Search for jobs in Berlin and Brandenburg

text by: Jenny Radeiski

Berlin and the surrounded fedral state Brandenburg have much to offer. While the state of Brandenburg attracts more and more families with natural parks, forests, waterways and affordable housing, Berlin is one of the most popular cities in the world. The capital fascinates with its diverse culture, multicultural food, unusual flea markets, crowded parties in old industrial halls and, above all, the life style of Berlin. In terms of quality of life, Berlin and the federal state of Brandenburg are simply at the forefront; more and more people are moving there. Most likely, you are also interested in living there or maybe even found a suitable apartment. A first important step has been taken. Now you may be looking for the right job. Today I have for you some tips on how to get a job in Berlin.

Job market: Best opportunities for service sector

Anyone who is looking for a job in the capital can be hopeful because Berlin is becoming an own job metropolis. Nowhere else in Germany leads to as many people finding a job. The reason for this is that the service sector is booming. In growing sectors such as trade, transport, hospitality, information and communication, more and more people are finding jobs. Berlin also offers more and more jobs in public service, health care and education.

Lack of job specialist in Berlin and Brandenburg

If you are well-trained, you have the best opportunities in Berlin and Brandenburg, because the capital and the surrounding region urgently need well educated people. By 2020, the number of job vacancies is expected to be 362,000, and by 2030 even to 460,000, according to the Berlin-Brandenburg study. Particularly many new jobs are created, for example, in the areas of media, information and communication technology, care and health, transport systems engineering and environmental and energy technology.

How to find a job in Berlin

There are a lot of job websites for Berlin and the surrounding area. You should already know exactly what you are looking for, then you will surely find the right one. Here is a small selection of links where you can search online: Berlin.de; berliner-jobmarkt.de or jobsinberlin.de. Also, newspapers and to use the social network as Facebook or LinkedIn is popular to find a job. It is also common to contact the company you are interested in directly. The competition does not sleep in Berlin and sometimes it can be challenging to get attention for your application. So, do not be shy and show yourself openly, creatively and also interested by taking initiative.

Showed initiative pays off

Soft skills weigh just as much as expertise. Unfortunately these are not indicated on any master degree or certificate. Applicants must show action instead of grades. In general Germany is a country with strong competition and it is normal to face this, especially in job applications. Companies are always looking for motivated employees who are doing their best at work. Self-initiative is high rated on the agenda and this also applies to job search. It is worthwhile to show own initiatives by using, e.g. in companies you are interested in, a first contact by telephone and iform yourself about job possibilities. Personally I got all my jobs in Berlin through initiative and not just a job also what I would like to do, but also a good social network as friends or former colleges help. So, you can directly send an initiative application to companies of your interest. However, I recommend to call before, so you get the right contact person. In contrast to Sweden, the first contact is better by telephone than by email in Germany. Also, likely as in Sweden, most of the jobs can be found directly on the company websites. Beside the jobcenter (in German Agentur für Arbeit) is also a good starting point for orientation on the Berlin labor market in terms of advice.

pic by http://www.wiwo.de (last access on 2017-10-10)

Application style in Germany

Whether you are applying on a job advertisement or take self-initiative, the German language is also crucial. Thus, English is accepted at international companies, but in general should be written in German if not otherwise required. So I recommend you, show not only interest in the job itself but also in German language and culture. The curriculum vitae and the cover letter is a bit different to the Swedish application style. You can also find German application templates in the world wide web. In any case, it is crucial to know exactly what you want and to communicate in the most direct way. Then you will be successful with your job search. I wish you all good luck in finding the job you want!

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