Greg is the co-founder of GermanTechJobs.de.

This guide assists you find a job in Berlin, from discovering job listings to your very first day at work.

On this page

1. Before your task search Can you work in Germany? Do you need to speak German? The length of time does it require to get hired? Salaries in Germany General task search English-speaking tasks Tech tasks Creative jobs: media, communications, design Startup tasks Internships, temperature work and minijobs Freelance work Restaurant tasks German resumes Cover letters The phone screen The technical interview Meet the team Salary negotiation The job contract Things your employer needs Things you need to know Career coaching Before your job search

Can you operate in Germany?

If you are not a person of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you need a residence permit to operate in Germany. You can get a work visa or a Blue Card, for example. There might be a minimum wage or education requirement.

Do you need to speak German?

No, however it assists. You can discover English-speaking tasks, however most companies desire German speakers.

If you don't speak German, you can still discover tasks in ...

Tech companies

• Companies with English-speaking workplaces
• Delivery services like Lieferando, Wolt and Flink
• Customer service and call centres
• Restaurants and bars
  
  Do you require to speak German in Berlin?
  
  The length of time does it require to get employed?
  
  A couple of months. Even if you find a task quickly, the employing process is very sluggish.
  
  Know just how much you should earn, and how much taxes you should pay. This helps you work out a much better income.
  
  Calculate your earnings tax
  
  1. Search for jobs
  
  General task search
  
  Indeed.com - Job online search engine. You can filter by language and set alerts. LinkedIn - Networking website with a huge tasks section. Incredibly popular. Jobsuche der Bundesagentur (in German) - Run by the Agentur für Arbeit Talent Berlin - Run by the state of Berlin. You can't filter by language. HeyJobs - Job noting site. Made in Berlin. ArbeitNow - Job noting site. Made in Berlin. Jobted Xing - Similar to LinkedIn. You can't filter by language. Glassdoor - Company reviews, wage reports and employment task listings. You require an account.
  
  English-speaking tasks
  
  These sites just have English-speaking jobs, or let you filter by language:
  
  Berlin Startup Jobs - Most tasks remain in English-speaking workplaces Englishjobs.de - Only English-speaking tasks JobsInBerlin.eu - You can filter tasks by language Germany Startup Jobs - You can filter tasks by language and income The Local tasks - Run by a popular English-speaking newspaper Jobted English-speaking jobs in Berlin - Facebook group, 89,000+ members English jobs in Berlin - Facebook group, 43,000+ members
  
  Tech jobs
  
  GermanTechJobs - You can filter by language and technology. Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking jobs in startups and tech business Administrator/ Web Entickler/ Entwickler Jobs - German-speaking tech tasks Imagine Foundation - They help software developers from establishing countries discover a task and get worked with
  
  Creative tasks: media, interactions, design
  
  dasauge (in German) - Media-related jobs Mediengestalter Jobs (in German) - Creative tasks
  
  Startup jobs
  
  Berlin Startup Jobs - English-speaking jobs in startups and tech companies Startup Sucht (in German). tbd * job board (in German) - tbd * is a site for business owners. You can filter by language. Wellfound - International start-up task website. Germany Startup Jobs - You can filter tasks by language and income. Berlin Startup Jobs - Facebook group, 56,000+ members. Berlin Startup Jobs, Internships & Co-founders - Facebook group, 14,000+ members
  
  Internships, temperature work and minijobs
  
  Zenjobs. BSIG - Berlin Startup Internships - Facebook group, 10,000+ members. Foreign Young Professionals in Berlin - Facebook group, employment 8,000+ members. Jobsuche der Bundesagentur (in German) - Run by the Agentur für Arbeit. Has a filter for internships. Adecco (in German) - Large temp work agency. Manpower (in German) - Large temperature work firm. Randstad (in German) - Large temp work agency. Craigslist - Most task listings are for restaurants and cafés
  
  Freelance work
  
  Berlin Freelancers - Facebook group, 25,000+ members
  
  Restaurant jobs
  
  Berlin Food Stories - Restaurant tasks in Berlin. Huntler - English-speaking dining establishment jobs in Berlin
  
  2. Get tasks
  
  German resumes
  
  German CVs are longer than American resumes. They include your date of birth, your citizenship and a photo of you.1 You must go to a picture studio and get an expert portrait for your resume. A profession coach can help you write a much better resume.
  
  Useful links:
  
  How to write a German resume - HalloGermany. German resume examples - Imagine structure. Resume checklist - Imagine foundation. Lingoking - Translate your resume to German
  
  Cover letters
  
  Include a short cover letter (Anschreiben) with your application. It's an individual introduction. It discusses who you are, what you do, why you look for this job, and why they ought to employ you.
  
  Don't send the same cover letter to everyone. Do your research, and personalise the letter for each task deal. Keep it brief and simple to check out. Get feedback from other people before you send it. A profession coach can assist you write much better cover letters.
  
  How to compose a German cover letter - HalloGermany. Advice for cover letters with examples - Hacker News
  
  3. The task interview
  
  In Germany, the interview process is really long. It can take a few weeks, and even a few months. You might have several interviews with different individuals. It depends upon the business and the job. You require a great deal of time for this.
  
  The phone screen
  
  The interview procedure begins with a brief call. An employer or hiring manager will ask you a few questions. They will try to comprehend who you are, what you want, and how you fit the job offer. It's a simple check before they invite you for an interview.
  
  How to prepare - Imagine Foundation
  
  The technical interview
  
  Most tech companies have technical interviews or coding difficulties. They verify that you know how to do your task.
  
  Technical interviews are different at every business. They might ask you technical concerns, ask you to fix an issue during the interview, or finish a technical obstacle in the house. Some business don't have technical interviews.
  
  Meet the team
  
  Most business have a team interview. You fulfill your future team to see if you work well together. This interview is more relaxed. You may just talk with the team, or have lunch together.
  
  4. The task offer
  
  After your interview, the business can make a task deal.
  
  Salary negotiation
  
  After you get the job deal, you can negotiate a much better wage. You can also ask for things like a relocation perk or more getaway days.
  
  Salaries in Germany
  
  The task contract
  
  Read your job agreement carefully. If your company promised something to you throughout the interview, validate that it remains in your agreement. Only sign the agreement if you concur with everything. Send the signed contract by email or by post.
  
  If you are not sure about your agreement, request help or speak with a lawyer.
  
  5. Get a residence permit
  
  If you are not a person of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you need a house license to live in Germany. Sometimes, you need to wait on your home authorization to begin working. It can take a few months.
  
  How to get a house permit
  
  If you already have a home license, you might need the Ausländerbehörde's authorization to alter tasks. Sometimes, you can start your brand-new job instantly. Sometimes, you should await your new home license. This can take a few weeks.
  
  How to change jobs
  
  6. Start working
  
  Things your company needs
  
  During your first month at a brand-new business, your company requires a few things:
  
  A checking account. Your company will pay you by bank transfer. For this, you require a checking account that supports SEPA transfers. Any European bank account will work. Your tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer). You get a tax ID when you register your address for the first time. If you can't register your address, employment you can still get a tax ID. If you can't get a tax ID, you can still start working. - More details. Your medical insurance number (Krankenversicherungsnummer). You get a Krankenversicherungsnummer 2 to 7 days after you pick health insurance coverage. Your company needs this number to take medical insurance payments from your salary. Your company can choose medical insurance for you, however it's a bad concept. Ask a broker to assist you select, it's free. Your social insurance coverage number (Sozialversicherungsnummer). If you have public health insurance coverage, you get this number instantly in the mail. If you have private medical insurance, you must obtain it. Your company can in some cases assist you with this. - How to get a social insurance number
  
  Your company can't need an address registration certificate.5
  
  Things you should know
  
  In Germany, many people are paid once monthly, generally on the 1st or 15th day of the month. You get your first income after 30 or 45 days after you begin working. You normally earn money by bank transfer.
  
  Most workers in Germany are paid by bank transfer once per month, on the very first day of the month.4 Your employer takes wage tax, medical insurance, pension insurance coverage and unemployment insurance coverage from your income.
  
  Income tax calculator
  
  How taxes work
  
  During your very first 6 months at a new company, you remain in your probation duration (Probezeit). 2 During that time, it's simpler to get fired. It's also harder to discover an apartment, due to the fact that you do not have a .
  
  How does the probation duration work?
  
  All staff members in Germany earn money trip days, and paid authorized leave. You do not deal with public vacations, however you still earn money.
  
  How to take trips
  
  What to do when you are ill
  
  7. Make a tax statement
  
  Much of your task search expenses are tax-deductible:3
  
  Relocation costs If you move closer to your brand-new task, you can subtract your moving costs Job search costs Coaching, resume writing, expert photos, translations, printing costs, job search services ... Travel expenses. Fuel, train tickets, hotels, meals and parking costs to go to task interviews.
  
  If you began working in the middle of the year, you probably paid too much income tax. Make a tax declaration to reduce your income tax, and get some money back.
  
  Need help?
  
  Where to get assist about work
  
  Career coaching
  
  These people can help you get hired. For instance, they can examine your resume and cover letter. Their cost is tax-deductible.