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EXPLAINED: How to boost your career chances in Germany

Often seen as one of the world’s most productive economies, Germany is a magnet for international workers. But once you’ve got a job in Germany, how do you keep moving upwards? Sarah Magill lays out some tips and useful German words.

Published: 14 January 2022 10:01 CET
Updated: 16 January 2022 08:16 CET
Two women and a man walk side by side in Frankfurt am Main.
Two women and a man walk side by side in Frankfurt am Main. Photo: picture alliance / Arne Dedert/dpa | Arne Dedert

Upgrade your language skills

There’s no getting around it – if you want to advance your professional career in Germany, you need to speak the language.

As a general rule, the B1 or B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference is required to get a job in most German speaking companies. In some professions, the German language is legally required: doctors and teachers, for example, are obliged to have a particularly high language level.

In many other professions, it is up to the employer to decide what level of German language skill is required.

Of course, many people come to work for international companies in the big German cities where English is the spoken language and manage to get by with little to no German.

But if you’re serious about moving upwards in Germany,  you’ll need to broaden your network and skills, for which speaking the language is a must.

READ ALSO:  Do you need to speak German to get a job in Germany?

Do your qualifications need to be recognised?

In Germany, Ausbildung (training) is everything. On many career paths, you won’t be able to progress beyond a certain point unless you have a specific qualification.

Copies of foreign certificates in an office of the “Law and Fair Play” department of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Ulrich Perrey

Depending on the job you are doing, it may be necessary to have your qualifications officially recognised.

In Germany, there are so-called regulated professions whose admission or practice is bound by legal and administrative regulations to certain professional qualifications. These include, for example, doctors, psychotherapists, nurses, lawyers, teachers and engineers. For these regulated professions, official recognition of your qualification is a must.

This means that the competent professional body will check whether your foreign qualification is equivalent to the corresponding German qualification or whether there are significant differences that you can compensate for by obtaining a further qualification or taking an exam. 

Get on board with German business culture

Different countries have different customs and the German workplace is no exception. While in other cultures the personal relationship may play an important role in a business context, in the German working world the focus is absolutely on the matter at hand.

Generally, personal and professional life are kept very much separate, so don’t start off your new job by showing your boss photos of your kids.

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

Another thing to get used to quickly is the direct style of communication. Germans tend to communicate very directly and explicitly – including criticism – so learn to take things on the chin and convert criticism into improvement.

Consistency and reliability are also seen as especially important traits in the German world of work. There are usually binding rules and structures in place to foster certainty in dealings with each other.

And of course, as with every other aspect of German life, a high standard of punctuality is expected in the German workplace. You won’t get far with your career in Germany if you turn up late to meetings – even by two minutes.

The home page of the online professional network LinkedIn is seen on a computer monitor. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Jens Büttner

Networking and self-promotion

As in most other countries, networking and self-promotion is very important in Germany. Don’t kid yourself that being good is enough – you need to put put yourself in the spotlight sometimes, and be seen too.

A lot of professional networking now goes on online, so make sure that you are present on sites such as LinkedIn and the German equivalent XING, with up-to-date career information and a professional photo. Keep your network updated on these sites by adding people you encounter in business circles. 

READ ALSO: How to reach out to German employers on LinkedIn or Xing

Be friendly 

Although you should strive to keep your personal and private life separate, being polite and friendly with your colleagues and external contacts goes a very long way in Germany. 

It can be simple as starting every email with a nice, personal introduction and exit, remembering your colleagues’ birthdays, having lunch with your team or getting an occasional round of sweet treats in from the local bakery. 

Also stick to the polite Sie form of German, at least until you get the green light to use du. Although with senior colleagues, you may always use the Sie form.

Useful vocabulary

Karriereleiter erklimmen = to climb the career ladder

Die Abschätzung = appraisal 

Der Aufstieg = promotion

For friendly emails

Ich möchte Sie fragen, ob…

I’d like to ask you if…

Würden Sie mir freundlicherweise … zusenden…

Would you be so kind as to send me…

Ich wäre Ihnen sehr dankbar, wenn Sie … könnten..

I would be very grateful, if you could…

Vielen Dank im Voraus

Many thanks in advance 

Ich würde mich freuen, bald von Ihnen zu hören.

I’d be happy to hear from you soon 

READ ALSO: 21 phrases to help you get on in a German office

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Reader Question: Can I have a freelance side gig as an employee in Germany?

Going freelance in Germany - or even starting a side hustle - can be a rewarding and exciting challenge. But it can come with its own bureaucratic challenges. What are the rules around having a freelance gig if you already have a job?

Published: 30 April 2024 10:06 CEST
Updated: 30 April 2024 15:52 CEST
Reader Question: Can I have a freelance side gig as an employee in Germany?

Whether it’s to try out freelancing or simply to earn a bit of extra money, many people in Germany may have thought about trying out a side gig – or a nebenberufliche Tätigkeit – while they still have a job. It might be an especially attractive option for part-time workers looking to try out a new project as well.

Germany generally allows this, provided that your employment contract doesn’t prohibit it explicitly.

That’s why the first thing you should do if you’re thinking about starting a side hustle is to read your employment contract.

At first, you’re looking to see if side gigs are explicitly prohibited. If there’s no explicit mention of it being prohibited, the next thing to look for is whether you need to seek the company’s permission – possibly through their HR department – to take up your side gig. If you do, this will be explicitly spelled out in your contract.

Once you do that, you need to check and see whether your side gig falls under the Trade Act (Gewerbeordnung). If it does, you will have to apply for the corresponding business license. If it doesn’t, you can be classed as a Freiberufler – or freelancer – and won’t need a special licence to start your business.

You’ll need to do some homework on what kind of business you are – and you’ll need to register with the tax office. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-tmn | Benjamin Nolte

However in both cases, you will still have to register with your local tax office (Finanzamt). 

In Germany, some professions will require you to have a Befähigungsnachweis – “certificate of competence” – proving you have expertise in your area and are appropriately accredited. These include regulated trades like working as a financial advisor or real estate agent.

Other trades, like marketing services and hospitality, won’t need such a certificate, but you might still be classed as a Gewerbe – which brings some different rules with it. Those who belong to the so-called “new self-employed”, such as artists, writers and journalists, are Freiberufler and don’t need a trade licence.

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about becoming a freelancer in Germany

Do I need extra insurance?

For your job as an employee, you already will have the necessary health, care and pension insurance – with your contributions from your income there getting taken off your payslip.

If you have a side gig, you remain insured through your main job and don’t need to take out additional insurance. Your contributions – based on the income from your main job – will remain the same.

This changes if your side hustle becomes your main hustle – measured by your working hours. As long as the number of working hours you spend on your side hustle amount to less than your main job, you don’t need extra insurance.

In most cases, having a side hustle in Germany won’t impact your health insurance eligibility or contributions. Photo: thirdman /Pexels

The exception to this is if you take on an employee who works more hours than a mini-jobber. Hiring a mini-jobber is still fine.

If your side hustle does become your main hustle and you’re publicly insured, you need to advise your Krankenkasse.

KSK: How creative freelancers can pay less for German health insurance

What income tax do I have to pay?

First up, Germany has a tax class basically designed for second jobs. It’s called Tax Class 6 and it exists alongside your other tax class. That means that the income from your main job will be taxed according to the rules of one of five different tax classes. Which one you belong to in this case depends on family variables like your marital status or whether you’re a single parent.

Tax class 6, however, doesn’t take any of these variables into account and exists only for your side income. As such, your main employment income will never be taxed according to tax class 6 and your side income won’t receive the breaks and credits that your main income will if you normally belong to a tax class that gives you any advantages.

Tax class 6 will apply to any income you earn on your side hustle above €538 a month. Anything you earn up to this amount though is exempt from additional tax.

It’s important to note that if you do earn more than the monthly €538 minimum on your side hustle and thus have income subject to Tax class 6, you’ll need to file a tax return.

EXPLAINED: What German tax class are you in?

Do I have to charge VAT?

If your side hustle is earning you €22,000 a year or less, you can class yourself as a “small firm” or Kleinunternehmer – and you don’t need to charge VAT on your invoices. This is also the case if you earn above this amount but your income is earned abroad or from foreign clients. 

If you earn above that amount and work with German clients, then you will need to charge VAT and submit VAT returns to the Finanzamt. There can be advantages in doing this though, as it’s through these returns that you can get VAT back that you spend on legitimate business expenses.

EXPLAINED: What are the best bank accounts in Germany for freelancers?

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