Finding work as an unskilled laborer

Yesterday I posted on here I was seeeking employment in Germany. After posting I did some research on the internet and the possiblilty of finding "non-skill" work for non -EU countries looks to be nearly impossible. Am I correct in this assumption? I read somewhere online that "skilled" jobs for qualified workers happens often but "non-skilled" workers seems to be less prevalent. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Maybe I am just being a naive American but I was hoping to find a modest-to low-income job that paid just enough to pay for a place to live,food,visit the tourist attractions,and an occasional drink from the pubs. I was really wanting to gain some life experience abroad in Germany but this seems like such a daunting task. I guess I am just asking for someone to extend a hand and help me either directly or indirectly by putting me in touch with someone who might be in need of some help at a store,pub,etc. or someone who is just as curious about the cultural experience from me as well.

Thanks

-Brian-

Trent, Germany is a member of the European Union. It's really difficult to come here without a marketable skill and find work. But it's not impossible, so good luck to you. Where in Germany do you want to relocate as the cost of living and employment options are different in the various areas of the country?

Thanks for replying and wishing me good luck. I am very flexible as far as what city in Germany I would be willing to relocate. I could always travel to other cities I wished to sight-see on my off days from work. I am not totally naive to expect this would be easy. In fact I realize any job offered to me may be more of good will on someone's part rather than actually "needing" to hire me. At 27 I am too old to be a foreign exchange student since I have graduated high school 10 years ago.( lol) This seems to be a good site to make some contacts as you have replied only mere hours since I posted.

Thanks again
-Brian-

I have no qualifications (I just completed high school) but I'm going to go job hunting on Saturday. If you want, I'll let you know how it went.

Please do!

thanks and good luck
-Brian-

Good luck as i think it will be tough going. In Germany you have to be a Fachman or have some sort of certificate to be able to do anything in this country.

There's plenty of work - it's a bit harder as you're not EU but I'm sure there's piles of bars you could get work at - especially in Munich.

I think you might be able to find something once you got here, but until that happened, who is going to pay the bills? Where will you stay in the meantime? Maybe write to all the hostels and backpacker hotls and see if they need extra staff for the summer. That way you could income and a roof over your head.

And even this does not guarantee you a job - had my own bad experience.

maybe try this http://www.globetrotterseducation.ca/

What about the large numbers of Turks working in Germany??? I have seen a lot of them doing very menial jobs.

1. Turkish people are often second- and third-generation legal German residents and/or citizens these days.

2. The German government has special laws regarding employment and residency for people from Turkey, especially if they have family members already in the country. I believe this policy goes back to post-WWII, when Germany invited Turkish workers to come help the country recover their industry and economy, especially in the "Ruehrgebiet."

3. What you might consider to be a "menial" job is often self-employment at a family-owned business. Not always, but often.

There are also special considerations for asylum-seekers, students, etc. who are from non-EU countries.

What about immigrants from other countries like Morocco, Tunisia, etc.? When I went to a kebab shop the owner told me he was Iraqi. I picked up cab in Düsseldorf and the driver was Russian non-Jewish too. One of my boyfriend's mates said he saw heaps of people from different countries working in menial jobs. So there must be some kind of work this young man could find.

I'm not trying to assert that he couldn't find work. As parnell said, in some of the larger cities he could probably be hired on as bar staff (Irish pubs, for example), English-speaking tour guide, etc. It's just a (rightly, I think) more complicated and time-consuming process for non-EU citizens from wealthy countries to find unskilled jobs. His best chance will be to find someone who needs to hire a native English speaker and can prove that to the German employment office so he can get a work permit.

It's not going to be helpful to point out other people and say, hey, why did he get a job? An Iraqi, for example, can currently claim asylum. Or he and his family (along with the Moroccans, Tunisians, etc.) may have been there for years. Or the northern Africans may have come on a boat to Marseilles and then made their way illegally to Germany. Obviously, not everyone you see working is legal. I don't think that's what our American friend wants, though.

I seriously doubt that Russian cabbie was illegal there is no way that anyone could drive a taxi in Germany under the table. My boyfriend met an American who was driving a taxi Bonn, he said the driver was from California. The Moroccans working at the kebab shop with the Iraqi could not apply for asylum, I have not heard of any wars happening in Morocco.

So?

It is difficult, but not impossible, to get by without some kind of qualification. I managed it nearly seven years, doing lots of different jobs, mostly in kitchens, then later bar work in pubs. Long hours, low pay,etc., I also got jobs via Job Agencies (Leiharbeit), which I wouldn´t recommend - I spent three months sorting rubbish on a conveyer belt.

I´m glad I went to school here and learned a proper job! Having an "Ausbildung" has it´s advantages. If you´re unskilled, you do tend to end up getting the worst jobs.

Hey TRENT13,

I won't be able to conduct this research because my parents don't want me to get a job.

Best of luck to you though.

I recall the lady working at a gift shop in Frankfurt airport was Indian, the person I saw working at Subway in Bonn was Mexican, I don't think these nationalities qualify for refugee status. Most immigrants I meet from third world countries in Boston do very menial jobs, one of my patients used to be an aeronautical engineer in India and now works as a manager in Dunkin Donuts. As far as the cab driver, I made the driver's religion clear because many Russians who immigrate to Germany do so on the basis that they are Jewish, very few are really so. In fact my maternal grandmother is Jewish(I miss her so much, she used to make the most amazing fudge dipped macaroons during Passover) so I myself could fit the criteria that the German government sees for being considered Jewish. Anyhow, I have no interest in residing permanently in Germany, like I said I am going to Australia in December, a country that I think is better than Germany in terms of quality of life and more immigrant friendly. I just wanted to live in Germany for a brief spell maybe visit Paris, Switzerland, and Italy too.

Thanks for all the input guys and gals. I hope I do not let the whole process/paperwork Germany requires frustrate me enough to give up. If I just could get a job the rest should fall into place. It is just hard to establish contacts from another country. I have only been to one other country and that was Canada. Does that even count? They are mirror image of the US except everything is more expensive there. LOL I am definitely glad I found this site. Its members have been more helpful and inspiring than I ever expected. Tough tasks/obstacles always seem easier when you have others reminding you its possible to accomplish. Like I said earlier, the earliest I would be able to come over would be after Christmas,but hopefully before Next summer. So if any of you guys and gals hear of anyone interested in helping me out I would appreciate it. I think experiencing the culture over there would be great for me. Thanks again!!!

-Brian Trent-

It wasn't hard for me to get a job at all...and wouldn't be that difficult for you as long as you are A: in the country (you won't get job offers thrown at you unless they've at least had an interview with you) and B: willing to work freelance

It's not that bad at all...

What research?

Lavender Rain: oomcha was gonna look for a job, read above.

Thanks Mike... It is definitely refreshing to hear a success story. You sound confident that it is not that hard to find work over there. I am glad to hear it. I got a question for everyone, not just Mike, ...Between Northern Germany and Southern Germany,any comments on which area would be more likely for me to find work and which area would you recommend to sight-see in. I know this will sound corny to some but I would like to see some of the old Castles over there. Are there more in the Northern or Southern part of Germany or are they spread out pretty equally all over. Any other sights you think are a must see let me know to please! I think if given a choice I would like to live in Hamburg or the Luebeck area. Anything good or bad to say about this region for a foreigner would be greatly appreciated. I hope I am not being too annoying on here for any of you. I have to ask questions to get answers.

Thanks!!!

-Brian Trent-

I've been on the North West side of Hamburg for over 25 years. Its flat and you wont find much in way of quaint castles. You can find
plenty of them in the Rhine valley - but a 1-week holiday can get you your fill of them

Hamburg is an inland port; Lübeck is a smallish port on the Baltic coast. Both get plenty fresh fish.
From Hamburg you are on the North Sea coast in just over 2 hours, the Baltic similar.

The weather? To generalise we in the North dont get the extremes cf the South - we have it warmer in Winter & cooler in Summer but our Autumn comes many weeks earlier!

As HEM said, there aren't many castles up there, though Luebeck itself is a beautiful city. Hamburg...well...it's not that touristy. There's a suburb of Hamburg with a very nice castle, though, Schloss Ahrenburg ( http://www.spike.10kegs.com/christmas04.html )...other than that...well...I go up there once a year, but have run out of things to see, really.

Now, go just about any other area of Germany, and there's more in the way of sight-seeing. If you move to Munich, I can give a very hefty list...other areas I could help out with advice, but well...

Most castles were converted to palaces at some point, but they're all over the place, really.

That's because you were visiting, not living there. You would have quickly noticed a lot of differences otherwise. Expect living in Germany to be a BIG cultural shock.


Mike, didn't you have your girlfriend here to help you? Having a local to help you to know where to look and where to go to fill out paperwork helps immensely in finding work.

She wasn't much help...just helped with the language. Though I'd always recommend having a German with you when visiting any official office, even if you think your German is wonderful. Finding/getting the job was all me, thank you very much.

btw, showem, you think there'd be a culture shock for an american moving to Canada? wow.

No, not really Mike. But I would expect someone to notice the differences between Canada and the US if the moved from one to the other. And Germany is a lot different, not nearly as close as US and Can, so not having had much exposure to another country and culture, Germany will be a big change.

In my experience, help with the language is just about the most valuable form of help one can get!

There is definitely culture shock for an American moving to Australia, yours truly!!

I know a good few people who are living here in Munich and are 'unskilled', most of whom work at one or other of the breweries here. Give it a go and talk to them.

Just when I think I could not possibly get any more replies you people continue to surprise me. I really do appreciate the comments. I got yet another question ...for a first timer attempting to learn German, any recommendations ony any software to help me? I think i will definitely need to hear the words pronounced if I have any hope of learning German. I clicked on the link one of the members on here posted about learning German. It looks like a helpful site to brush up on German if you have had some training in the past but for me personally I think there is no substitute for some software where I can hear the language being spoken. I think I will not have a problem reading German once I learn it,but I have a strong feeling that I will have my troubles speaking it well enough that the natives will understand me. I am guessing that in every country there are didfferent accents of the native language, the US being no exception. I live In Kentucky and being from the south I do have an accent of my own and worry that I will not be able to speak some words properly. I bet the grammar part of learning German might prove to be the most didfficult.

Thanks again,

-Brian Trent-

P.S ...Keep an ear open if you hear of any jobs needed for an American with no certified skill and doesnt speak the language..LOL I am sure employers are lining up to hire me with these qualifications or lack there of. LOL

I found/find this helpful

Daily Phrase German

Trent, your best bet is teaching English. Give it a shot.

Thanks and yes I have thought about teaching English. I see that there are some openings that do not require a degree. I need to learn German before I can consider it seriously. I have been practicing through online flash cards which someone on this site linked me too. I figured since I am a visual learner that I would try and recognize/memorize words I see,then buy some software to hear these words I memorized spoken,and finally the part I dred most learning the grammer. Wow it is amazing how long some of these words are in german and how often "V's" and "W's" are used. I just hope in the end when it is time for me to attempt speaking German that my southern country accent can be understood by the locals.

-Brian Trent-

I didn't speak a word of German when I started. You don't speak German in class anyway.

Really...??? I would not need to speak German to teach? Does this apply to all age groups one would teach over there or would this only apply to those students with a "basic knowledge of English". You do not know how shocking( but in a good way ) to hear this. Do you still teach? One more thing, do these teaching jobs that dont require speaking German offer full-time pay. Some of the job postings I have seen on here appear to be "camps" which work a week in this town then a week in another, etc. and they basically are part-time for only 1 or 2 months a year. Some even state that travel expenses are not covered. After looking at a map at the various locations,if you were to be dependant on this income as I would it would not be feasible after subtracting travel expenses. Were you fortunate enough to find a full-time job teaching? How much could one expect in monthly bills in Germany?(essentials such as rent,utilities,groceries,occasional drinks at the pub) This would help me when looking over jobs available and how much they pay versus location. For example, if there was an opening at a large town which paid 1500 a month and one in a small town paying 1200 a month and assuming it is like it is over here where cost of living varies from location to location it would be helpful if I knew if that 300 difference is actually as much as it seems minus cost of living! Sorry for all the questions, but I would rather find out now then find out later!

Thanks, if nothing else you made things look less bleak than originally thought!!!
-Brian Trent-

How about being a tour guide in Berlin! There are English speaking tours who I'm sure will be looking for tour guides for the summer. Have a look here and maybe contact a few of them. I'm afraid I don't know how much "training" you get on the history etc. but maybe it'll be an option.

Exberliner is an English language website/magazine for Berlin. Have a look and see what you think.

there are quite a number of English pubs in Frankfurt, I got a job with one once in about 5 mins, just walked in and asked and they seemed to always need someone as people move on quite frequently. All a matter of already being there though, it would be hard to find something from over there in Germany, you just (once you arrive) need to go around and walk in to places and ask. I would choose a city where there are plenty of English speakers, so either international business or somewhere near an American army base!

Trent, I wouldn't get too excited about the idea of teaching English just yet. Aessa had the advantage of already being here and having a visa. You don't have that yet. Also, most English teaching work is part-time freelance stuff, there's very little full-time work available. For English teaching, there are a several "like to haves" for employers: a degree, a native speaker, teaching experience, German language skills and in the case of business English, work experience. You have 1 out of the 5, which puts you pretty low in the order of people they would want to hire. Sorry to seem negative, but I'm just being realistic.

As for how much bills would be whilst living in Germany, that is totally dependant on where you end up living, it's too hard to give a general figure.

I emailed my resume and cover letter to some English school here about a week ago. I was interested in their summer camp teacher/assistant position. I got a call back just then. The lady told me about the school, and then asked me to tell her a bit about myself. So, I did that, and then I proceeded to tell her my age, "I'm 17, but I'm turning 18 in August." (I'm painfully honest.) She responded like, "LOL! Some of the older kids are 16... you'd be like their friend, not their teacher!" Then we both LOLed.

So TRENT13, fear Germany not. If you want a job, you can get one if you try hard enough! (I have been told that by Germans too.) I think I emailed 5 places, and with a bit of luck, I got 3 replies. If worst comes to worst, you could get some crappy job while you look for a better one.

pretty much tit for tat trent.

ive looked in to moving to the states for a couple of years, and its just not going to happen. US working visas are just so goddamn random, i couldnt be sure the missus would get one too (unmarried). im sure theres ways around it, but im just not interested in schwarzarbeit.

again, I LOVE THE EU.

strange, but true.

As a U.S. citizen you should be able to find good opportunities on one of the US army bases in germany without having to join the US army. THe head offices are in heidelberg that i know of and i think 2 other bases(not completely sure) and other bases in frankfurt and rammstein, etc. You can find unskilled work on these as i have been on one before and they are like small communities, with everything to bars and burger king, cinema's, baseball pitches,bowling ally, massive supermarkets and its only for american's so no german required.
I remember coming across a webpage months ago when i was looking for work but have tried looking for it again for you without luck. It was just a job in a hotel but you had to be a US citizen.
Anyways good luck with the job hunt and hope you get to come to Germany.

As the U.S. Armed Forces are rapidly drawing down here in Europe with many base closures and budget constraints due to the war, it may be difficult to get a job on the post, especially if he's not command sponsored (meaning he's not attached in anyway to someone who is here with the Armed Forces) . The priority for the jobs on the military post are first spouses of services members, then dependents of service members, and then some category of jobs only go to the Germans and other EU citizens. It's not impossible for him to get a job on the post, but frankly it may be difficult.

Trent13 why do you want to come to Germany and work as an unskilled labour for? Generally the only jobs available in that field (and so I'm hearing many other fields as well) is zietarbeit or temporary work. And as expected it pays very little (600-700 in the hand last time I did it). Also since they are required to hire you as a full time person those jobs can even be hard to come by.

try www.my-hammer.de it's easy to find work there, but the rates are quite low, it's like ebay for small jobs, but they are bidding the price down, not up! German Fachmeisters hate it because they are finding it more difficult to charge so much. Good luck.

If you have dark skin, are in decent shape, and have a large penis, find some lonely German woman. I met a guy from Israel, he is dark skinned and good looking, asked a German woman for directions, the lady became so excited upon looking at him she practically had an orgasm, it was so funny. Seriously German women seem to dig young dark skinned guys because they are so exotic. I even talked to a Turkish guy who told me a lot of German women go to Bodrum in the summer months and you see them hook up with regular Turkish guys(waiters, janitors, bus drivers, etc).

Yeah I am sure all the women drool over Yemenite Jews, not! It's not only German women who flock to Bodrum during summer months but many European women of different origins. They come down there for vacationing and sex, just like Jamaica. That's why Bodrum is also called the "Bedroom" of Turkey.

My grandparents came from Romania fyi, the Israeli guy I was talking about, his parents came from Iran. He was pleasantly surprised how German women seem to dig dark men, prior to his trip he was worried that people would be racist to him as he could be mistaken for a Turk, Arab, Pakistani, Mexican, etcetera. One of my patients, her boyfriend is of Colombian origin, he lived in Germany when he was stationed in the Army, one time he told me that a lot of German women made advances to him but he stayed with the lady that is now my patient.

I have lost count of the number of times people in Miami thought I was Cuban, having dark hair and dark eyes, a hairy chest. The Turkish dude I was talking about thought I was a Turk. During a trip to Australia, some drunk redneck on the outskirts of Sydney called me and my cousin Lebbo wogs. I guess anyone with dark features in a light complexioned/haired country will be seen as different.

He may have not got the nationality right, but his heart was in the right place

Give Mr Intelligent a lump of coal for being such a smarty pantseses. Did they teach you this at Stanford?