18 IELTS Tips And Tricks To Get Band 7 Or Higher 🤗
Yana Immis
Tip#6 Speak English at least 30 mins per day out loud. Tip#16 🤐 If you can, take a seat in the first three rows. Listen to the more advices from each part an...
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How To Find a Job as a Software Developer In Germany? (A Step-By-Step Guide)
Yana Immis
Content of the guide
1. How difficult is it to find a job as a Software Developer in Germany?
This is a very common question!
Germany is one of the best countries in Europe to work in as a Software Engineer.
The salaries might not be as high as in neighboring Switzerland, but still higher than in most other EU countries, and you get a high standard of living with quality public services: education, healthcare, and transportation.
The country has a vibrant tech job market with over 30.000 tech job openings and startup hubs like Berlin, Hamburg, or Munich.
At the same time, there are over 800.000 Software Engineers in Germany, so the competition is stiff. The following factors might work in your favor or against you:
Work experience and technologies
- while getting a job in Germany is not easy, it is even harder as a Junior Software Engineer, especially if you are a foreigner. Most of the companies are looking for Developers with 2+ years of experience.
Having said that, it is possible to find a job even as a Junior, but you should be rather looking at internship or trainee offers (Praktikum in German).
Do you need a degree?
I wouldn't say you need it, but yes - without any work experience it will be your main bargaining chip. If you are experienced though (2+ years), then most companies will turn a blind eye to the lack of a degree.
The 2nd part is the technology that you specialize in. If you search through openings on GermanTechJobs you can see that there are many offers for Java, JavaScript, and Mobile Developers but not as many for Ruby, C# .NET, or C++.
Being a German or EU / EEA citizen
- if you are a citizen of one of the EU / EEA (European Economic Area) countries it will be pretty easy for you to migrate to Germany - it is a matter of filling the papers after you get the job.
When you find a job and move to Germany, after arrival you just have to visit the Residence Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) or Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde) and get registered.
That's why most of the time German companies prefer EU / EEA citizens when searching for new employees.
For people from other countries
- there are 2 administrative categories:
a) If you are a citizen of the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, or Israel, you can move to Germany to find a job, and after that apply for a residence permit from the Ausländerbehörde.
b) If you come from any other country, for example, India, Brazil, Ukraine, etc. - then you have to either get a Job-Seeker Visa or find an employee that helps you with a work visa. For more details please refer to the official government website.
Language skills
- the only official language in Germany is, well… German :)
Speaking German fluently is definitely an advantage and many companies simply require it. However, you can still pretty easily find a job in English only, especially in startups or in big corporations.
Nevertheless, if you have the time and possibility - start learning German. Even if you speak it on a basic level (A2 / B1), it will vastly increase your chances on the job market.
2. Step-by-step process for finding a job as an EU citizen:
Step 1. Apply to companies while staying in your country:
It has 2 big advantages: first, you don’t have to bear the high costs of living in Germany and second, you can focus on the important things - interviews.
In this step, you need to find the job offers. For that, you can use GermanTechJobs.de or any other job board. Alternatively, you might want to get in touch with a headhunter to help you.
We recommend that you apply to as many job openings as possible (even 100+) because it is not easy to actually get an interview, especially with less than 5 years of experience.
If you want to get informed about new job postings in real-time and apply as one of the first candidates, check our Job Alert.
It is good to mention in your CV and motivation letter that you are committed to moving to Germany (if you have a family there, bring it up too!). This makes the companies see you as a safe bet and not someone that might run away after a few months.
From our experiences, it is really worth working with headhunters if you are on the Junior level (0-2 years of experience) because German companies tend to be quite reluctant to hire graduate developers from abroad.
A headhunter might easily help you to get some interviews. You have to be cautious though - headhunters often work only with specific companies, and sometimes will not present you the whole picture (you will not have access to the entire job market). If you are working with a proven professional, you should be fine.
Step 2. Job interviews:
Normally the job interview process consists of 2 - 4 steps.
It starts with an introduction call or/and a coding task where you will be asked some basic technical questions.
As the 2nd step, if you are not located in Germany, there might be a video call with live coding.
The last round will be an onsite interview where you visit the company's office in Germany.
The practice of reimbursing travel and accommodation costs is not widely spread, though some companies may offer it, especially the big ones. Therefore, it’s best to try to schedule a couple of onsite interviews on subsequent days, so you won't have to fly back and forth.
After the last interview, you should get a "yes" or "no" answer in the following days, max. 2 weeks.
If you have multiple offers, you might want to negotiate with the companies. Be careful though! Do not give the impression that you only care about the money, because it's still a taboo topic in Germany.
Step 3. Moving to Germany:
Congratulations - you have found your dream job in Germany! After the hard part, there are only formalities left. :)
After signing the contract, you need to prepare to move. If the company doesn’t offer any relocation package/assistance, you have to save about 2.000-4.000 EUR for this purpose.
When you arrive in Germany and want to find a place to live, there are 2 options:
1) Rent a flat or house - this is probably your choice if you are relocating together with your family.
2) Rent only a single room - it might be a good option if you plan to arrive alone (in Germany it’s called a Wohngemeinschaft - living together with other random people or friends).
Finding an apartment in some parts of Germany (especially in Berlin) is quite challenging! You will often end up competing with 20-30 other people that also hunt for the same flat!
The landlords are quite picky, and you will need to make a good impression, show them your job contract and documents proving that you don’t have unpaid debts (from an organization called SCHUFA).
A good option might be to find a short-term rental (for example with Airbnb or Couchsurfing) and patiently search for a long-term place when you are already there.
Be aware that, more often than not, you will have to deposit the amount that equals about 3 monthly rents.
At 1.500 EUR / month it means a single payment of 4.500 EUR! Therefore, if you are on a tight budget it might be a bit tough till you receive your first salary. You will get the deposit back when you're done renting an apartment.
3. Checklist of things to do after moving to Germany
Important formalities after arriving:
After you arrive and get comfortable in your new place, you need to take care of the following:
Register your stay - If you are a citizen of the EU (or Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland), you don’t need any work permit. You will only need to register your stay at a local Residence Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) or Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde).
Open a bank account - There are a few types of banks in Germany:
Branch Banks (Filialbanks) are traditional banks with a country-wide network, but often higher fees, examples: Postbank, Commerzbank
Local banks in specific regions called Sparkasse, Volksbank, or Landesbank
Pure online/mobile / FinTech banks with almost free accounts, like Fidor, N26, or Kontist.
Choose health insurance (Krankenkasse) - In Germany, you can choose between public and private health insurance, but only if you earn more than 64,350 EUR per year (as of 2021). If you earn less you are forced to use the public one, but you can still pick a provider. Health insurance in Germany amounts to around 14,6% of your salary and is deducted automatically (Source).
Other important things - if you plan to use public transport then it might make sense to buy a long-term ticket. Otherwise, bikes or electric scooters are also good choices.
Integrate and have fun - find local groups related to your hobbies and interests. In bigger cities, you may be able to connect with your own ethnic group, as there are some big diasporas living in Germany, like: Turkish, Romanian, Polish or Italian.
How much does life in Germany cost and how high are the taxes?
Germany is quite expensive compared to other EU countries, but not CRAZY expensive like Switzerland. It is worth mentioning that there are big differences in rent prices between the various cities, for example, Munich is quite costly, whereas in Berlin you should be able to find a place with lower rents.
Your first month or two might be a bit tough, but after receiving the salary you will quickly realize that the things are actually quite affordable.
Below you can find a breakdown of income and costs for someone earning 60.000 EUR and living in Berlin:
60.000 EUR annually (according to this calculator) gets you 3.049,25 EUR net per month. This is assuming that you are single and not a church member because there is an extra tax (around 9% of your income tax) if you belong to one. It assumes that you are single and don't have children (Germany offers a generous tax reduction if you have kids).
Income tax in Germany is a complex topic. The taxation is progressive, which means you pay a bigger percentage the more you earn. There are also six tax classes in Germany - the rates are based on your civil status (being single or married, having children, etc.). We recommend checking the gov resources for more information.
To simplify, let’s assume 3.000 EUR to spend per month.
Now let’s move to the costs:
Apartment: 800-1.500 EUR (with 1.5k you can get a pretty, but not the biggest flat in the center) or a single room in a flat: 500-900 EUR
Food: 150-700 EUR (150 if you always cook for yourself, 700 if you are a foodie and eat out every 2nd day)
Entertainment: 200–500 EUR (a beer in a pub costs ~5 EUR, monthly gym subscription 40 EUR. Again, it all depends on you, but you can have a lot of fun without spending much)
Other: 150-300 EUR (phone, clothes, public transport, a car, etc.)
To sum up: if you are single and opt for the "live cool and don't care about expenses" style, then an average developer salary will be enough (it might be harder if you have a family to feed).
On the other hand, if you choose to go the student-like route (living in Wohngemeinschaft and not eating out too much), you can easily manage with just 1.200-1.500 EUR per month, and save the majority of your salary.
As you can see, both options are doable!
About the Author
Gregory Tomasik is the co-founder of GermanTechJobs.de & SwissDevJobs.ch. As a Software Engineer who worked in different European countries, he co-created a job portal dedicated to Developers & IT talents.
He puts transparency as the main value and that's why each offer on these sites includes: salary brackets, dev methodologies, and a detailed tech stack.
Looking for a new job in Germany?
New European College - Study In Munich
Yana Immis
Would you like to study in Germany or in Holland? Why make such a difficult choice, when you can combine the beauties of the two countries in one university. The Dutch program in Munich with the possibility to start your studies 6 times a year!
About Munich
RANKED 1st
in Germany for the level of dynamism of
economic development & prosperity
“City Rankings 2018” IW Consult
RANKED 1st
As the world’s most livable city
“Most Livable City 2018” Monocle Magazine
RANKED 3rd
for Quality of Life World-Wide
“Mercer 2018 Quality of Living Ranking”
Why choose Munich for studies?
As an IT Hub of Europe and the home to global companies such as FC Bayern, Microsoft, Siemens, BMW, Allianz, Apple, Salesforce, Linde, Infineon Technologies and MAN, Munich is the city with the highest purchasing power in comparison to all big German cities.
Being the safest city in Germany with the lowest unemployment rate (3.4%). The foreign students can expect the highest minimum salaries (2,500 Euro per month before taxes; 9,79 Euro per hour; 52,000 Euro per year minimum as a Blue Card salary for qualified workers).
More facts about Munich
24/7 reliable transportation system
Police reaction time 3 minutes
No speed limit on highways (Autobahn)
Over 80 Museums in Munich, the biggest urban park (English Garden) in the world right in the middle of the city
Neuschwanstein Castle, 5 lakes, Bavarian Alps, Tollwood Festival, Knights tournaments in the city
A Short trip away from neighboring European epicenters: Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Poland
Permanent residence after 5 years (3 years studies + 2 years paying taxes)
German Passport after eight years living in Germany with a residence permit
Financial support for foreigners with children residing in Germany (for children up to age 25)
Tax-deductible master & bachelor studies.
About New European College
New European College Factsheet
As Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences’s Munich Campus, New European College offers one of the most modern and forward-thinking approaches to business education in Germany.
Our approach to business education?
We believe that business education should be entrepreneurial, sustainable and fun.
Our challenge?
To grow our students’ appetites to study business with passion. The academic combination of a research-based approach to education, real-world project weeks and continuous evaluation ensures that students achieve the highest level of sustainable employability in the 21st-century world of business.
Students learn in the economic hub of Germany – Munich – alongside peers from 43+ nationalities who speak 27+ languages. In the sea of formulaic business schools, we stand out. By unleashing our students’ individual strengths, we prepare them to outperform in the business world. Our students’ sustained success is our passion and purpose.
New European College Chancellor & The Owner
Mr. Sascha Liebhardt thinks of himself as a first-generation European – born 1970 in Germany, raised in Germany, Italy, the UK, and Austria.
His interest in the maintenance of peace made him study “International Relations” (MA), his understanding that peace needs a healthy economy made him study business administration with a specialization in “Marketing” (MA).
Since finishing his studies he has held senior management responsibilities in several industries (Advertising and Media, Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Education). Mr. Liebhardt has been lecturing at the university level since 2000 and in 2014 founded New European College. His approach to business education includes an open-door policy, continued empathy for his students and the full support he gives to his faculty and staff.
“ In the sea of formulaic business schools, we stand out.”
We combine the virtues of the Dutch’s contemporary and practical approach to business education with the modern American model of small classes and real-world academics.
We seek students who are self-confident, enjoy taking calculated risks, actively research their environment and value constructive feedback.
Here you may find more information on program choice and tuition fees per program.
All programs are taught in English and you can start your studies every 6 weeks! In…
October
December
February
March
May
August
New European College applies the six elements of Bloom’s Taxonomy as the foundation for all academic programs on offer:
Recalling Academic Models and Theories
Understanding Academic Models and Theories
Applying Academic Models and Theories
Analyzing Information
Evaluating and Making Decisions
Creating New Products and Services
Bachelor Program
Bachelor of International Business Administration (BBA)
With small groups, complementary courses, and a strong focus on a pragmatic approach, our Bachelor of International Business Administration program prepares you for a successful business career and sustainable future employment.
Program Duration
6/8 Semesters (3-4 years)
The programs are offered in 6- and 8-semester tracks, the 6-semester track (80 credits per year) can be followed by highly motivated students.
Internship 3 Months
Major choice
Financial Services Management
Marketing & Communication
Economics & Management
New Specializations Coming in Fall 2020
Information Management
Entrepreneurship
Sports Business Management
Event Management
Tourism Management
MBM Program
Master of Business Management (MBM) Program
The Master in Business Management is the academic path into the business world and the academic world. The program focuses on the scientific side and the application thereof in the real world. A Pre-Master preparation semester for students without a business background is also available.
Program Duration
3 Semesters (1.5 Years)
No Work Experience Necessary!
Major choice
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Digital Marketing & Communication
New Specialization Coming in Fall 2020
Human Resource Management
MBA Program
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program
The Master of Business Administration has become the academic career boost for both entrepreneurs and corporate workers. Globalization demands MBA graduates with truly international business education. Students will learn from experts in the field, as well as their fellow classmates.
Program Duration
3 Semesters (18 Months)
Work Experience Requirement
3 years of professional experience, following the completion of a bachelor degree
Major choice
International Management
Finance
Preparatory Programs
Students who do not meet the English entry requirement of 6.0 IELTS (or equivalent) for the Bachelor program and 6.5 IELTS (or equivalent) for the Master programs are eligible for the Business English Preparation Program. A successful completion guarantees progression into our academic programs.
Business English Preparation Program
The Business English Preparation program is designed to prepare you for studying at a university level in English.
Program Duration
One Year (for students with 5.0 IELTS)*
Half Year (for students with 5.5 IELTS)*
*Once the student passes the IELTS with 6.0 (Bachelor) or 6.5 (Master), they can enter their respective program at the next intake.
Business Pre-Master Preparation Program
Students applying to the Master in Business Management program who did not first complete a bachelor degree in a business-related field can be eligible for a one-semester Pre-Master program.
Program Duration
1 Semester (if Bachelor is not Business-related)
The program provides students with the basis, knowledge, and skills to be successful in the Master in Business Management Program
New European College & Witternborg University of Applied Sciences
New European College is proud to have Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences (WUAS) as their degree awarding partner for all bachelor and master programs on offer.
Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences is a government-appointed institute, founded in 1987 in Deventer, Netherlands and is currently located in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
New European College’s students graduate with a Dutch degree from a state-recognized and accredited University of Applied Science from the Netherlands in the economic hub of Germany – Munich.
Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences’ programs are fully accredited, and state-recognized in Germany, as well as Europe and further abroad. WUAS is recognized by the Netherlands government as an Institute for Higher Education and operates as a non-profit organization.
All programs from Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences are accredited by Dutch NVAO and by FIBAA (German, Swiss & Austrian) and Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences is a member of AACSB and AMBA.
WUAS has been ranked the 4th ‘Best Small University of Applied Sciences’ in the Netherlands and has been awarded the 2nd Best Bachelor of Business Administration Program in the Netherlands.
Visit their Faculty Selection to see that you will learn from the best!
Interested to study here? Fill out the Application Form to start and make sure to choose New European College (NEC) in the list of choices. In the meantime, you can already start collecting all the necessary admission documents to have them sent to my e-mail: info@yanaimmis.com
Benefits of applying through my website to New European College (NEC)
Waived application fee
10% Scholarship for talented students
Priority application treatment
Rolling admission deadlines
Fast profile check
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