CHAPTER 3 | FIRST STEPS TO SEARCH JOB IN GERMANY
Steps to be taken first to start seeking a job in Germany
(This article was originally written in Turkish on November 10th, 2019 and updated before publishing in English.)
Hi…
In the third part of our “Life in Germany” blog series, we will try to explain in detail the first steps to be taken to look for a job in Germany. We will examine these steps one by one under the headings such as what you need to do to get the recognition of your diploma, do you really need to get the recognition, how much time will it cost to learn German at a sufficient level, what should be considered when applying for a job.
First of all, let’s start with getting the recognition of your professional diploma, because this is the most complicated part of the steps to be taken. Let me say this first: It is not necessary to obtain recognition in Germany for every profession.
That is to say: There are professions that are subject to regulation, and professions that are not subject to regulation. I will explain what these mean, but let me tell you in advance: Personally, even if your profession is classified under unregulated professions -I mean professions that are not necessarily get in to recognition process- I strongly recommend that you get your certificate of recognition if there is a possibility to obtain it. Because your recognition certificate will definitely increase your chances before the employers during your job applications.
This issue falls under the jurisdiction of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, and the statements of the government agency regarding the regulated and non-regulated professions are as follows:
“The fact that a profession is ‘subject to regulation’ means that the profession cannot be done without obtaining a permit or license from the state and without recognizing your professional competence. Like many other professions in Germany, professions in the health and education sector (eg doctor, nurse or teacher) are among the regulated professions. In addition to these, lawyer and engineering are also under the umbrella of regulated professions. There are 81 professions and business branches regulated at federal level in Germany.
There are also special regulations for some self-employed professions (eg bakery or hairdressing).
However, your diploma does not need to be officially recognized to work in unregulated professions (for example, in the retail sector or in the IT field). Here, you can apply to the job market without your qualification going through an assessment process. However, it may still be useful to get your qualifications checked, so that the employer can better evaluate your qualifications.”
Similar approaches are mentioned in the statements of several institutions directly or indirectly related to the subject. So if you have a professional diploma, it is recommended that you get recognition even if your profession is not among the regulated professions.
For example, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research expressed the following opinion on the same subject:
“Recognition is not mandatory for non-regulated professions. Employers set requirements for each job. However, recognition has its advantages. You have an official and legally valid document. Your professional qualification legally corresponds to the German professional qualification. This increases your chances of applying for a job, as potential employers will immediately notice that your professional qualification is comparable to a German vocational qualification level. In addition to these, recognition can also contribute positively to salary negotiations. “
Personally, as I just mentioned, I highly recommend this. I think it will increase your chances of finding a job.
IMPORTANT: The paragraphs you will read below have been added to this blog post as of February 10, 2020. This update contains the latest and definitive information on the subject of diploma recognition.
Under the new “Skilled Labour Immigration Law”, anyone who wants to settle in Germany to practice their profession will be asked to obtain the recognition of their diploma, regardless of their profession. In this regard, flexibility will only be provided to professions in the IT field.
In this practice, there are certain reasons for such a change specific to the new law.
Under normal circumstances, there is no requirement to be recognized for unregulated professions. This is still the case for people who currently live in Germany and have received their vocational education outside of Germany.
In other words, for example, a person who has received vocational education or university education in a third country (except Germany and EU) has settled in Germany for any other reason. While currently living in Germany, he has a job opportunity where he can practice his profession. If this person has an unregulated profession, he can practice his profession without recognition.
However, regarding the new law, the German authorities aim to have the law strictly followed for its intended purpose.
That is, the person will come to Germany because of his “profession”, will make an employment contract in which he can perform his “profession”, and the “Ausländeramt”, the foreigners’ office, will be convinced that the person has a recognized vocational education in Germany and that he really came to Germany to practice this profession.
There is no need to complicate it too much in your mind when trying to understand the law. This law has a purpose. The law aims to attract qualified workforce from all over the world to Germany.
As a result of the process, the foreigners’ office will give you the residence permit and you have to convince the foreigners’ office that you have done everything correctly regarding the whole process.
How will you ensure this, let’s go with simple steps: You need to have a profession, you need to prove that this profession is recognized in Germany, that is, get the recognition, and then you need to have an employment contract where you can perform your profession. The steps are clear.
Let’s say without ado: The door is firmly closed to those who think like “I can find a deficit in this law” or “I wonder from where I can make a hole in this law”. There is no such way. This is not the purpose.
Therefore, under this law, recognition will be requested for every profession.
Besides, getting your recognition gives you the right to get a 6-month job seeking visa so that you can come to Germany in person and look for a job. This is also important. Of course, in order to get this visa, you have to prove to the official authorities that you have a budget enough to support you for 6 months in Germany and block this money in authorized banks. This amount corresponds to a budget of 853 Euros per month, 5118 Euros in total. Of course, the state does not seize this money. You only need to block this budget in your account as a guarantee to the state. Then one-sixth of this money is released every month and you can use it. If you have familiars in Germany who can sponsor you (which is not required to be relatives) and you can document that you will come and reside in them at their invitation, this blocked account obligation is removed. Of course, to get this advantage, the person who will be the guarantor must also have an income at a certain level determined by the state.
We will talk about the details of this guarantor and invitation subject, such as the conditions to be provided by the guarantor and the applications to be made in the next article.
But let me state right away, it is not an obligation to get this visa to look for a job, it is a right granted to you. Without using this right, it is possible to search for and find a job online, too.
By the way, let me add without skipping: You can find out whether your profession is regulated in Germany, with which laws is it regulated and which institution you should apply to check your qualifications, by using the communication organs of the federal office, that I just mentioned.
So, what should be done to get the recognition of your professional diploma in Germany?
We came to one of the most important issues.
There are institutions that the ministry has authorized nationwide regarding the execution of recognition procedures. All transactions related to recognition are carried out by these institutions.
These are “usually” the Chambers of Industry and Commerce or Chambers of Crafts and Trades. These institutions also share the demand load based on occupational groups.
For example, while an institution looks after the X profession group, another institution looks after the Y profession group. You determine which institution you should contact according to your profession.
As a first step, the applicant has to decide which German professional qualification his diploma would like to be compared with. In other words, the name of your profession on the diploma may not be similar to the name in Germany. Or the names may be the same, but you may have the opportunity to operate in different branches of the profession in Germany with your current professional diploma, and you may be expected to choose one.
In this regard, we can still get advice from the authorized institution. Before starting the process, we can also ask for assistance regarding this selection, from the institution that will carry out the recognition process.
Well, it has been decided, the process will be initiated, what documents do you need to provide?
Of course, first of all, your identity document and diploma…
Transcripts are also required for the diplomas of some professions, let’s note this as well. Your resume in the form of a table, ie in a listed form. List of training courses you have completed and your work experience. Proof of your professional experience and references from the workplaces where you have performed your profession until today. Documentation of in-service or external training, if available. Proof that you want to work in Germany. For example, you may already be in contact with employers in Germany, or you may have entered a CV on online job search sites. This is enough to prove your intention. We also asked and confirmed this over the phone. And finally, your written statement that you have not applied for the recognition procedure in Germany before.
If we summarize and list:
1. Identity Card
2. Diploma (in some cases additional transcript)
3. CV in the form of a list
4. Your professional experience references
5. Your documents regarding additional training
6. Proof of your willingness to work in Germany
7. Written declaration that you are applying for recognition for the first time.
You probably guess that these documents have to be translated into German by a sworn translator and the copies must be notarized, but let me remind you just in case…
In some cases, an additional form may be required to apply. You can also fill in and send this form online. The form is completely in German. Therefore, if you do not already have knowledge of German language, you may need help.
The fee paid to the relevant institution in the first application is 200 Euros. If the recognition cannot be obtained for any reason, this fee will be refunded. Depending on the intensity of your process or if you need to buy some adaptations, these fees can go up to 600 Euros.
After delivering your documents, institutions check whether there are significant differences between the professional diploma in Germany and the diploma you received in your home country. If there are such differences, they also check whether the differences can be offset by other documents or past professional experience.
If the documents you have are not sufficient for your professional diploma to be recognized, a qualification determination can be made with various references or through expert interviews.
If there are no significant differences between your diploma and the German diploma, full recognition will be approved and you will be allowed to practice your profession.
If significant differences are detected between your graduation and qualifications in your home country and the German professional diploma, applicants of the “unregulated” professions will be sent a reply with a detailed description of these differences. With this, you can apply directly to employers or choose a supplementary training that suits you individually.
In “regulated” professions, you have the opportunity to compensate for differences. Although it varies by profession, you can take a qualification exercise or a specialist exam for this compensating act.
Let me open a parenthesis here. A fee is charged for this last process I mentioned. These fees are also determined by the authorized institutions. Therefore, applicants would not be surprised if they were informed about possible costs before applying. If all documents are complete, the process will not take more than three months to finish.
There is an exception regarding this law for those over the age of 45, let me state that by the way. Those over the age of 45 who want to benefit from the skilled labour immigration law are expected to receive a minimum monthly gross salary of 3795 Euros by 2020. In other words, the law stipulates this amount as a precondition for those over the age of 45. The reason for this is that if a salary “below” 3795 Euro is received, the pension premiums to be paid from the age of 45 cannot cover the salary and services to be provided after retirement. So the German state naturally wants to avoid financial damage here. If this salary amount can not be provided, different post-retirement guarantees that can be proven by the individual may also be considered valid on a case-by-case basis.
Let’s talk about language …
Yes, German is not an easy language to learn. But it is not an impossible language to learn, too. Apart from Turkish as my native language, I also know German, English, and Spanish, and I can say that I am familiar with a few other European languages. I am currently trying to learn Italian. So I can make a relatively healthy comparison between languages. And from this comparison, it turns out that German is not an easy language.
But, let me give you good news right after this not very heartwarming news. German has very basic and strict rules. When you grasp these, especially if you can deal with the “noun cases” and the famous “der-die-das” issue, the learning process is not much different from other languages and the rest fwill come very easily. So please don’t make learning German a nightmare in your mind.
Do not even worry about your pronunciation problems. It will definitely improve over time. It may take 3 years, or 5–10 years, it will certainly recover as long as you strive and keep talking. As long as you do your job well and make understandable sentences, nobody with good intentions gets stuck with your pronunciation in the first place.
If we come to the expectations about the language level…
You are generally expected to learn German at B1 level, although it varies depending on what your job is. However, this expectation is not for jobseeker visa or work visa, we have confirmed this by telephone call with the authorities. As I said, this topic is all about what your job is and your employer’s expectations. A certain detail about the language subject is that if your education in your home country is not considered sufficient to gain recognition to your profession and you will need an additional education (ie Ausbildung) in Germany, you must know German at least at B2 level.
In addition to these, in some professions that are in direct contact with people, the expectation may rise to the B2 level, and in some cases even to the C1 level. For example, “while the expectation of the state for nursing is B2 level, it ‘may be’ possible to find a job with German at B1 level in private hospitals and clinics due to intense need. Or, for doctors who want to work in public hospitals, in some specialties, the state may set C1 level German as a prerequisite”, said the official we talked to on the phone. So long story short, the state does not have clear lines on language, except for some unusual situations and a few occupational groups.
In the law, there are no definite references about the language levels, other than the levels specified for a university education in Germany or an adaptation education you need to take in addition to your professional diploma. However, similar advice on language level can be seen on all official websites, and particularly in resources for finding employment.
Therefore, to increase your chances of finding a job and to facilitate your life in Germany, I can say that German at least at B1 level is recommended and I personally participate in it.
Now, at this point, let me also state this: It is not very possible to go to any course for a certain period of time and speak very fluent German, but after completing the course, it is possible to obtain a certificate of proficiency for B1 level.
Let me explain it like this, it sounds a bit strange, I am aware:
About 4–5 years ago, I had to obtain a B1 level qualification certificate to be given to an institution here. I took the exam directly. And I saw that both verbal and written questions were far below my level, probably because I lived here and used language constantly in daily life. I guess if I had to take a similar test for B2 level, it is very likely that the same picture would emerge.
So I’m trying to say this:
Level proficiency exams, as far as I have personally experienced and determined, are prepared in a way that will not exceed what you have learned in the course and will not force you excessively. Therefore, if you attend the course regularly and do the daily exercises, there is no reason why you cannot get the B1 level certificate. As a matter of fact, you will learn the language in Germany.
Probably the relevant German authorities are already guessing that you cannot learn perfect German without coming to Germany and going out on the streets and without interfering with people. Therefore, in order to be able to apply for a job and start working and to be able to do your daily work relatively smoothly when you come to Germany, what you need is to learn and document German at B1 level in general. And this is quite possible with the courses…
Well, how soon is it possible?
Now let’s get to the main part of this subject…
I studied the prices and programs about German courses of a few schools which made name in their area. Let me say what I have to say at the end, and then detail the subject.
Even if you take the most intensive course as soon as possible, it is not probable for you to reach the B1 level in German before 24 weeks. Anyway, less than 24 weeks is also not reasonable for this level.
Therefore, even if you go to the course tomorrow and start learning German in the most intensive way possible, you will receive your B1 level certificate at the earliest 6 months later. And this is only so, of course, if there is a placement test opened on the days that coincide with your course end.
This is why I especially emphasized when this subject was mentioned before, “If your intention is serious, please start learning German as soon as possible”.
On the other hand, if you are going to work and continue the course simultaneously, that is, if you can only spend a few hours on weekends or after work in the evening on some weekdays, reaching the B1 level can go up to twice the time we mentioned in some course schedules. So I think this is the first thing to do, the first step to be taken. To start learning German as soon as possible…
Speaking of this, let’s talk about how much budget should be allocated to reach the B1 level in German.
The prices of leading German courses are roughly the same. When the fees for the three courses you need to take in order to reach the B1 level and then the exams you will take to certify your level are calculated, an amount of approximately 1500 Euros emerges. You can adjust your budget accordingly. This is the maximum amount you will pay, unless there are very extreme situations. In other words, you can learn German and document it, as much as you can reach the level of seeking and finding a job in Germany, for around 1500 Euros.
After finishing the language issue in this way, finally, how to prepare a job application file, what kind of a file the German employer expects to receive from you, what to see in the file, let’s talk about these subjects briefly and finish this article…
The job application file is a serious issue that will not forgive the slightest negligence. You must have heard of German thoroughness. However, job application is a serious issue everywhere. It shows how seriously you take the job, right from the start. But when the German mentality of discipline is also involved here, this issue becomes even more important. Therefore, I recommend that you get support, get professional help if necessary, or, if available, prepare this file with a relative who speaks German in native language level. If the potential employer has not specifically asked you to prepare this file in another language, I also remind you that it must be prepared in German.
An ideal job application folder includes a motivation letter, a resume and diplomas. In addition to these, reference letters received from the workplaces where you have worked before, certificates of in-service or external training and your German level document enrich your folder and increase your chances. However, please do not add so many unnecessary documents just to make your folder look thick.
In your motivation letter, explain succinctly and effectively why you are applying for the job and why you might be the best candidate for the job in question. Make sure to emphasize your strengths. Do not include the same letter in the job application folder you send to every employer. Don’t go easy. We’re talking about applications that can affect the rest of your life, after all. Let the employer realize that the letter is written privately and that the subject is taken care of it.
Prepare the CV part of the folder in the form of a chart. First of all, you should include your personal information, then your pieces of training and work experiences in this chart in chronological order.
Oh, and don’t forget to add a sparkling passport photo.
If you think you cannot handle the language or file layout, be sure to get support.
Yes, we have come to the end of this article.
I tried to talk as much as I could about the first steps to come to Germany by taking advantage of the new immigration law.
In the next article, we will talk about what you need to do in the first place right after you arrive and possible expenses related to these transactions if you intend to settle in Germany permanently. Following this, one of the most curious issues: Family Reunification.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please write to us.
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Thank you for reading.
Take care of yourself.
