, sweep employers of their feet and hopefully end up with not just one, but several job offers to choose from.

Here’s a little something that can help you.

ABOUT CHRIS PYAK

Chris Pyak is the Author of “How To Win Jobs & Influence Germans“. The managing director of Immigrant Spirit GmbH has worked in four different cultures and lived in five different countries.

Chris returned to Germany in 2011. His mission: Bring the Immigrant Spirit to his home country. Chris introduces international professionals to employers in Germany.

 

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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.'

Published: 7 February 2024 10:54 CET
Updated: 10 February 2024 08:20 CET
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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