I can’t hear it anymore.

You have to excuse me, but this question “How difficult is it to find a job in Germany” is a very naïve one.

Or rather, it’s a question from a person who hasn’t bothered to think about the answer. If you feel it’s an ok-question, well, then it’s probably just me being German 😊 or a career guide who’s already too long in the business.

There are even more questions of the same kind, like “How long does it take to find a job?”, “How likely is it to find a suitable job?” or “What percentage of foreign applicants are hired each year in Germany?” Questions like these make me feel like being a wise oracle who’s supposed to know the only true answer. (I’m not, by the way).

Be careful when you look up answers to these questions on social media or the forums etc. There are many so-called experts who have all sorts of motivation or weird mindsets when they present their answers.

So, how do you get a reliable answer to these questions?

Only one: Find out by yourself.

I’m not trying to muzzle you with that answer. I just think it’s so HUGELY important that you learn to come to your own conclusions. And I’m here to help. Yes, you can use the JobAd-Investigator to learn and get independent of all the so-called experts, know-it-all fellow students, or nagging spouses who want you to behave in a certain way.

If you don’t know me yet, read about the JobAd-Investigator and my own experience with it this report is from my personal challenge to investigate the HR job market here.

Check the market

Of course, getting a job has a lot to do with education and skills. And the domain is relevant as well. So, in computer science, it’s much easier to find a job instead of marketing or controlling. But it’s not that simple. Job searching has many dimensions, and there is no simple answer. Also, it has a lot to do with the mechanism of supply and demand in the job market.

That’s why it really makes sense to take a look for yourself at what the current supply of jobs looks like, given your specific qualifications and your very individual experience.

On the LinkedIn, Indeed, and Stepstone job boards, for example, you’ll find a huge number of job offers to start your “investigator work”.

Read and analyze the job advertisements

Try to search systematically for 4 weeks in your target area and analyze the job ads. Depending on your goal, take it easy and just take a quick glance at the job ads or you excel in a thorough analysis. That’s up to your own motivation.

The good thing is, that your time and energy invested are being rewarded. Because you will grow and an expert in the German job market in one small piece of the whole cake. YOUR SPECIFIC job market.

Playful Learning

You’ll discover new aspects that employers and recruiters usually try to hide. You’ll learn to look behind the facade of the recruiting-marketing terms and soon you notice when a company is only trying to show off and boast like Mr. T. 😊

I’ve heard from clients of mine that they’ve grown very sensitive to their data privacy in this process. They stopped this ‘stripping naked in terms of their private data and get themselves naked” regarding their personal data. They’ve stopped providing each and every recruiter with their private data like CV, email, birth date, and all personal certificates.

Landing a job is a skill to be learned

To tell you truth, though: Landing a job has a lot to do with how well you know your job market and the requirements. On the other hand, you need to demonstrate how you can benefit a company to get invited for an interview.

So, despite the odds, you need to make sure you communicate your profile effectively. It all comes down to a convincing answer to the question “Why should we hire you?”

The Next Step

Take the time you need. Find out what your job market looks like.

Use the JobAd-Investigator, put on your investigator’s hat, and keep on reading and deciphering job ads. You’ll learn quickly if you do it on a consistent basis, it’s just a matter of time and you cannot fail.

Once you have an idea of what jobs are out there and you might stumble across vacancies you really like. Then get ready with your writing communication, that means work on your CV and profile to convince HR and employer that you’re a good fit.

If you want support on how to incorporate all your talents, strengths, and skills into a CV in the German style, I’m there for you. Send me an email if you need my feedback as a German recruiter AND career guide in one person or apply for a Mini-Coaching.

Wish you all the best and please, stay on your game!

Nicola