Can I find a job in Germany if I don't speak German?

This question inevitably arises when you come to Germany for your Master studies and plan to start your career in Germany after graduation. Basically, the better you speak German, the better chances you have in the job market to land your dream job. Without German language skills, it will be difficult in many places – but there are differences.

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Depending on where you want to work in Germany, in which city and in which type of company, your chances are different. In any case, mastering the German language will open many doors for you and make it easier to find a job after graduation. Therefore, we recommend that you focus on learning the language already during your studies, attend German courses (HSB offers German courses), participate in a tandem, live in a shared apartment with German roommates, watch movies in German – in other words, take every opportunity to immerse yourself in the language. Small and medium-sized companies in particular, such as family businesses, often communicate exclusively or at least primarily in German. Therefore, finding a job in this field can be difficult without fluency in German.

But if you still don't feel confident in the language at the end of your studies, don't despair! No master has fallen from the sky yet. Even in Germany, there are a growing number of companies with international employees who have switched their working language to English. If you want to find a job in English, be flexible about where you work. Check each job posting to see if German is one of the requirements. If possible, you should look for large companies in large cities, because that is where most English is spoken. We also recommend that you look for international companies where other languages are spoken, such as Spanish or Portuguese. 

Search for example for open positions on LinkedIn, StepStone, Monster or directly on the companies' websites. Also remember to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date and tag it #opentowork to make recruiters aware of you.
We wish you every success!