Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

JOBS

Why it’s a myth you need to know German to get a job

Many job ads in Germany list - not surprisingly - speaking German as a requirement for the job. But this shouldn't scare you away from applying, argues career coach Chris Pyak in the first career column in a new series.

Published: 14 June 2019 10:34 CEST
Why it's a myth you need to know German to get a job
A recruiter looks at an applicant's CV. Photo: Despositphotos/alexraths

Valentina sat in her little apartment in Bogota and decided to move to Germany. She sent a single job application and immediately got the job. Her employer let her start in English and learn German “on the job”.

True story.

Unfortunately, for most international professionals who move to Germany, the reality looks quite different. You have an excellent education and an impressive list of achievements. But many employers don’t even bother to send you a rejection letter when you apply. Somehow, we Germans don’t seem to care about your contribution to our economy.

I do.

This is why I was happy, when The Local invited me to start a bi-weekly column about the job hunt in Germany. Because most of what people are telling you about it is complete nonsense.

For example, this argument:

“You need to speak German.”

I don’t know how often I heard it from German HR, employers and thousands of international professionals who shared feedback from their job applications with me.

But is this actually true?

What about this job for example? Head of HR insisted that fluent German is an absolute “must” for the position. She hadn’t received a single job application in six months, but no argument would convince her otherwise. The job was: To cold call companies in France and sell them tires.

Or take Naveen’s example. He had already been rejected by HR. “You need to speak German”. But Naveen, who is a software developer, disagreed. After consulting with me, he reached out to the department head directly. After a short conversation it became clear: The whole department spoke English at work. Everyone there was a foreigner. Naveen got the job.

The truth is: “You need to speak German” is in most cases a purely emotional response. Not a careful analysis of the challenges and desired outcomes of a position. Rather than trying something new, German employers invest their energy in finding artificial obstacles to hiring you in English. (“We speak English, but our clients are all Mittelstand and they won’t agree to talk English with you” is a favourite among consultancy companies.)

FIND A JOB: Browse thousands of English-language jobs in Germany

Exclusive: Don't miss Chris Pyak's Expat Career webinar, in partnership with The Local. More details at the end of the article.  

These apprehensive applicants can still qualify for a job in Germany without speaking German. Photo: Depositphotos/baranq

I’ve been analyzing the complete German job market since 2013. The overwhelming number of jobs for professionals with a university degree can be done in English. Software engineers, data analysts and business developers don’t need German.

Companies like Trivago, Rocket Internet and Zalando all prove that it is possible to run the whole organization in English. And these companies reap the benefits of offering the few English jobs in Germany: Trivago gets about 40,000 job applications a month. Zalando told me in my podcast that they get over 100,000 job applications per year.

At the same time more than half of all German companies say that they have to reject orders, because they lack skilled employees to fulfill them. But still: “You need to speak German”.

You can do a good job in English and learn German “on the job”. Many large companies even pay for their employees to take courses. Employers already lose business, because they don’t have enough professionals. Why do they not hire you?

Because your real obstacle to a job in Germany is not “the language” – it’s prejudice.

“Was der Bauer nicht kennt, das frisst er nicht“ is a saying in Germany. “The farmer won’t eat, what he doesn’t know.“

And you are an unknown fruit.

Chris Pyak holding up a copy of his book 'How to Win Jobs and Influence Germans'. Photo courtesy of the author.

In this column I will share tips on how you win the farmer's trust, so that he will finally have a bite. Because that’s good for you and for the farmer as well.

If you are a member of The Local and you have a question about the job hunt in Germany: Feel free to drop me a line here. I will pick a question and give an answer every week.

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

He offers a range of courses to help internationals break into the German job market. On June 25th he will host a free webinar exclusively for The Local's readers. Find out how to sign up by clicking the banner below. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

WORKING IN GERMANY

Five things to know about salaries in Germany

Finding a job is typically a top priority when planning a move to Germany. The country boasts the third largest economy in the world and a continuing need for skilled professionals. 

Published: 2 May 2024 12:26 CEST
Five things to know about salaries in Germany

If you are moving to Germany, you might soon start looking for a job in the country. However, like many other aspects of living abroad, there are several cultural differences and specificities when it comes to job hunting in Germany – especially when it comes to salaries.

Here are five things to know about salaries in Germany.

There is a minimum wage in Germany

Germany’s minimum wage of €12.41 per hour, pre-tax came into effect at the start of this year. This amounts to a monthly salary of €2,054 which ranks ninth in the world. The minimum wage will rise again in 2025 to €12.82 per hour before tax deductions.

There have been calls recently to hike the salary up higher to €14 per hour.

READ ALSO: Millions of workers in Germany ‘earning less than €14 per hour’

Find out salary expectations

Germany does not require companies to list salary ranges for listed positions. But that may be changing soon. The EU parliament passed a wage transparency law to require companies to publish annual reports detailing wage and wage discrepancy information. The rules, which are set to go into effect in 2027, are intended to help close the gender pay gap. 

In the meantime, employees can utilise online resources to find industry averages and expectations for different roles:

  • Gehalt.de offers users access to salary information on more than 800 professions
  • Online platform, Kununu provides compensation information and employer reviews to users in the DACH region  
  • Berlin residents can utilise REDSOFA’s salary survey for an overview of salary averages in the country’s capital city

As of April 2023 the average gross monthly salary was €4,323 according to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office.

Two-thirds of full time workers make less than this average monthly salary and one-third of workers earn more than this average monthly salary.

While wages after deductions may be less than similar roles in other countries, it is also important to take into consideration what other benefits come with a salary. Paid holiday leave, pension contributions, long notice periods and annual bonuses can help make up some of that difference. 

READ ALSO: How much do employees in Germany typically earn?

Check your payment schedule

Internationals can usually expect their salary once a month when working in Germany. Many German companies choose to pay employees either on the 1st or 15th of the month. It is also important to note that most employees can expect to receive their first pay check within 30 or 45 days of starting. 

For positions that offer yearly bonuses, these payments are included in a 13th pay check which are subject to income tax.  

A person works on a laptop.

A person works on a laptop. Image by Bartek Zakrzewski from Pixabay

How many hours do you work?

When looking for a job, don’t forget to check how many hours you can expect. Job descriptions will include expectations for time commitments. 

Mini-jobs, as expected from the name, are limited in hours and pay. Employees can expect up to €538 per month. Mini-jobs do not provide social security because they do not require social security contributions. Employees are also not automatically covered by health and nursing care insurance. 

Teilzeit, or part time jobs, are defined as any job where working hours are less than a full time position.

A common misconception is that part-time work requires working 20 hours or less a week. But an employee working five days a week for 30 hours, at a position that is typically 40 hours when full time can also be defined as a part time worker. 

READ ALSO: The rules in Germany around ‘mini’ and ‘midi jobs’

In fact, Germany has a term for workers who work between 28 and 36 hours a week. Vollzeitnahe Teilzeit, or nearly full time part time workers, can be a popular choice for some people, including parents. These positions can give employees more flexibility to balance work and family responsibilities. It is important to note that these workers are paid according to their time worked, so it will still amount to less than full time.

Depending on the work schedule, part time employees can earn the same amount of vacation as their full-time counterparts. That’s because holiday leave is calculated based on days worked, not hours. If a part time worker comes in five days a week, they will be eligible for at least 20 days of holiday. If that same part time worker comes in three days a week, they will be legally entitled to twelve days of vacation, even if they worked the same hours as the other employee. 

In most companies, weekly working hours between 35 and 40 hours are considered full-time employment or Vollzeitbeschäftigung. 

Watch out for the gross v. net difference

Before you sign the dotted line, it will be important to check how much of your gross salary you’ll be able to keep come pay day. Companies that include salary expectations in descriptions include gross salary (Bruttoeinkommen) – not the net income after taxes and deductions (Nettoeinkommen). The amount deducted will depend on how much you earn, the tax class you’re in and on other factors such as how much you’re paying for healthcare but it is usually around 40 percent. 

Salaried employees can find information on the deductions on their pay slip. Some to expect to see include:

  • Taxes are deducted directly from the gross pay. The amount is based on the tax bracket your salary falls within 
  • A percentage of your gross salary is also deducted for your pension / retirement contributions
  • Church taxes between eight and nine percent of your salary will also be due if you are affiliated with a religion
  • Unemployment insurance amounts to a 2.5 percent deduction from your gross salary. It is important to note that the insurance covers a salary up to €90,600 
  • Health insurance contribution rates are typically split between employers and employees. The rate depends on the provider. In 2024, the TK contribution rate to health insurance is 15.8 percent of the gross income

READ ALSO: What you need to know about your payslip in Germany 

SHOW COMMENTS