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How to get your career off to a good start

Starting a life in Germany? We name all the important contact points, and Diana and Elisabet tell you what you need to know.

Jasmin Siebert, 18.11.2019
People who are well networked will find it easier to gain a foothold in a new country.
© contrastwerkstatt/stock.adobe.com

You want to dare to do something new and get off to a good start in Europe? Now is your chance. The European Union (EU) is doing a lot to ensure that Europeans can also work in other EU countries. People from non-EU countries with sought-after qualifications are also supported. We present the most important internet portals for everyone who wants to gain a career foothold in Germany or another EU country. In addition, YouTubers Diana and Elisabet tell us from their own experience how to get off to a good start in Germany.

The first starting point is the EU Immigration Portal. This EU website provides legally valid, up-to-date information for anyone moving within Europe or moving to Europe to work or study.

EURES is the European job mobility portal. 'EURES' stands for 'European Employment Services'. There you will find job offers for specialists, but also internships and training programmes for young people throughout Europe. Experience reports by people who already live abroad are also interesting. You can find out about living and working conditions in the EU Member States, for example about insurance and taxes. If you have specific questions, you can even chat with a EURES adviser.

Germany can sometimes be surprising – but with a few tricks, starting off can be quite easy. Diana is Canadian and Colombian and tells you about what it was like for her to move to Germany. She'll also tell you how to settle in quickly.

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The German Federal Government's portal Make it in Germany offers quick support. There you will find job offers and information in 15 languages for your start in Germany. Experts answer questions via a hotline, a chat page or e-mail.

Which qualifications are in demand in which country? The EU also finds this out. The Skill Forecast Country Reports show future trends on the labour markets of all EU member states. The forecast for Germany, for example, tells us that 27,000,000 jobs will need to be filled by 2030, most of them with medium and highly qualified specialists. New staff are needed above all in administration, the commercial sector and the service sector.

Elisabet has seven tips for you for a successful career launch in Germany. She's from Spain and lives in Germany; in the video she answers questions for you such as: Do I really have to know German? How do I get to know German culture? And how do I make my a successful step into working life?

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The EU also provides compact information on residence rights on the internet. You can click on the situation that applies to you and find out, for example, whether you are entitled to social benefits if you ever lose your job.

The right of free movement applies to all EU citizens: every citizen of the EU with a valid identity card can stay in another EU country for up to three months without registering. After that you have to register your residence in most EU countries.

An important tool for an application in the EU is the Europass, a standardised CV that anyone can create with an online editor. The Europass consists of a classic curriculum vitae, information on language skills and previous stays abroad, as well as documents explaining country-specific certificates and listing educational details or academic performance to ensure better international comparability.

Here we have compiled many more good tips for you to enter the German labour market.

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