In the current English Proficiency Index, which compares the level of English proficiency among adults in 100 countries, Germany ranks eighth behind the Netherlands, Scandinavian countries, Austria and Portugal. In general, the level of English proficiency in Germany is increasing. English is the most popular foreign language in German schools. And Germans have many opportunities and incentives to learn this language.

Knowledge of English is often included in the list of requirements of German employers. Six months ago, the association of recruiting experts BAP analyzed more than 900,000 job vacancies. In about one in five of them, knowledge of this foreign language was mandatory, with half of these advertisements aimed at young professionals. Most of the time, they were vacancies in the fields of IT and telecommunications, science, marketing, public relations or consulting. Much less – in the fields of medicine and care for the sick and elderly, for social workers, builders and craftsmen.

And what are the chances of employment if a foreign specialist, in addition to his native language, speaks only English?

Where in Germany is it easier to work with English

“It all depends on the company,” says Maxim Radomsky, a programmer from Ukraine. He started looking for a job in his field of study in Bonn while still a Masters student at the University of Bonn. Knowledge of the German language was minimal. And since there were few ads in which only English was required, Maxim sent his resume wherever he fit the profile.

The first employer company was small and dedicated to outsourcing, fulfilling orders mainly from German companies. “They were just looking for a student who would teach computer science. At work, we communicated mostly in English, but one of the employer’s wishes was that it would be good to learn German over time,” says the young expert in an interview with DW. He didn’t show much initiative in learning German, and when the company’s business deteriorated and the staff had to be reduced, Maxim was fired.

In the area of ​​software development or programming, knowledge of English alone is often enough. But if in the same IT field you have to work with customers from Germany, German might be a necessity, says employment expert Walter Feichtner in an interview with DW. The job market in Germany has changed in recent years, he says. Globalization is observed in almost all areas of the world and, due to migration in Germany, there are more and more foreigners among the working population. “Qualifications, professional training, the experience of a specialist play the main role in the job. Language knowledge is important, but in a different way – depending on the field, type of activity and company”, agrees the Munich-based career consultant.

Employment Consultant Walter Feichtner

In large companies with headquarters or customers and suppliers in another country, English is often the working language. Their knowledge is needed, for example, in sales or purchasing departments. But in a medium-sized company it is difficult without knowledge of German, as the market for small companies is mainly regional. Knowing German is also more important for representatives of work specialties – if the employee is directly employed in production, on the conveyor, in the warehouse.

Berlin and Munich are the most English-speaking German cities

Analysts at Indeed, a leading job portal, analyzed which German cities have job advertisements targeting foreign professionals. Conclusion: it is still too early to talk about the great openness of employers. Indeed’s survey covered 88 cities and at the same time, on average across the country, of all the ads analyzed by the portal’s experts from May 2020 to April 2021, only 2.5% were not in German, but mostly in English.

At the same time, the study revealed significant differences between cities. The most common place to find a job ad in English is in Berlin, with 14% of those reviewed by Indeed. In Munich and Frankfurt, about one in ten advertisements are written in English. But in Hamburg and Cologne, which are among the top five German cities, only 4% were found. But the top five English-speaking German cities include Kaiserslautern and Göttingen, with a population of around 100,000. Indeed, experts attribute the relatively high proportion of advertisements in English in these cities to the fact that Kaiserslautern is home to a large university and one of the Fraunhofer Institutes. Also, the US Ramstein Air Base is located close to the city. Göttingen is also a university city with several research institutes where scientists from all over the world work.

Best of all – English as well as German

Berlin and Munich’s leadership in Walter Feichtner’s Indeed ranking is not surprising. Berlin has long been popular with experts from abroad, and divisions of international companies, in particular Google, Amazon and Microsoft, are located in the Bavarian capital. However, he does not believe that if the vacancy advertisement is written in English, the proposed job will relate only to him. An employment expert is sure that when approaching potential employees in this way, companies are purposefully looking for those who speak English well – in addition to German.

Microsoft’s German office in Munich

Among the clients of his consulting firm Karrierecoach München, 25% have migratory roots. And their experience shows that without knowledge of German it is not so easy to get an interview invitation. “Competition is fierce, and the more attractive the employer, the more interesting the position and the more difficult the tasks, the more important knowledge of German is. In top management, for example, both languages ​​are equally important”, emphasizes Walter Feichtner.

Finding a job in Germany: a successful tactic

In the second job, where Maxim Radomsky soon got a job, it was necessary to know German. At that time, he had already lived in Germany for two and a half years and began to understand the language better by ear. In the interview, he preferred to discuss technical issues and his previous experience in English, but when it came to personal preferences and hobbies, he was asked to speak German. “I was saved by the fact that I didn’t hesitate to use English words when I couldn’t remember the German concept,” Maxim reveals his tactics. Despite the fact that so far he is engaged in programming, he has to attend meetings and carry out business correspondence in German.

Finding a job in Germany without German is difficult, concludes the expert. “And even if you don’t know enough German, try to make sure you believe you do,” Maxim says half-jokingly. Part of his tactic was also a resume and a letter of motivation in German-acquaintances helped to translate from English.

For those who still decide to apply for a job in English, Walter Feichtner, who worked for some time as an HR specialist and headhunter, advises following the same requirements in design, the same structure as a resume in German. Furthermore, according to his observations, anonymous CVs have not yet taken root in Germany: it is still important for employers to see the candidate’s photo, gender and age information. Little things, but can also affect the recruiter’s decision.