# Career Opportunities and family dilemna



## billajee (May 29, 2015)

Hi, My girlfriend and I have been living in Sweden for many years and now we have decided to move to Germany because her parents are getting old etc. 

This demand has gotten ever more intense since our baby was born a while ago. I have asked her to wait until the end of 2016 or Spring 2017 due to my career situation. I already have 5 years of experience in finance and want to be more in a specialist position by the time I move to Germany and of course, to learn some German beforehand.

I wonder how does the German job market look like for foreigners with that much experience but limited skills in German language. I am afraid if my career will roll back a few years because of this move. And how are the German employers when dealing with foreign candidates?

In Sweden, a foreigner can wait up to 3-4 years before he can land a job in his field. There are many engineers and accountants here who are driving taxi cabs or run a kebab place. To give you an example, last year I had to apply around 65 times before getting my only interview and landed that job luckily. Back then I had 4 years of experience on my CV already...fml!


----------



## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

billajee said:


> Hi, My girlfriend and I have been living in Sweden for many years and now we have decided to move to Germany because her parents are getting old etc.
> 
> This demand has gotten ever more intense since our baby was born a while ago. I have asked her to wait until the end of 2016 or Spring 2017 due to my career situation. I already have 5 years of experience in finance and want to be more in a specialist position by the time I move to Germany and of course, to learn some German beforehand.
> 
> ...


It depends a bit on where you will live in Germany - a hub of the financial sector?


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

To be honest, in much of Europe it can be difficult to find a job as a foreigner, especially if you don't have a grasp of the local language. OTOH, it can really help if you have experience or training in an area that is in particular demand or particularly impressive qualifications.

You may want to start looking at job hunting websites for Germany (Monster.de, Stepstone, LinkedIn, etc.) to see what sorts of posts in your field are being posted there for Germany - and what qualifications they are looking for. Some "international" type jobs may even have postings in English, which would indicate that maybe you'd have a better chance. 

There's also the matter of where in Germany you'd be able or willing to go. If your girlfriend wants to be close to her parents, that could limit your opportunities a bit.
Cheers,
Bev


----------



## beppi (Jun 10, 2013)

Your job finding chances also GREATLY depend on your visa situation:
EU citizens can freely reside and work anywhere in the EU and are thus preferred, non-EU foreigners face a much harder time because of the need to get a work permit.
Note: As a married spouse of an EU-citizen you can also get unlimited residence and work rights in Germany - so it might be time to tie the knot before you move.


----------

