Job interviews in Germany, what to expect

Hi all,

I'm going for an interview later this week with a technology company based in Germany. I haven't been for an interview here before and am wondering if there's likely to be anything out of the ordinary - ordinary for me is Australia or UK. ie. something that is common German practice but would seem strange to a foreigner. There have been a few things I've seen here in Germany that have weirded me out, eg. having to buy your kitchen when renting! So I thought it best to ask.

Thanks!

They might ask you if you are married, pregnant and what your religion is. Not necessarily, but they might.

I recommend reading a book by Hesse / Schrader. They are written especially for the German job market, which has its own laws on how to apply for a job. Of all the "Bewerbungsbücher" I find them the best by far.

Nothing I can think of really, I except on my interviews, I was taken to meet everyone in the company. That was a bit odd.

From experience, I think if you get offered an "interview" by a german company the job is pretty much yours anway. They just want to meet you, learn a bit about you and discuss some finer details and, as inflateablewoman said, take you round to meet everyone in the company. If they're not interested then you might get your application stuff returned to you with a terse note of rejection (if you're lucky).

Interviews I've had were basically a few minutes of me telling them about myself, a few minutes of them talking about the company, and then straight onto the contract. All far less formal than in the UK, but then that could probably be down to the fact that german companies ask for shedloads more stuff by way of an application and sort the wheat from the chaff that way.

Good luck by the way!

It very much depends on the company. About two years ago I had an interview at a large German company, and it took the whole day. 8am started off with an exam they gave me, locked me in a room and came back 1 hour later, 4 people looked at what I had done and had a meeting about it (excluding me, of course). Then they gave me the next task: prepare a presentation for 1/2 hour, then hold the presentation in front of them for 1/2 hour. Next followed a very personal interview by the personnel manager for 1 hour, followed by some sort of a quiz by the other 4 people for I think more than 2 hours. At the end of the day I think they knew more about myself than I ever did.

BTW, four weeks later I was informed that I was "over-qualified" for the job!

They are officially not allowed to ask these questions and for sure you don't need to answer them.

Just stay friendly, open and professional.

i work in IT so we might not be a typically german company - but this is not the case with us. you would have at least three interviews with different people, and we have interviewed loads of people 2-3 times and then not given them the job.

the market has changed loads - a couple of years back you had to offer gold bullion for lunch everyday to get anyone on board, now there are swarms of people, quite often just made redundo, that we can choose from - guess that plays a significant role in the selection procedure.

Be prepared for the initial introductions to be in German, if your German isn't good enough greet everyone then ask politely in German "can we speak English please?" - "können wir bitte Englisch sprechen bitte". Helps to show you can string at least one sentence together.

Others might have better ideas on how to swing the meeting over to English, this is just how I have done it.

Bubblylady, are you sure they can't ask you if you are married or your religion? It certainly is included in many an application form for tax purposes. Of course you probably don't have to answer, but they may wonder why you aren't answering what for them is a simple question of clearing up your tax classification.

Do you want to mention the name of the company ? You never know someone might want to help you, by giving you some details about the company's method for interviewing. Maybe they won't do it so publically the forum, but maybe they will send you a PM.

Bring a copy of your CV/lebenslauf
Have an idea when you can start
Know something about the company (try news.google.com for up-to-date news on the company too)
Know where you are going on the morning of the interview.
Have a good breakfast before hand as you might be there all day.
Where something that shows all your assets , but seriously, dress nicely.

As far as I know they can ask are you married, but not are you preggers/swanger. They can ask your religion, if your are prostestant you get an extra day a year.

i've been to 3 interviews recently and once my credentials and ambitions were established, it moved on to who i new in the (relatively small) field... and quite quickly to what i thought of particular people/customers... this happened at 3 out of 3 companies and it kinda caught me off guard, and i had to be very careful to keep it all professional...

other than that, i found they were all much more concered about how i would fit into the team and whether i had a good attitude and sense of humour than employers in the uk or ireland might be.

hah, germans asking me if i have a sense of humour!!!

it looks like i'm going to the 3rd of the 3 in the near future, so i guess they must have thought i was funny...

You know what amazes me about Germany and their 'traditional job applications'? It's that if you don't have a picture, they throw it in the trash. In the States, if you attach your picture, everyone has a good laugh about it. Having the picture = chance to discriminate against applicant. Too old, too fat, too stupid looking, too white, too black, too Indian looking, etc, you get my point.

Plus, what does being 40 years old(as opposed to being 39) have to do with whether or not I am qualified for this job?

The perfect answer to the 'are you married? Pregnant? planning to get married, pregnant? etc questions. When asked, simply respond 'Well, if that makes me more qualified for this position, then 'yes'. Stupid, stupid questions!

And why do companies ask you to fill in the on-line application, attach your resume etc, when they just want to throw it out? Makes no sense. Imagine the quality of people they are missing out on.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the purpose for the picture was to discriminate. Before I moved here, I had someone looking for apartments for me. One of the landlords asked for a picture. I only found out later that it was to make sure I wasn't black!

i've never attached a picture, on principle...

actually i was asked last week to evaluate an applicant for a job here and once i saw his c.v. his picture gave me immediate preconceptions that i have not been able to shake... he looks like the most boring man on earth...

can you not claim to have your own religion then and define your own national holidays, like homer did in the simpsons one time? ("Ah, the Feast of Maximum Occupancy")

Hi,

Well, it of course depends on the company. However, a few things are worth noting:

- I am not sure about the emphasis on the German language. However, since you mention that it is a technology based company, it might be a bit relaxed with language requirements.

- Of course, stick to the universal interview preparation tricks. Research about the company and make sure you can ask them a few good questions.

- My experience with technology related companies is that they will ask you technical questions. So be prepared to answer them.

- I have never been asked about my religion etc. here in my seven years. However, others might have had different experience. Again, depends on the company. Old companies tend to be more conservative. New ones are more dynamic and adopting the international standards.

- Just be open and friendly. I am pretty sure you will not find something extremely out of the ordinary.

Also, Good luck!

Cheers,

xargon

I have had over 30 interviews with both large (DaimlerChrysler) and small (less than 200 employees) companies. The fact that you have an inerview doesnt mean anything. They usually interview at least 50 people for the job.

here is my advice:

Only speak german. If you cant speak german well they will never hire you unless you have a special skill. The only time you should ever speak a foreign language in an interview is if they begin to speak in this language or they ask you to speak in it.

Dont wear a black suit. In germany, you only wear black suits to weddings and funerals.

When you sent in your lebenslauf with the application, you probably attached all your Unterlagen (diplomas, proof of where you worked, etc.). If not, bring all these with you.

Dont tell them you need a work permit! If they ask, of course you should tell them, but if they dont bring up the question, leave it. As soon as they hear the world 'Arbeitserlaubnis' they usually wont consider you any further. If they offer you the job, then find out you need the permit they will get it for you.

They will ask what you expect to earn. In every interview I have had, I tried to dodge the question, but they will be persistant. Tell them the truth, but be careful, because if you say a number that is too high, they wont look at you any further.

They will ask when you can start. Have a date in mind. This is important.

They will ask why you are leaving the company you are working for now or the last company you worked for.

This may only apply to me, and most german companies will never say it, but they all have this feeling when talking to foreigners. They will have the fear that you are just here for the short term and will get homesick and in a few years will want to go home and so will leave the company. I make it continuously clear that I want to stay in germany forever (when they ask). I dont know if this is the right thing to do or not, but bge aware that they will probably be thinking in the back of their mind that you might pick up and leave for home in a year or two.

The questions vary from company to company. The larger ones ask about examples of working in teams and problem solving. The smaller ones ask about what you have done in your last job and why you applied to them.

Oh something I forgot. When they ask if you have questions, ask at least 2-3. this is important!

About the religion question, no company will ever ask this. I think the people are confusing this with the fact that the church is paid through taxes here, so on application forms they want to know your religion so they can pay your taxes to the proper church. This has nothing to do with the hiring process.

When I was in Australia I think it was common practice to put a picture in a job application. Employers didn't require it at all (as they don't here), it was just common practice. Basically it can have the effect of snazzing up your application a bit, but mainly it makes it easier for the employer to remember you. I think it just never occured to people that it could be used to implement racially discriminatory policies. I think generally the same applies to Germany.

Now I am aware that the US has a very large black minority, so the people are very aware of and sensitive about racial issues. They are certainly right within their own culture and I am starting to see that this practice should perhaps be applied elsewhere, but the fact that others haven't woken up to this doesn't mean they are racist. I don't see a racist under every bed.

Hi
OK here goes:

Yes. Unless otherwise indicated in the advertisement. Some companies may let you swop but at least try to speak some German unless the conversation starts in English (from their side). If other languages are required for the post, expect to be tested (you'd be surprised how many people overestimate their language abilities). Same applies to tech skills, be prepared. If there will be an assessment test you will usually be informed in advance, same with assessment centres (usually only used by graduate recruitment or at big recruitment fairs like HR Gardens etc).


Only applies to men (you'd get away with pinstripe at a push though depends on the field to tell the truth). Women can wear black without problems and trouser suits are welcome (which is often not the case in the UK). It is a good idea to visit or sit outside the company building once seeing how the employees are dressed if you are really worried. This month's Junge Karriere has a quite good business fashion section if you are more corporate.


Very important. If something is missing, it smells. Half the time, completeness is more important than content if I'm being really honest. The picture does help the memory, make sure it is a good picture though (a professional one, clean and tidy and appropriate for the field).
Work permits: you are very likely to be asked and you must answer honestly.

Pregnancy/union membership/deciding to get married: you are not obliged to answer. Here's a list in German of such banned questions. I can ask you about your religion though if I run a Catholic nursery and you're going for a job as a nursery nurse as it is directly to do with the job in hand. Likewise with disabilities. Or about previous convictions for fraud if I run a bank and you want to work there. You can't just ask because you feel like it.

Money: yes have a figure in mind but find out if the job is affected by union tariffs as this will affect your bargaining power. And find out the going rate if you can. You are not obliged to tell your current wage though.

Meeting colleagues: if you get to meet the colleagues, this is a good sign. People are employed to work and not to say hello to people they will never see again.
Find out about the employer, be interested in the job, ask questions (well you're interviewing them as well!) and be yourself.

Ah. I see I'm a bit late with the advice but I hope it went well anyway!
Katrina

Hi,

I had a job interview this morning with a hiring house so to speak. This is my second interview in Germany so far (after sending 180 emails!). Its pissing me off big time. Im an young engineering from Ireland and it seems hopeless. I spoke in half german half english (my german is basic but getting better). When they say I will contact you shortly...does this mean this year or my next life..Got the same from the last and rang up but he is still deciding!!!

Any thoughts on the pit falls to avoid at interviews.

Regards

It can take more time to get feedback than in UK or Ireland because they also have to run all 'new hires' in front of the Betriebsrat to get their OK.

I guess you mean the unions...Know all about them...

Thanks for post

I think things take a bit longer here. With my job, the first I knew I had it was when the contract arrived in the post about three weeks after the interview. They didn't seem to think to bother to tell I actually had the job or enquire if I still wanted it.

Well no, the betriebsrat is not the union, not quite. Its sort of half-way between. You can have a betriebsrat whether you have a union in the company (or rather, people working at the company belonging to a union or not). I think it represents the staff, but not directly connected with the union!

Its true that it takes longer on the whole, at least with larger companies to get hiring decisions in Germany, that is usual. Smaller companies may (or may not) move faster.

People also have to give longer periods of notice here, at least once they have been working in a company for more than a few years. One colleague from Germany once asked me about a job interview in UK, he wanted to explain to them that he would take the job, if offered, in 3 months time - this being the amount of notice he would first have to work through at his present job in Germany. I replied, they won`t wait that long, they`ll simply give the job to someone else!

When my wife started her current job they were pleasant surprised that she could start with only 3 weeks notice, they said they've waited up to 6 months from some people to start!

3 Months is the notice required by my firm, this is mainly because they expect it to take that long to recruite a new worker. (Last time it took 2 days!)

I was working in Ireland up until last June. I applied for a job by email in March or April. They replied the next day saying that they would be in touch. The following week they said they would pay for my flights and accommodation to come over for an interview. My German is not great so they held the interview for me in English. Like they said to you, they would get back to me soon. The interview was on a Wednesday, received an email the Friday of the following week saying that I had the job. The slowest part was sorting out the contract, really left it very tight for me. Didn't want to hand in my notice to my old job until everything was signed and dotted but I had already agreed a starting date for the new job. I had planed on taking a few weeks off between jobs as it turned out I quit my old job on a Thursday and had to move everything over to Germany to start the new job on the Monday, was a crazy weekend.

The same situation in a different case. I am german and I am working in london now because of the bad job situation in Germany.

Today I have had a job interview in London for a job in the headquarter in Germany.

That means: After 150 applications in Germany I will get a job in Germany after I had an interview with a british guy. Whats wrong in this world?

But you are right. I think the application proces is much better than in Germany. I wish it would be the same

Hi, everyone. I am new to this site, but I've already found lots of interesting and helpful topics here.

I will have an interview in a Germany company later this month. I am currently an international student in a US college for an advanced degree. I have no experience with the Germany company cultures. So my biggest question for the interview is where I shall pay special attention to, such as behavior, manner, attitude, something-must-say and something-must-not-say.

Any comments are welcome! Thank you!

Topics merged by admin

Now that we have the spelling sorted, let's start dishing out advice.
Do not expect to be on a first name basis and "du" with your co-workers.
Do not use anybody's special coffee/tea mug.
Always clean up after yourself, Germans are freaks for cleanliness.
Find out which Tuesdays and Thursdays are public holidays this year and apply for the Monday or Friday off as soon as you qualify for vacation time.
Learn to say "Mahlzeit!" any time between 11am and 2pm.
When co-workers invite you to join them for a drink after work for a birthday or other you will be paying your own way (unless the host specifically offer to pay for your drink).
If anyone has a title (Dr.), use it when speaking to him/her. Germans love titles.
Cultivate fondness for office plants, they are sacrosanct.
If an office party or outing to the Oktoberfest turns wild, forget it by the next day. What happens at the Fest stays at the Fest.

As indicated in her post she's going for an interview and is seeking advice for that particular occasion; she doesn't have the job yet.

P.S. Please feel free to delete my post if you find it inappropriate.

I am going one step further and assuming that she gets the job
Be relaxed. Make sure you understood and can pronounce the names of the people interviewing you. Use their titles. Do not volunteer information, wait for their questions.
Good luck.

Thank you for your advice!

I have zero knowledge about the German language currently. Hopefully, it won't be an issue.

It will be, it will be.

You state your location as "North America". Do you mean you intend to work for a German company in the US, or in Germany? It obviously makes a big big difference! The industry, the size of the company, and its degree of "internationalization" also make a difference.

I have an up coming interview with a German company, i still live in the UK and obviously looking to move to Munich and have an interview, was just wondering about the etiquette of a formal interview over in Germany and the differences i could or might expect, what to say/what not to say etc?

Thanks in advance.

Topics merged by admin

If it is done in English, you should know that German's like to give new meanings to English words. For example, a novel gene and a unique gene do not have the same meaning goddammit.

There are exceptions to the rule. When I joined the German subsidairy of a large compter
manufacturer it was "du" and first names from the start. Even the country manager was
"Fritz" (name changed) although he was addressed "Sie". Local management was/is "du"

When I went for interview I said I had a UK-style CV & they said "here with it". They had
pretty well decided before the interview...

One thing - whereas in UK job applications / interviews they are interested
in your pastimes/activities (sport=hes fit; private pilot counts for a lot;
glider pilot means hes always crying out of the window if weather is good),
in Germany they generally are not interested.

Disclaimer: This is a rant about headhunters in Germany. Job searching TTers take precaution, don't let the headhunters fool you!!!

My bf's little brother is looking to work in Germany. He is a smart kid, and has great academic record and considerable work experience. So he flew over here and he sent out his resumes to German HHs. It seems like these HHs do not really have any work to offer but simply invite their candidates to have them in their portfolios. So the other day he says to me, the HH organized an interview for me at XYZ Brokerage. When he said that I was shocked cause XYZ Brokerage went bankrupt half a year ago!. I showed him the news displayed on the internet about this company. He wrote an email to the HH telling him that this company does not exist anymore and asking him more info on what kind of a position is being offered. The HHs has not been reachable since. This is pure fraud as far as I am concerned!!!

I had an interview last Thursday and was told I had the job on Friday and start next Monday. Contracts all signed, second apartment now rented (I'm in Darmstadt but working near Stuttgart.) To put it bluntly, an interview in Germany is a piece of p*ss, I've never been turned down yet. I've never put my photo on my CV, I've never put anything about education, diplomas, etc on it nor taken them to the interview. I've never taken my diplomas (don't have any anyway) to an interview nor my CV as they already have a copy. I've worn black suits to interviews and casual suits as well. I've even got jobs with just a telephone interview. I think people just make it hard on themselves.

I see, so you send your prospective employers a bunch of blank pages to apply for a job?
But seriously, I think what you are telling us is valid for entry level positions and not for senior or executive positions.

Nope, CV is approximately 6 pages long with where I have worked as in my game (and possibly age) an employer is more concerned with what you know. I remember some years back at an interview they kept asking me what I had studied and where I had studied to know so much. I kept trying to point out that I left school at 17 and worked my goolies off and learnt on the job. I now have a better job than the people trying to interview me. I have only worked senior positions for the last 6 years (I presume IT consultant with 6 figure salary is senior enough )

Ohhh, okay, in Germany there is a lack of IT specialists so this is why you are getting so much attention from the employers and headhunters. A six figure salary is entry level salary for Junior Quants and Junior Hedge Fund Traders.

Really, having worked at a number of banks in FFM, I've never met a junior getting that much, in fact:

First of all sweetheart, I am not referring to a regular junior trader who works for the institutional desk in a bank, but I am talking about a junior trader that works in a hedge fund. If you would make the effort to read more than few Google quotes, you would have discovered that most hedge funds in Germany are orchestrated out of London, Switzerland, and New York. The one I am working for has their main office in Switzerland. Thus they pay according to the standards in those countries.


From How hedge funds, traders, and Big Oil are really driving gas prices.Slick operators.
By Nelson D. Schwartz and Jon Birger, FORTUNE
May 18, 2006

The "Vault Career Guide to Hedge Funds" lists Junior Traders with a typical income between $50K to $70K (as of 2004), plus commission.

We are in 2007, the Vault Career Guide in from 2004 and the article is from 2006. You mean bonus. Traders don't take commissions brokers do.

Since this discussion now has nothing to do with interviews, I wonder whether it could be split to a different thread. Suggested title: "Feeling defensive? Lacking class? Boast about your position and salary here."