# Job searching in Germany



## ajithramanna (Dec 31, 2016)

Hi Guys,

I am new to this forum and I am looking for answers on job searching in Germany with job seeker visa.

I am software engineer (Java developer) and have 5.6 years of experience. I am planning to apply job seeker visa but I am worried about searching job in Germany. I have A1 level proficieny in German.

* Is the A1 level German is enough or I should study till A2 and B1? 
* Within how many months I can get a job with 5.6 years of experience an A1 level German?
* How much salary I can expect?
* And which city is better to search a job?

Can anyone share their experience of searching job in Germany? It would help me a lot.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Ajith


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## James3214 (Jun 25, 2009)

Hi Ajith,
Welcome to the forum. With over 5 years of Java and A1 German I would think you chances are pretty good. Try looking at job sites in German and although most cities are looking for Java developers you are probably better looking at the Rhein Main are (FRankfurt) or Berlin areas. Don't forget the cost of living in most German cities is quite high so even though you think you might be getting a good salary you will find most of it eating up in housing, etc.
Good luck.


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## esumitkumar (Oct 30, 2009)

I am in the same situation..10 yrs of software testing experience inncluding Selenium..Is it worth to go to Germany on this visa and find job OR seek a canadian PR ?

Pros vs Cons :

1. Canada PR my points are coming as 373 while in Germany no such requirement needed

2. Need to give IELTS for Canada Vs need to learn German for Germany 
(personally I am a big fan of Rammstein)

3. More population of Indians in Canada Vs less Indians in Germany..

Can anybody advice which is the best option ? since im at point 0..which direction to go..IELTS prep start OR learn German ?


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

One big consideration is that you already speak English - certainly well enough to post messages here on the boards. If you're starting German from scratch, it is going to take some time to get up to a usable level. And while there is no formal level of German you need to have, and some high tech companies have English as their "company language" you do need some level of German just for day-to-day functioning - shopping, administrative functions, doctors, etc.

The other thing to consider are the respective cultures. Yes, there are more Indians in Canada than in Germany, and the Canadian culture is quite a bit more "open" to foreigners than Germany tends to be. Canada is admittedly "multi-cultural" whereas folks in Germany (at least the older ones) insist they aren't interested in "multi-culti."

I'm not saying to forget about Germany. If you're up for the experience, Germany can be a fascinating place to live and work, but be prepared to have to make lots of adjustments and compromises in your "lifestyle." Canada may be more open, but it's a lot farther away if you're trying to maintain ties to friends and family back in India. There are advantages and disadvantages to both moves.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

esumitkumar said:


> I am in the same situation..10 yrs of software testing experience inncluding Selenium..Is it worth to go to Germany on this visa and find job OR seek a canadian PR ?
> 
> Pros vs Cons :
> 
> ...


Apart from personal preference, as far as I know, the lowest score ever was 415 for a draw and general wisdom seems to suggest that it is unlikely for somebody with a score below 460-ish to receive an ITA for express entry.

So Canada may be a non-starter unless you have a guaranteed, qualified job offer.

It may be a good idea to sit the IELTS anyhow. Germans like documented skills and your English language skills will be very important for any prospective German employer if you are only just starting with learning German.


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## esumitkumar (Oct 30, 2009)

ALKB said:


> Apart from personal preference, as far as I know, the lowest score ever was 415 for a draw and general wisdom seems to suggest that it is unlikely for somebody with a score below 460-ish to receive an ITA for express entry.
> 
> So Canada may be a non-starter unless you have a guaranteed, qualified job offer.
> 
> It may be a good idea to sit the IELTS anyhow. Germans like documented skills and your English language skills will be very important for any prospective German employer if you are only just starting with learning German.


Might be I am sounding too positive, but some friends suggest to me that this score will drop further ..as of now score dropped to all time low to 415 ..

Express Entry rounds of invitations

If we check , scores are dropping from 886 (first one) to now 415..so no possibility of dropping to 370 ? :fingerscrossed:

Now coming to German skills, will it be beneficial to learn German as compared to above , keeping fingers crossed, crossing IELTS with highest score and waiting for scores to drop ?

Thats y im confused which way to go

TIA


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

esumitkumar said:


> Might be I am sounding too positive, but some friends suggest to me that this score will drop further ..as of now score dropped to all time low to 415 ..
> 
> Express Entry rounds of invitations
> 
> ...


Up to you.

What I was saying is that sitting IELTS will be beneficial for both countries, so the effort will not be lost either way, so why not keep your options open?

Also, learning German from scratch cannot be compared to preparing for IELTS in a language you already speak well.

Last time I sat the IELTS I didn't prepare at all.

Learning German will obviously be a lot more time-consuming.


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

Learning to speak German properly can be very difficult without much opportunity to practice... my husband speaks English, French and German (he has a 1:1 degree in French and German and lived in Germany for a time); I speak English, intermediate French, some Japanese and a few words in German - while I'm trying my best to improve, my husband says that my spoken German is terrible and that I should stick to either English or French - I remind him that his spoken Japanese is nothing to brag about. 

You might be best off to try to improve your English ability first and then, if you end up in Germany, you can learn that when you get there - you'll have more opportunities to learn from native speaking Germans in day-to-day life situations (where you'll have no choice but to learn the language properly) instead of learning from a book and CD?DVD.


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