# Are any of you currently in Germany on a Job seeker Visa / Blue Card?



## ines2013

How is the job search going? Where are the hurdles you encounter? 

@ Blue Card owners- Any suggestions to the current job seekers in Germany on how to improve their chances?


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## sweetginger

I am into Recruiting and consulting. I will share my opinion.

I personally don't see a great benefit in applying for "Job Search Visa" and come to Germany with a hope to find a job. The risk is high for the following reasons

- "Only" English speaking jobs are limited.
_ during the job search period, you will be spending money from your pocket with no cash flow. In big cities the expenses are usually high.
- It is not like that the economy is booming and companies are hiring like anything. Things are bit slow now and companies think twice before offering a full contract (unbefristet arbeitsvertrag)
- Are you mentally prepared to accept that you might go back without a job after 6 months.

Please don't think your physical presence in Germany will be big game changer to get a job. I know several companies recruited candidates via video conferencing. 

*PLEASE DON'T LISTEN TO ANY LOCAL CONSULTANTS IN INDIA AND THEIR PROMISES*

I wish good luck for all.

Cheers
Sweet Ginger


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## ankit17.05kumar

Hi,

My name is Ankit and i am from bangalore. I have 2.5 yrs work exp. in IT as a software eng.

I have got this info. from SB INTERNATIONAL kolkatta regarding Jobseeker visa for Germany.

I am in Dilemma and lil scared to quit this current job and go for another hunt tat to abroad.

Can you guys plz help me out on this.

Can you plzz tell me the inside story ??/
It would be great if u ppl can give me a good advice to take up this oppt.

Regards,


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## sweetginger

Please read my above post. If u still wish to proceed PM me


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## ankit17.05kumar

*Re:*

I have gone thru ur post.
How is the job search going on in respect with IT.
How do u feel is there any luck in getting job. as you can see i hv only 2.5 yrs of work exp. in IT.

Please suggest me.


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## James3214

ankit, to be honest, if you have only 2.5 years of experience, you do not qualify for the jobseekers visa. Just don't pay any money to agents who tell you otherwise!


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## ankit17.05kumar

*Re:*

Hi James,

As per jobseeker visa requirement i hv seen the ppl who is holding degree certificate and 2+ yrs of work exp. are eligible to appy for this in germany

Please advice


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## James3214

ankit17.05kumar said:


> Hi James,
> 
> As per jobseeker visa requirement i hv seen the ppl who is holding degree certificate and 2+ yrs of work exp. are eligible to appy for this in germany
> 
> Please advice


ankit, sorry you are right, I was confusing it with something else, 2.5 years should be okay, but I think the success of finding a job really depends on what type of IT skills you have.


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## likith_jogi

sweetginger said:


> I am into Recruiting and consulting. I will share my opinion.
> 
> I personally don't see a great benefit in applying for "Job Search Visa" and come to Germany with a hope to find a job. The risk is high for the following reasons
> 
> - "Only" English speaking jobs are limited.
> _ during the job search period, you will be spending money from your pocket with no cash flow. In big cities the expenses are usually high.
> - It is not like that the economy is booming and companies are hiring like anything. Things are bit slow now and companies think twice before offering a full contract (unbefristet arbeitsvertrag)
> - Are you mentally prepared to accept that you might go back without a job after 6 months.
> 
> Please don't think your physical presence in Germany will be big game changer to get a job. I know several companies recruited candidates via video conferencing.
> 
> *PLEASE DON'T LISTEN TO ANY LOCAL CONSULTANTS IN INDIA AND THEIR PROMISES*
> 
> I wish good luck for all.
> 
> Cheers
> Sweet Ginger



SweetGinger,

Are you in to "Recruiting and consulting" in germany.

pm me your mail id, i will send you my german resume. let me know if any mistakes can be corrected.

Regards.


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## sweetginger

I recommend you first apply while in India. No one can guarantee that you will find a job if you come to germany with the job seeker visa. I'm really surprised to see that that people overlook the risks.


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## ankit17.05kumar

HI James,

can you please let me know the scope of german market in IT and how there are considering indians in that place ?

could u plz advice me 
1) how to prepare my resume and cover letter for germany IT companies
2)what are job portals where i can go and apply it for ?


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## sweetginger

likith_jogi said:


> SweetGinger,
> 
> Are you in to "Recruiting and consulting" in germany.
> 
> pm me your mail id, i will send you my german resume. let me know if any mistakes can be corrected.
> 
> Regards.


Likith,
Yes.
I'm not allowed to share my email in the forum yet. I will be able to do so from tomorrow.

Is your German good enough to write ur CV in German?


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## ankit17.05kumar

*Re:*

Hi sweet,

Plz post or pm me some samples


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## sweetginger

ankit17.05kumar said:


> Hi sweet,
> 
> Plz post or pm me some samples


 Is your German good enough to write ur CV in German?


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## ankit17.05kumar

*Re:*

Hisweet,

To be very honest i have just started learning german language from the institute. its been a couple weeks to learn german.. 
so i would say i am not good in german as of now.

plz advice


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## likith_jogi

sweetginger said:


> Likith,
> Yes.
> I'm not allowed to share my email in the forum yet. I will be able to do so from tomorrow.
> 
> Is your German good enough to write ur CV in German?



Nope 

i'm learning german from you tube. i know few words thats all  .

i will pm you my mail id, reply to that 

Regards,
Likith Jogi


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## sweetginger

For general discussions let us try to use the open forum. This will help others as well.


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## ines2013

*Suggestions for Job Search in Germany*



ankit17.05kumar said:


> can you please let me know the scope of german market in IT and how there are considering indians in that place ?
> 
> could u plz advice me
> 1) how to prepare my resume and cover letter for germany IT companies
> 2)what are job portals where i can go and apply it for ?



Hi Ankit,

maybe I can offer some general suggestions to your area of interest. 

Job Seeking 
Generally the job market in Germany is good for most IT and Engineering jobs. If one keeps in mind that you're looking for jobs with ~ 40000 €/year and above it might be good to search for jobs in the bigger cities of Germany. The parts that once belonged to East Germany (GDR) still offer a somewhat lower salary range, even though with high demand jobs and good experience this somewhat levels off. From my experience the salaries in cities like Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Frankfurt and the whole area of Duisburg, Essen, Koeln, Bonn pay higher salaries, while also having higher costs of living. You may want to check the salary range for your profession first (e.g. google 'salary software developer Hamburg'). You can also use salary ranges attached to certain jobs (e.g. Experteer offers jobs 60k +, take one of those job-headlines and read the whole job description on Monster or Stepstone) to make sure you don't waste your energy on lower paying jobs.

Resume and Cover letter:
First google "Job Application Germany" and do some research on this topic. There are lots of examples out there, read several to get an idea of the application standard and process. You can also use an HR consultancy/'Personalberatung' (maybe one in Germany - email them) if you have the funds - make sure they are specialized in your area of expertise (IT, Engineering, Accounting etc.) I think this is a good idea as it likely costs less than a flight to Germany on the Job Seeker Visa If you're thinking of using a Job Seeker Visa for Germany you'd have to go through the same stages - whether you are in Germany or India - you'd have to search for your job online, do a phone interview - last stage is to appear in person. I've read in this Forum that a company even sponsored the trip to Germany for a job interview, so it seems there's need for IT professionals 

Some of the biggest HR Consultancies you might want to look into in Germany are:

Kienbaum Executive Consultants GmbH 
Egon Zehnder International GmbH 
Baumann Unternehmensberatung AG 
ODGERS BERNDTSON Unternehmensberatung GmbH 
Heidrick & Struggles Unternehmensberatung GmbH & Co. KG 
Heads! GmbH & Co. KG 
Deininger Unternehmensberatung GmbH 
Signium International GmbH & Co. 
Delta Management Consultants GmbH 
Mercuri Urval GmbH 
Gemini Executive Search GmbH 
Steinbach & Partner 
Dr. Heimeier & Partner Management und Personalberatung GmbH 
InterSearch Deutschland GmbH
Michael Page Deutschland

Just google them, research their homepages, usually they also have lots of information on how to create a good job application.


Last idea on your job hunt: update the information you left about yourself online (linkedin, Xing, facebook, twitter etc.) before sending out your application - most companies will google you - and make sure you don't have 'disqualifying' info online -e.g. the hard drinking party from graduation should not appear online during the time that you're job hunting

Hope this general info helps you with your job search in Germany,
Best,
Ines


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## kencyborg

*About German Language*

Hi all,

I have applied for germany Job seeker visa this monday 11th Aug at Bangalore Germany embassy India, yesterday i got call from Embassy informing me to come and collect my passport. Have they processed my Visa with in 3 days ? Now i am really worried whether they have stamped or not. Pls let me know that is it compulsory that i needs to know german language while appearing for job seeker visa? can some one help me out . Now i am really tensed about my Visa. 

Please help me out ...


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## V.Jos

Hello Sweetginger,

Saw your posts above and thanks for that...I am a unix system administrator from India with almost 9 years of relevant experience. I have worked for almost an year abroad( europe) as well...Decided to start with German A2 language certification...

Do you know the chances for unix system administrators in Germany. Would also like to know the hot city/state where chances of getting IT jobs are more...

Planning to start the VISA process once I am done with the language..

Regards
Jos


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## sweetginger

Hi Jos,

I would recommend to apply for jobs from India. Refer to my previous posts for the reasoning.

All the best
SG


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## likith_jogi

kencyborg said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have applied for germany Job seeker visa this monday 11th Aug at Bangalore Germany embassy India, yesterday i got call from Embassy informing me to come and collect my passport. Have they processed my Visa with in 3 days ? Now i am really worried whether they have stamped or not. Pls let me know that is it compulsory that i needs to know german language while appearing for job seeker visa? can some one help me out . Now i am really tensed about my Visa.
> 
> Please help me out ...



For applying job seekers visa German Language is not mandatory.
But i'm really surprised that your visa as been processed in 3 days   .
Please keep us posted on this.

-
Likith


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## likith_jogi

V.Jos said:


> Hello Sweetginger,
> 
> Saw your posts above and thanks for that...I am a unix system administrator from India with almost 9 years of relevant experience. I have worked for almost an year abroad( europe) as well...Decided to start with German A2 language certification...
> 
> Do you know the chances for unix system administrators in Germany. Would also like to know the hot city/state where chances of getting IT jobs are more...
> 
> Planning to start the VISA process once I am done with the language..
> 
> Regards
> Jos



Hi Jos,

they are openings for system, linux and unix administrators in germany. but its very hard get a job. I have applied more than 100 jobs till now . no luck.

-
Likith


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## batvongoth

likith_jogi said:


> Hi Jos,
> 
> they are openings for system, linux and unix administrators in germany. but its very hard get a job. I have applied more than 100 jobs till now . no luck.
> 
> -
> Likith


It is hard because as a non-EU national you are required to pass a vorrangsprüfung (even if you are on a job-seeker visa). 

Which mean: for every job position in Germany, first, a German national will be considered, then an EU national. If the employer cannot find an employee qualified enough then they can consider a non-EU/ third country national. This is regulated by Arbeitsagentur or Federal Employment Agency, so employer has no discretion even if he/she is impressed by your profile. Been there, done that!

Now consider yourself for a minute; just about how many candidates with same qualifications as yours would be present in Germany and all of EU this very moment ? Even if an employer fails to find someone within these two demographics, you still have candidates from the rest of the world to compete with and, for a handful of job positions. 

Additionally, whole vorrangsprüfung process takes about 3 months, so that is half of your visa duration. 

Sorrry, I don't mean to discourage anyone here, but these things should be considered before you throw your money into a JSV.


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## vronchen

batvongoth said:


> It is hard because as a non-EU national you are required to pass a vorrangsprüfung (even if you are on a job-seeker visa).
> 
> Which mean: for every job position in Germany, first, a German national will be considered, then an EU national. If the employer cannot find an employee qualified enough then they can consider a non-EU/ third country national. This is regulated by Arbeitsagentur or Federal Employment Agency, so employer has no discretion even if he/she is impressed by your profile. Been there, done that!
> 
> Now consider yourself for a minute; just about how many candidates with same qualifications as yours would be present in Germany and all of EU this very moment ? Even if an employer fails to find someone within these two demographics, you still have candidates from the rest of the world to compete with and, for a handful of job positions.
> 
> Additionally, whole vorrangsprüfung process takes about 3 months, so that is half of your visa duration.
> 
> Sorrry, I don't mean to discourage anyone here, but these things should be considered before you throw your money into a JSV.



unless your job is in the MINT area (and your specialization is rarely found), you have a (recognized) university degree, worked for +5 years, and a job offer for +33000 Euro per annum (+44000/a if not specialized MINT position), then there will be no "Vorrangsprüfung".


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## hastia86

hello SweetGinger
can you please help me with motivation letter, my german language b1, im going to go embassy for interview early .


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## beppi

If you don't have motivation enough to write your own motivation letter, you will not make it!
Copying others' letters is a good way to be rejected, as the officials know the other letters and will see what you've done.


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## Surajyadav

Hey ,
I have applied for job seeker visa in New Delhi yesterday and they charged me 5000+20000 Rs . now I am waiting for their call but they already stamped on my passport at time of submitting documents for visa .what does it mean ? Interviewer was assistant of Germqn ambassador and was really rude she told she doesn't think I will get job seeker visa . I do have qork experience in the foeld of electrical & electronics engineering and I submitted work experience certificate but she said its not relevant. I should have carried salary slip or bank account details . but my rest of documents were strong .I have accommodation proof as well as blocked account's detail .my father is sponsering me sso i have shown them his bank account's details as well .I shown them morr than 20 confirmation mails which i applied for job. Was this all enough? When will they call me to infor me whether my visa got approved or refused ?


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## jason.bourne

I am going bit of off topic but its all related to jobs only.
I have got admission for Pforzheim University for MBA. Its two year course. Could you please let me know how is job market post MBA in germany ?

Total expenses would be around 20 to 24 Lakh. I am choosing germany because for US/UK its well over 40 lakh. 

Kindly let me know your views


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## beppi

jason.bourne said:


> Total expenses would be around 20 to 24 Lakh. I am choosing germany because for US/UK its well over 40 lakh.


What is a "lakh" and how much is it worth?


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## cooldash87

^^ thats 2 to 2.4 Million !!


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## beppi

cooldash87 said:


> ^^ thats 2 to 2.4 Million !!


2 to 2.4 million EURO?!?


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## ALKB

beppi said:


> 2 to 2.4 million EURO?!?


Indian Rupees, I would hope


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## beppi

So, it seems, the poster asked about Germany on a Germany forum and used specifically Indian terms and Indian currency? Not the smartest method, I would say ...


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## James3214

beppi said:


> So, it seems, the poster asked about Germany on a Germany forum and used specifically Indian terms and Indian currency? Not the smartest method, I would say ...


Well, considering most of the posters on this thread are from India it seems quite appropriate to me!


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## jason.bourne

beppi said:


> So, it seems, the poster asked about Germany on a Germany forum and used specifically Indian terms and Indian currency? Not the smartest method, I would say ...



Well here is the thing. Even though fees are in euro I need to arrange that money while I am in India. my budget is 20 to 24 lakh (i.e. 2.0 to 2.4 Million INR _(I wish I could replace INR to Euro here _  )).

I have got an admit from Pforzheim University MBA in international Management. Fees for two years are 10k Euro. I had below queries.

1. Is MBA well recognized in Germany. Some of my friends told me its not.
2. How are job prospects with MBA + B1 level German knowledge. 
3. anyone who is in Germany could let me know how would they rate Pforzheim University MBA .


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## beppi

Sites like XE Currencies or Oanda can help you compare currencies and values. If you are unable to do that, why do you expect readers of this forum to do it for you?

MBAs are generelly less respected in Germany than in some other (Anglo-Saxon) countries, but with some prior work experience you should be able to find a job, especially in finance or MNCs.
I have never heard of the Pforzheim MBA, although I live nearby (Stuttgart).


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## jason.bourne

beppi said:


> Sites like XE Currencies or Oanda can help you compare currencies and values. If you are unable to do that, why do you expect readers of this forum to do it for you?
> 
> MBAs are generelly less respected in Germany than in some other (Anglo-Saxon) countries, but with some prior work experience you should be able to find a job, especially in finance or MNCs.
> I have never heard of the Pforzheim MBA, although I live nearby (Stuttgart).


Beppi, I think you misunderstood my post. I am not requesting the conversion (in fact if you read my post, you could see I have already given cost in INR and EURO because I know readers to this forum are from India as well as Germany).

What I was looking for is ground level feedback about status and job prospects after of MBA degree.

Thanks for your response for Pforzheim MBA, I have another question for you, how do you rate HHL Leipzig MBA, its ranked fairly good in ft.com ranking.


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## cooldash87

Jason,

No one really can give you that feedback for the worth of an MBA degree from any foreign university ! You can only gets the stats from the our dear friend 'Google' who would help you gather experience the feedback from past students of that university. 

You might also consider a search of this universities ranking in world top management schools and make the decision accordingly. 

In the end its YOUR decision to take up the course from a particular university ! Chances are the country from which you do your masters would typically be the country you would get work easily so yes the prospects of job in Germany after doing MBA from a German university looks bright


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## alpipo

*we never know*



sweetginger said:


> I am into Recruiting and consulting. I will share my opinion.
> 
> I personally don't see a great benefit in applying for "Job Search Visa" and come to Germany with a hope to find a job. The risk is high for the following reasons
> 
> - "Only" English speaking jobs are limited.
> _ during the job search period, you will be spending money from your pocket with no cash flow. In big cities the expenses are usually high.
> - It is not like that the economy is booming and companies are hiring like anything. Things are bit slow now and companies think twice before offering a full contract (unbefristet arbeitsvertrag)
> - Are you mentally prepared to accept that you might go back without a job after 6 months.
> 
> Please don't think your physical presence in Germany will be big game changer to get a job. I know several companies recruited candidates via video conferencing.
> 
> *PLEASE DON'T LISTEN TO ANY LOCAL CONSULTANTS IN INDIA AND THEIR PROMISES*
> 
> I wish good luck for all.
> 
> Cheers
> Sweet Ginger


You are making great points, but I would have to disagree with you. We don't no for certain what doors might open, some people get the door open on the last minute. If any one think he can add value to the German economy, I will suggest to take his/her chance. Rather die trying than don't try and live with regrets


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## rohm

Hi, it seems finding a job offer in Germany is really hard, as some people say an employer first must find a German worker and in some circumstances others can find a chance for that vacancy.
So just some elites have high chance for working in Germany form non-EU country.can anyone here clear what is the process of getting job offer in Germany and any statistic about the successful applicants if there is?


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## beppi

There's an official webpage listing the strategic areas of demand for foreign (non-EU) workers. I forgot the name, but you can find it by Google. If you have good working experience in these areas, you have a better chance of finding a job and getting a work permit.


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## raffu2129

kencyborg said:


> Hi all, I have applied for germany Job seeker visa this monday 11th Aug at Bangalore Germany embassy India, yesterday i got call from Embassy informing me to come and collect my passport. Have they processed my Visa with in 3 days ? Now i am really worried whether they have stamped or not. Pls let me know that is it compulsory that i needs to know german language while appearing for job seeker visa? can some one help me out . Now i am really tensed about my Visa. Please help me out ...


Hi kency,

I am also planning to apply for job seeker visa for Germany . 
I would like to know if you got the visa with less knowledge of German language . 
If yes, did you find the job ?

Bye
Rafeeq


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## sparr

*ZAV & EU Blue Card*

Hello ,Will the negative in ZAV will effect the visa for EU Blue card ?
I do fulfill all the criteria for EU Blue card .
Please update.


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## arkadinjeni

Hi Sweet Ginger

I am in finland and my contract gng to end and still have 6 month visa left for finland 

no way to find any job in finland IT gng down with less job so might Germany help 

so u have any tips for me or we can get connected some how for further info


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## vishnukumar7

Hello Everyone, 

As per the checklist available on German Embassy website. 

Proof of academic qualification (from a German university or equivalent to 
a German academic degree, for recognition of non - german degrees kindly refer to some website

My degree is from India. from where can i get it recognized and who can help me with it.

Regards
Vishnu Kumar


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## beppi

vishnukumar7 said:


> Hello Everyone,
> 
> As per the checklist available on German Embassy website.
> 
> Proof of academic qualification (from a German university or equivalent to
> a German academic degree, for recognition of non - german degrees kindly refer to some website
> 
> My degree is from India. from where can i get it recognized and who can help me with it.
> 
> Regards
> Vishnu Kumar


Check the ANABIN database (google it!).


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## bkravishankar

sweetginger said:


> I am into Recruiting and consulting. I will share my opinion.
> 
> I personally don't see a great benefit in applying for "Job Search Visa" and come to Germany with a hope to find a job. The risk is high for the following reasons
> 
> - "Only" English speaking jobs are limited.
> _ during the job search period, you will be spending money from your pocket with no cash flow. In big cities the expenses are usually high.
> - It is not like that the economy is booming and companies are hiring like anything. Things are bit slow now and companies think twice before offering a full contract (unbefristet arbeitsvertrag)
> - Are you mentally prepared to accept that you might go back without a job after 6 months.
> 
> Please don't think your physical presence in Germany will be big game changer to get a job. I know several companies recruited candidates via video conferencing.
> 
> *PLEASE DON'T LISTEN TO ANY LOCAL CONSULTANTS IN INDIA AND THEIR PROMISES*
> 
> I wish good luck for all.
> 
> Cheers
> Sweet Ginger


Sweet Ginger,

This is exact and true situation you brought up.
I have spoken to many Consultancies and company HR ppl in Germany and they said its ok to be anywhere in the world for interview. And also They are happy if you know aor intended for German Language.
So all folks there, It may not add much advantage for getting Job seeker visa instead try for job and decided later.

Regards,

Ravi


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## bkravishankar

kencyborg said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have applied for germany Job seeker visa this monday 11th Aug at Bangalore Germany embassy India, yesterday i got call from Embassy informing me to come and collect my passport. Have they processed my Visa with in 3 days ? Now i am really worried whether they have stamped or not. Pls let me know that is it compulsory that i needs to know german language while appearing for job seeker visa? can some one help me out . Now i am really tensed about my Visa.
> 
> Please help me out ...


Hello kencyborg!!!!!!!!!!!!

Could you share your visa experience pls?


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## ramkiraj

sweetginger said:


> I recommend you first apply while in India. No one can guarantee that you will find a job if you come to germany with the job seeker visa. I'm really surprised to see that that people overlook the risks.


Hello sweetginger, 

Am already in Germany on Jobseeker visa. With about 13 Years of experience in IT, am looking for Scrum Master / Agile Project Manager roles (English speaking to start with). 
If you are into recruiting, would you think you could pm me your email ID and may be we could take it further?

Thanks !


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## beppi

ramkiraj said:


> Hello sweetginger,
> 
> Am already in Germany on Jobseeker visa. With about 13 Years of experience in IT, am looking for Scrum Master / Agile Project Manager roles (English speaking to start with).
> If you are into recruiting, would you think you could pm me your email ID and may be we could take it further?
> 
> Thanks !


This user has not been active on the forum since 2013. I think it is unlilkely for you to get a reply from him.


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