This guide helps you find a job in Berlin, from finding job listings to your first day at work.
Before your job search
Can you work in Germany?
You might need a residence permit to work in Germany. You can get a work visa or a Blue Card, or any other residence permit.
It takes at least 4 to 8 weeks to get a residence permit. Most employers know this, and they will wait for you. Some employers hire a relocation consultant to help you.
Do you need to speak German?
No, but it helps. You can find English-speaking jobs, but most companies want German speakers.
If you don’t speak German, you can still find jobs in…
- Tech companies
- Companies with English-speaking offices
- Delivery services like Lieferando, Wolt and Flink
- Customer service and call centres
- Restaurants and bars
Do you need to speak German in Berlin?
How long does it take to get hired?
A few months. Even if you find a job quickly, the hiring process is very slow.
Salaries in Germany
Know how much you should earn, and how much taxes you should pay. This helps you negotiate a better salary.
Step 1: Look for jobs
General job search
- Indeed.com – Job search engine. You can filter by language and set alerts.
- LinkedIn – Networking website with a big jobs section. Very 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 listing website. Made in Berlin.
- ArbeitNow – Job listing website. Made in Berlin.
- Jobted – You can filter jobs by language.
- Xing – Similar to LinkedIn. You can’t filter by language.
- Glassdoor - Company reviews, salary reports and job listings. You need an account.
English-speaking jobs
These websites only have English-speaking jobs, or let you filter by language:
- Berlin Startup Jobs – Most jobs are in English-speaking offices
- Expat job seeker – You can filter jobs by language
- Englishjobs.de – Only English-speaking jobs
- Jobted – You can filter jobs by language
- JobsInBerlin.eu – You can filter jobs by language
- Germany Startup Jobs – You can filter jobs by language and salary
- The Local jobs – Run by a popular English-speaking newspaper
- 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 companies
- Administrator / Web Entickler / Entwickler Jobs – German-speaking tech jobs
- Imagine Foundation – They help software developers from developing countries find a job and get hired
Creative jobs: media, communications, design
- dasauge (in German) – Media-related jobs
- Mediengestalter Jobs (in German) – Creative jobs
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 website for entrepreneurs. You can filter by language.
- Wellfound – International startup job portal
- Germany Startup Jobs – You can filter jobs by language and salary
- Berlin Startup Jobs – Facebook group, 56,000+ members
- Berlin Startup Jobs, Internships & Co-founders – Facebook group, 14,000+ members
Internships, temp work and minijobs
- Zenjobs
- BSIG – Berlin Startup Internships – Facebook group, 10,000+ members
- Foreign Young Professionals in Berlin – Facebook group, 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 temp work agency
- Randstad (in German) – Large temp work agency
- Craigslist – Most job listings are for restaurants and cafés
Freelance work
- Berlin Freelancers – Facebook group, 25,000+ members
Restaurant jobs
- Berlin Food Stories – Restaurant jobs in Berlin
- Huntler – English-speaking restaurant jobs in Berlin
Step 2: Apply for jobs
German resumes
German CVs are longer than American resumes. They include your date of birth, your citizenship and a photo of you.1 You should go to a photo studio and get a professional portrait for your resume. A career coach can help you write a better resume.
Useful links:
- How to write a German resume – HalloGermany
- German resume examples – Imagine foundation
- Resume checklist – Imagine foundation
- Lingoking – Translate your resume to German
Cover letters
Include a short cover letter (Anschreiben) with your application. It’s a personal introduction. It explains who you are, what you do, why you apply for this job, and why they should hire you.
Don’t send the same cover letter to everyone. Do your research, and personalise the letter for each job offer. Keep it short and easy to read. Get feedback from other people before you send it. A career coach can help you write better cover letters.
- How to write a German cover letter – HalloGermany
- Advice for cover letters with examples – Hacker News
Step 3: The job interview
In Germany, the interview process is very long. It can take a few weeks, and even a few months. You might have multiple interviews with different people. It depends on the company and the job. You need a lot of time for this.
The phone screen
The interview process starts with a short call. A recruiter or hiring manager will ask you a few questions. They will try to understand 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 challenges. They verify that you know how to do your job.
Technical interviews are different at every company. They might ask you technical questions, ask you to solve a problem during the interview, or complete a technical challenge at home. Some companies don’t have technical interviews.
Meet the team
Most companies have a team interview. You meet your future team to see if you work well together. This interview is more relaxed. You might just talk with the team, or have lunch together.
Step 4: The job offer
After your interview, the company can make a job offer.
Salary negotiation
After you get the job offer, you can negotiate a better salary. You can also ask for things like a relocation bonus or more vacation days.
The job contract
Read your job contract carefully. If your employer promised something to you during the interview, verify that it’s in your contract. Only sign the contract if you agree with everything. Send the signed contract by post.
If you are not sure about your contract, ask for help or talk to a lawyer.
Step 5: Get a residence permit
If you need a residence permit to work in Germany, you must apply for it. You must have a job offer before you apply for the residence permit.
Do you need a residence permit?
Your employer can hire a relocation consultant to help you. It makes everything easier.
Step 6: Start working
Things your employer needs
During your first month at a new company, your employer needs a few things:
- A bank account
Your employer will pay you by bank transfer. For this, you need a bank 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, you can still get a tax ID. If you can’t get a tax ID, you can still start working. – More information - Your health insurance number (Krankenversicherungsnummer)
You get a Krankenversicherungsnummer 2 to 7 days after you choose health insurance. Your employer needs this number to take health insurance payments from your salary. - Your social insurance number (Sozialversicherungsnummer)
If you have public health insurance, you get this number automatically in the mail. If you have private health insurance, you must apply for it. Your employer can sometimes help you with this. – How to get a social insurance number
Your employer can’t ask for your Anmeldung to start working.5
The probation period
During your first 6 months at a new company, you are in your probation period (Probezeit).2 During that time, it’s easier to get fired. It’s also harder to find an apartment, because you don’t have a stable job.
How does the probation period work?
Things an employee must know
In Germany, most people are paid once per month, usually on the 1st or 15th day of the month. You get your first paycheck after 30 or 45 days after you start working. You usually get paid by bank transfer.
Most employees in Germany are paid by bank transfer once per month, on the first day of the month.4 Your employer takes salary tax, health insurance, pension insurance and unemployment insurance from your paycheck.
All employees in Germany get paid vacation days, and paid sick leave. You don’t work on public holidays, but you still get paid.
Step 7: Make a tax declaration
Many of your job search costs are tax-deductible:3
- Relocation costs
If you move closer to your new job, you can deduct your moving costs. - Job search costs
Coaching, resume writing, professional photos, translations, printing costs, job search services… - Travel costs
Fuel, train tickets, hotels, meals and parking fees to go to job interviews.
If you started working in the middle of the year, you probably paid too much salary tax. Make a tax declaration to lower your income tax, and get some money back.
Need help?
Career coaching
These people can help you get hired. For example, they can review your resume and cover letter. Their fee is tax-deductible.
- Imagine Foundation – Free career coaching for software engineers and data scientists
- Hallo Germany – Career coaching
Other services
- Working and living in Germany – Free hotline from the Office for Migration and Refugees
- Resume and cover letter translations – Lingoking