Guides / How to get a job in Germany

How to get a job in Germany: a step by step guide to the whole search

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To get a job in Germany, you go through six steps. You find open positions in more than one place, you prepare a German style CV and cover letter, you read each job ad closely, you apply and wait, you go through interviews and sometimes tests, and you check the offer before you sign. This guide walks you through each step and links to a deeper guide or tool for each one.

ContentsThe job search in Germany at a glance

There are many jobs to apply for. German employers had about 1.02 million open positions in the second quarter of 2026, according to the IAB Job Vacancy Survey (table 1, preliminary figure, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). The hard part is finding the right ones and getting your documents in the shape German employers expect.

Key takeaways

  • Search in several places. Only about half of all open positions in Germany are registered with the Federal Employment Agency (IAB, table 8, Q2 2026, preliminary).
  • A German CV is usually reverse chronological and one to three pages long (KIT Career Service). The cover letter fits on one page (KIT).
  • Hiring takes time. In 2025, employers needed on average 86 days from the start of their search to the new person’s first day (IAB, table 15, preliminary).
  • Read job ads for must-haves and nice-to-haves. You don’t need to meet every point to apply (TU Chemnitz Career Service).

The job search in Germany at a glance

Step What you do Go deeper
1. Find jobs Use job boards, company career pages, your network and career fairs This guide, below
2. Prepare documents German CV, cover letter, certificates German CV builder, Cover letter for Germany
3. Read the job ad Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves, check the German level This guide, below
4. Apply and follow up Send by email or company portal, keep track, wait This guide, below
5. Interview and tests Interviews, online tests, sometimes an assessment centre Job interview guide, Assessment centre guide
6. Offer and salary Check pay, probation period and written terms Salary expectations guide

Step 1: Where to find jobs in Germany

The Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) runs a free Jobsuche (job search). You search by keyword and place, set a radius of up to 200 km, and filter for full time, part time or home office (retrieved 31 Oct 2026). The site is in German, so search with German job titles too. The agency also helps people find work in person, and its advice is free of charge (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, retrieved 31 Oct 2026).

Don’t stop there. According to the IAB Job Vacancy Survey, about 52 percent of all open positions were registered with the agency in the second quarter of 2026 (table 8, preliminary). The rest only appear in other places.

Key point: Only about half of all open positions are registered with the agency. Use job boards, career pages, your network and career fairs as well.

Job boards

Most students and graduates search on online job portals and use filters to narrow the results (TU Chemnitz Career Service, p. 4). There are general boards for all jobs and specialist boards for one field, such as IT, engineering or academia. Many university career services also run their own job boards for students and graduates (same source).

Two tips for job boards:

  • Search in German and in English. The same role may be listed as “Projektmanager (m/w/d)” or “Project Manager (m/f/d)”.
  • Save your searches and set up alerts where the board offers them, so new ads come to you.

Which board is good for what, and which ones let you filter for English ads, is in our comparison of job sites in Germany. A short starting list for internationals:

Job site What it is good for
Jobsuche (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) The public job board with the widest range of jobs. In German only
Make it in Germany Jobs from employers who agreed to be shown to international applicants
EURES The European job portal, useful if you also look in other EU countries
StepStone Professional jobs, with a filter for the language of the ad
LinkedIn and XING Networks where recruiters search for people. XING is aimed at the German-speaking market
EnglishJobs.de, Arbeitnow Boards that focus on jobs where English is enough
GermanTechJobs, academics.com One field only: IT, or research and universities

Details, job counts and sources for each site are in the job sites comparison (checked 31 Oct 2026).

Check the employer before you apply

Employer review sites show how current and former staff see a company. On kununu, employees, former employees, trainees and interns rate employers in several categories. You can also see benefits and salaries that employees have shared, and you can read the reviews without registering (heise online, 20 Jul 2021, retrieved 1 Nov 2026). kununu is mostly in German. Glassdoor also has a German site, and it uses one shared login with Indeed (retrieved 1 Nov 2026). Read reviews as single opinions. Look for patterns across many reviews, not one angry or glowing post.

Company career pages

Many companies publish jobs on their own website, usually on a career page (TU Chemnitz, p. 4). Applying by email or through the company website are the most common ways to apply in Germany (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Make a list of employers you would like to work for and check their career pages regularly.

Your network

Talk to people. TU Chemnitz suggests using the alumni network of your university, because graduates are usually happy to tell you about their jobs and employers (TU Chemnitz, p. 4). Former colleagues, people from your language course and professional groups in your field can also point you to openings before they are advertised.

If you are new and have no network yet, start with events. On Meetup you can find groups and events near you by interest, for example a tech or marketing group in your city (retrieved 1 Nov 2026). Go regularly to one or two groups in your field rather than once to many.

Free advice for internationals

Several cities and states run Welcome Centers for international professionals. They are a good first stop if you don’t know where to start:

Where Service What it offers for your job search
Berlin Berlin Welcome Center Advice on job search, German courses, training and recognition of foreign qualifications. Free of charge and multilingual
Hamburg Hamburg Welcome Center A central contact point for working in Hamburg, with a job newsletter for people looking for work there
Munich amiga (City of Munich) Advice, seminars and a digital job fair for international professionals, graduates and students
Hesse, including Frankfurt WELCOMECENTER Hessen Advice in German, English, Spanish or Arabic, including tips for applications and job interviews

Sources: the linked pages, retrieved 1 Nov 2026.

Your local employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit) also helps internationals. The Frankfurt agency, for example, offers EURES advice on the regional job market, application advice and help finding general or job-related German courses, all free of charge (Agentur für Arbeit Frankfurt, retrieved 1 Nov 2026). Ask your own local agency what it offers.

Career fairs

Career fairs give you an overview of employers in your field (TU Chemnitz, p. 4). Check the list of exhibitors before you go, prepare what you can offer, and bring an updated CV. Most companies only accept online applications, but you may be able to swap your CV for a business card and follow up personally (same source, pp. 34 to 35).

Unsolicited applications

You can also apply to a company that has not advertised a job. This is called an Initiativbewerbung. Say clearly which position or department you want. A big advantage: you have very few competitors (TU Chemnitz, p. 4). To describe the role you want, look up the job profile in BERUFENET, the Federal Employment Agency’s database of job descriptions (in German).

Step 2: Prepare a German CV and cover letter

German employers expect a set of documents: a CV, a cover letter, and copies of certificates and references (Make it in Rhineland-Palatinate, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). Send copies, never originals. Translate certificates that are not in German or English. You only need notarised copies if the job ad asks for them (same source).

Foreign qualifications: do you need recognition?

It depends on your profession. In regulated professions, the work is legally protected, mainly in health, safety and social services. Non-regulated professions include most vocational training occupations and many academic ones, and recognition is not required to work in them (Anerkennung in Deutschland, retrieved 1 Nov 2026). The official portal Anerkennung in Deutschland has a Recognition Finder that shows whether your profession is regulated and which office is responsible. For qualifications that compare to a German IHK profession, for example in commerce or industry, IHK FOSA checks whether your foreign qualification is equivalent (both retrieved 1 Nov 2026).

The German CV (Lebenslauf)

Rule What it means
Order Reverse chronological: your newest job first (KIT)
Length One to three pages (KIT); ideally two A4 pages at most (Make it in RLP)
Dates One format throughout, for example 04/2021 (KIT)
Personal details Contact details are needed. Date of birth, marital status and nationality are optional. Leave out religion and details about your parents (KIT)
Photo Common, but not mandatory (TU Chemnitz, p. 10)
Signature A signature with place and date shows you updated the CV for this job (KIT)
Languages List your language skills (Make it in RLP)

The photo is your choice. A photo shows things like age, sex or origin, and German law aims to prevent discrimination based on ethnic origin, sex, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity (§ 1 AGG, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). Still, adding a current, professional photo is common in Germany (Make it in RLP).

Check light, crop and sharpness of your photo in your browser.

Check my CV photo

For the full rules with a free template, see the German CV template. With the Joblumi German CV builder, you can build your CV in this format and check it with the (G)ATS Score (German ATS Score) before you send it.

Example: (made up) Alex lists the newest job first, with one date format throughout: “04/2021 to today: Project Manager, [Company]”, then the job before it, in the same format.

The cover letter (Anschreiben)

KIT’s career service describes a three part letter of no more than one page (KIT, retrieved 31 Oct 2026):

  1. Introduction: say which job you apply for and how you found it.
  2. Main part: take the most important requirements from the ad and back each one with an example from your work or studies.
  3. Final part: show why you want this employer, then add your earliest start date and, only if the ad asks, your salary expectations.

Write each letter for one job. Don’t repeat your CV (same source). Use the employer’s name in the text instead of “your company”, because a generic letter reads like copy and paste (TU Chemnitz, p. 11). Some employers ask for a motivation letter instead. Our motivation letter guide explains the difference, and the cover letter tool helps you write one per job ad.

Tip: Write the employer’s name into the letter instead of “your company”. A generic letter reads like copy and paste.

Try the German layout

Type your jobs. Watch them turn into a Lebenslauf.

Try the builderRuns in your browser. Nothing is sent.

Step 3: How to read a German job ad

Many German job ads follow the same order: company profile, position, tasks, requirements, benefits, conditions and contact (TU Chemnitz, p. 6). The tasks show what you will do all day. Use the core tasks as the main points in your cover letter (same source).

Must-haves and nice-to-haves

The requirements are usually listed by priority. The first points are the ones you should really have. The ones further down are desirable, not required (TU Chemnitz, p. 6). The wording helps too (University of Potsdam, last changed 15 Jan 2026):

Wording in the ad What it usually means
“You have…”, “It requires…”, “We expect…” Must-have
“…would be desirable”, “Ideally you have…”, “or a comparable qualification” There is room

Don’t be put off if you don’t meet every single point. It can still be worth applying (TU Chemnitz, p. 6). Also check vague phrases. Potsdam’s career portal gives two examples: “performance-based pay” can mean commission, and a “highly flexible working schedule” can mean you are always on call (University of Potsdam).

Paste a job ad and see its must-haves and nice-to-haves.

Check a job ad

The German level

Some ads name a German level from the CEFR scale, which runs from A1 to C2. Here is what B2 and C1 mean, based on the TUM Language Center (retrieved 31 Oct 2026):

Level In short
B2 You understand the main ideas of complex texts, including technical discussions in your field, and you can talk with native speakers without strain for either side
C1 You understand demanding, longer texts and implicit meaning, and you use the language flexibly at work

If the ad describes German in words instead of a level, and you are not sure what it means, ask the contact person before you apply. A short, polite question by email or phone is normal. Potsdam suggests calling only for truly relevant questions (University of Potsdam).

Not sure which CEFR level to put on your CV?

Find my German level

Want to improve your German for work? The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) funds job-related German courses (Berufssprachkurse) at levels A2 to C2. They are open to EU citizens and other immigrants who have finished an integration course or already speak German at B1. Job seekers ask their employment agency or job centre. People in work ask the BAMF regional office. Some people pay nothing. Otherwise the fee is 2.56 euros per lesson, and you can get half of it back if you pass the exam (BAMF, retrieved 1 Nov 2026). Local adult education centres (Volkshochschulen) also run German courses. You can search them in the vhs course finder (in German).

(m/w/d) and fake ads

Many German job titles end with “(m/w/d)”, which stands for male, female and diverse. The reason: a job must not be advertised in a way that discriminates (§ 11 AGG). Be careful with ads that lack a clear job description, contact details or requirements. TU Chemnitz calls such ads dubious and advises you to keep searching (TU Chemnitz, p. 8).

Example: (made up) An ad says “You have a degree in business administration” and “Ideally you have experience in project management”. The degree is a must-have. The project experience is a nice-to-have, so you can still apply without it.

Step 4: Apply, follow up and wait

You usually send your application by email or through the company’s career portal. Some companies still accept paper applications by post (Make it in RLP). By email, put everything into one PDF in this order: cover letter, CV, attachments. Keep the file under 3 MB and name it with your full name, for example “Application_Alex_Meyer.pdf” (TU Chemnitz, p. 24). In a portal, upload only the documents it asks for (same source).

Before you send your application:

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How long hiring takes in Germany

Plan for a process of weeks to months. The IAB asks employers every year how long it takes to fill a position. In 2025, employers planned about 61 days from the start of their search to the new person’s first day. In practice, it took about 86 days (IAB, tables 14 and 15, preliminary figures, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). So these numbers cover the whole time until the first working day, not only the selection.

Don’t read silence as a “no”. It is common not to get a confirmation that your application arrived (TU Chemnitz, p. 8). After an interview, ask when they expect to decide. If you have heard nothing by that date, call and ask politely (same source, p. 28).

Key point: Silence is not a “no”. Hiring in Germany often takes weeks to months.

Keep track of every application

When you apply to many jobs, write down for each one: the company, the date you applied, the contact person, the documents you sent, and the next step. A table works. With a Joblumi pass, you add each job to a board and move it along, for example to “Interview” once you are invited, so you always know where you stand. You can start for free.

Template: Application tracker
Company: [Company]
Position: [Job title]
Date applied: [Date]
Contact person: [Name]
Documents sent: [Cover letter, CV, certificates]
Next step: [Next step and date]
An application board with the columns Saved, Applied, Interview and Offer. One application moves from Applied to Interview.SavedAppliedInterviewOffer
Keep every application on one board, so you always know the next step.

Step 5: Interviews, online tests and assessment centres

The interview

A German job interview often runs in this order (TU Chemnitz, p. 27):

  1. Arrival and small talk
  2. The company presents itself and the position
  3. Your self-presentation
  4. Questions from the interviewer and your own questions
  5. Information about the employment terms
  6. Goodbye

Prepare your self-presentation, but don’t repeat your whole CV. Focus on what fits the job and back your skills with examples (TU Chemnitz, p. 26). Our guide to “Tell me about yourself” shows how to build this answer. In Germany, employers are not allowed to ask questions that are too personal, for example about family plans, religion or health, unless there is a serious reason related to the job (TU Chemnitz, pp. 27 to 28). For typical questions and good answers, read the job interview guide for Germany.

Say your self-presentation out loud and prepare for likely questions.

Practise in the Mock Interview Trainer

Online tests

After the first interview, some employers add more interviews or assessment tests (Make it in RLP). The online assessment test page explains the common test types and lets you practise them with the Assessment Trainer.

Assessment centres

An assessment centre is a selection day, or several days, where observers watch you in different exercises. Companies mainly use it for trainee roles and more demanding or leadership positions, because it costs a lot of time and money (University of Duisburg-Essen, 2015). The University of Cologne describes it as one of the last steps in the process. It usually lasts one to three days (University of Cologne, 2017).

Exercise What happens (University of Cologne)
In-tray (Postkorb) You work through 10 to 20 documents in very little time and set priorities
Group discussion You solve a problem with 3 to 9 other applicants while recruiters observe
Presentation You get about 20 to 30 minutes to prepare, then present and answer questions
Role play You handle a conversation about a problem or a conflict

The main advice from Cologne: behave naturally and don’t play a role, because the observers watch you between the exercises too (University of Cologne). Read the assessment centre guide for each exercise in detail.

Tip: In an assessment centre, behave naturally. The observers watch you between the exercises too.

Step 6: The job offer and salary

Know your market value

Research a realistic salary before the interview. The Federal Employment Agency’s free Entgeltatlas shows the median monthly gross pay of full-time employees by occupation. You can split it by age group, gender and industry (help page, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). The median is the middle value, not the average. The site is in German.

Key point: The median is the middle value, not the average. Use it as a starting point for your own salary research.

Region matters. For full-time employees in 2025, the median gross pay was 4,217 euros a month across Germany. By place of work, it was highest in Hamburg (4,768 euros) and lowest in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (3,497 euros) (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, 20 Jul 2026). How to name your figure is explained in our salary expectations guide.

See what a gross salary means in net pay.

Calculate my net salary

Check the terms before you sign

German law says the employer must give you the main terms of your job in writing and sign them. Under certain conditions, text form such as email is also allowed (§ 2 NachwG, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). These include:

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Some of these must reach you by your first working day at the latest (same source). A probation period can last up to six months. During that time, either side can end the job with two weeks’ notice (§ 622 BGB, retrieved 31 Oct 2026). Read everything before you sign, and ask about any point you don’t understand.

Your next step

Start with your documents. Once your German CV is ready, you can apply quickly whenever you find a good ad. In Joblumi you build your CV and cover letter for each job ad, check them with the (G)ATS Score and, with a pass, keep every application on one board.

Put this guide to work

Start free. Build your CV and cover letter for each job ad.

Get my job search plan

FAQ

How long does it take to find a job in Germany?

It depends on your field, your German and the employer. From the employer’s side, filling a position took about 86 days on average in 2025, from the start of the search to the first working day (IAB, table 15, preliminary). Apply to several jobs at the same time.

Can I get a job in Germany without speaking German?

Some jobs are advertised in English. Check the German level each ad asks for. In an interview, the interviewer may switch to German even for a job advertised in English (University of Siegen, retrieved 30 Oct 2026). Our job interview guide has tips on this.

Where do I find jobs in Germany?

Use the Federal Employment Agency job search, general and specialist job boards, company career pages, your network and career fairs. Only about half of all open positions are registered with the agency, so the other channels matter (IAB, table 8, Q2 2026, preliminary).

Your local employment agency gives free advice, and several cities run Welcome Centers, for example in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich (amiga) and Hesse (WELCOMECENTER Hessen). The Berlin Welcome Center’s advice is free of charge and multilingual (Berlin Welcome Center, retrieved 1 Nov 2026). See the table in Step 1.

Do I need a photo on my German CV?

No. A photo is common, but it is not mandatory (TU Chemnitz, p. 10). If you add one, use a recent, professional photo.

Should I apply if I don’t meet all the requirements?

Often, yes. Requirements are usually listed by priority, and the lower ones are desirable rather than required. Make sure you meet the main ones (TU Chemnitz, p. 6).

What should I do if I don’t hear back?

Wait until the date the company named. If you have heard nothing by then, call and ask politely (TU Chemnitz, p. 28).

Example CVs

Two example CVs in German format, one for a first job and one with a few years of experience. All people are made up.

Lea HoffmannBusiness GraduateStart from this example
Kwame MensahMechanical Design EngineerStart from this example

More on German CV examples.

Show 9 more

Sources