If you are comig to Germany as an Expat, job seeker or international student, it is very essential to know the tips and tricks to find a job or internship quickly.
In this article, we are not going to explain to you the “regular” approach to find a job in Germany as an international.
By “regular”, we mean the usual way: applying through the career portal of any company. This is a standard approach followed by everyone and not the only way to obtain a job or internship.
You will not only learn how to find a job, but also how to find companies relevant to your domain.
How to accelerate the job search in Germany
Yes, the most powerful medium to find a job, BUT it is all about how you approach it. “Searching relevant keywords” is the key. First step when preparing for a job is to list down all companies that are related to your domain.
In the conventional approach, one may list the top 50 companies in that particular domain, but note that everyone who is searching for a job does the same thing. There are a lot of companies which do not come under the top 50 list or in any list because they are focused on one particular state/city. Instead, try searching for: “keyword + companies + city” in Google and check out what happens.
Now it will show all the companies that are in that particular city. In Germany, the major companies are not in big cities like Berlin or Munich, they are located in neighboring cities of the major cities, for example: Rüsselsheim (close to Frankfurt), Augsburg, Gaimersheim etc.
Tip: Search for those cities with the keywords of your domain. Take a list of all companies in the city and then apply to them.
Conferences
To extend your list of companies and find the small and medium players for jobs in Germany, the best option is actually not going to the conferences.
Just search for all the conferences happening in Germany in your domain and check the list of participants. Here, you will see a lot of medium and small players and also companies which are specialized in a particular field. For example, if you are looking for a job in automotive engineering and the specialization is exhaust after-treatment technology, you must search for all conferences with the keywords “exhaust after-treatment”, “Diesel emissions”, “SCR”, etc. To widen your search, you can also search for marine or aeronautical companies who deal with exhaust after-treatment.
So, create a keyword list of technologies and alternate companies in which the technology is used.
Tip: Subscribe to these conference websites to get the updates of upcoming events:
Events/Meetups/Startup Messe
Many job seekers and students miss the fact that there are hundreds of startups, specializing on every single topic. Often with a lot of funding and ready to expand. Fact is, that the career growth is exponential in a startup compared to established companies.
Never hesitate to list down startups who are operating in your domain. To get to know who is actually in your domain, you have to search for Startup Messen (fairs), meetups and events happening in this scene.
Startup conferences (these are not regular tech conferences, for example in Berlin, you can find conferences like Heureka, Tech Open Air, START Call, degut, etc).
In these conferences, startups mostly have their display areas for branding and recruiting reasons, so they will be interested in new hires.
Tip: Attend startup conferences and speak to the people. If you are not in the city, you can always see the list of participants and approach them online.
Also, attend meetups which are relevant to your topic. For example, if you are looking for a product related position, check product meetups. A lot of companies and startups in Germany will participate regularly in meetups to share knowledge and learn from peers.
In those meetups, you will find the right person of contact, because product managers or team leads usually attend. Network with them and tell them that you are looking for a job. Immediately after the meetup/event, connect with them on LinkedIn or send them a mail expressing your interest (within a day).
Tip: When attending events like “Bonding” or “Connecticum“, take the booklet they provide which has an extensive list of all companies.
Recommendations
The most effective way to find a job is personal recommendations. You can always ask people you know to recommend you for a position in their company.
It is always better to ask alumni or some of your friends who are working in the company to refer you if there is a vacancy. When looking for a job in Germany, personal recommendations work very well. Often your application will be directed to the person in charge of recruiting (team lead, manager) and you can get an interview directly.
Startup portals like F6S, Crunchbase
Another way to find a list of young startups or companies operating in your domain is to search for companies in portals like Crunchbase or F6S. They also have various filters in which you can find relevant companies.
Tip: Subscribe to newsletters like “Deutsche Börse venture weekly” or “crunchbase” or “startupdetector” to get updates on startups which raised money every week. It usually correlates to more vacancies in the startup for expansion.
Incubators/Accelerators/
Mostly, every university has an incubator. Incubators are organizations which support startups. Accelerators fund startups and also mentor them. Coworking spaces are building where a lot of companies have their office spaces.
If you check their website and go to their portfolio section, you will find a list of all companies in the organization and you can connect with them. For example, if you are in Berlin, you can check out the portfolio companies of Startup Incubator Berlin here.
Tip: Look for startups in the “portfolio companies” section of incubators, coworking spaces or accelerators in your city.
LinkedIn/Xing
You can check LinkedIn for job offers and connect with relevant managers, team leads or executives of the company and try to send them your profile and your interests. If you are a student, you can also get a free LinkedIn Premium account. Check out how here.
Personaldienstleister/Zeitarbeitsfirmen
Many people might not have heard about this type of companies. Personaldienstleister are companies which provide “people/talent” to other companies. The contract will be with this company and you will be a temporary employee of another company. They are known as external hires. Check out all “Personaldienstleister” in your city and apply to them.
If you are in tech/engineering, the big companies might not hire someone directly without prior experience. They hire through these Dienstleister and see your progress/skill set for a certain period of time. If they find a fit, then they provide you a new contract with the main company. Some of those companies are Brunel, Alten, Betrandt, etc. There are platforms like Honeypot, heyjobs, etc. which specializes on a particular domain.
If you an international preparing for job search in Germany, you might have to apply in German. In such cases, you can get your CV/Cover letter translated or proofread through a Buddy on MyHelpBuddy.
Tip: Share a request on MyHelpBuddy for FREE if you would like to get your application translated or proofread.
If you are a student or Expat looking for accommodation, bureaucratic help, writing letters in German, filling forms, assistance of a German speaker or professional Dolmetscher/Interpreter for your job center appointments or any office visits, translating your CV, cover letter, etc. check out MyHelpBuddy platform here and share your request for free. You will be connected to a Buddy who is a native speaker and knows the processes, your language and is willing to assist you within hours.
If you are willing to help others in these aspects and earn money flexibly, then sign up as a Buddy for free here.
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