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6 Burning Tips from female internationals looking for a successful career in Berlin or Germany
Immigration to a new country can be challenging, especially when it comes to reinventing your career in another place where the language and customs are different. However, many women coming from different parts of the world have managed to overcome these barriers and find job opportunities or entrepreneurship in Berlin or other parts of Germany. Here are some first-hand tips if you are looking for a successful career after your arrival in Germany.
Make use of supportive initiatives and create a network:
Identify Your Strengths and Transferable Skills:
Review your previous work experience and highlight the skills and strengths that are transferable to your new career in Berlin or Germany. Often, there are skills and knowledge acquired in previous jobs that are highly valued in any professional context, regardless of the language. Make use of these skills and focus on how you can integrate them in your new career aspirations.
In order to complement your personal analysis, there are also some online exames available which can help you in compelting your new career profiel. For example there exists thefree online tests “Big five” in English and it does not take a lot of time anyway: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test .
It can also help if you ask your loved ones or people who know you well where they see your strengths.
Or if you want to have a deeper and more personalized analysis, hire a career coach who has specific tools to detect your strengths and transferable skills.
All this can help you to know better how to adapt your profile in order to find a job or to start your own business here in Germany.
Get to know the offers and possibilities of the German labor market:
The next step to reinvent your career in a new country is to understand the local labor market. It is possible to do research in order to understand the trends, demands and opportunities in Berlin and Germany. Through their experience and expertise, you will be able to identify promising areas and develop effective strategies to make the most out of them.
Berlin is a multicultural city and a center of innovation, with many companies and organizations operating in an international environment. Look for job opportunities in international industries such as technology, tourism, culture and design, where English or other foreign languages are widely used. This can make it easier to enter the job market.
Another Advice is that in Germany there is also an apprenticeship (“Ausbildung”), it is worth knowing what offers there are that can match your strengths. Sometimes it happens that foreign university degrees are recognized as an “Ausbildung”. In this case, there are sometimes companies, for example in the public sector, that are looking for bilingual personnel. This can offer you a great opportunity to enter the job market here.
If you still feel insecure or do not know where to find information about the opportunities offered by the labor market with your diplomas in order to get a great career here in Germany, I recommend you to contact a career coach who has extensive knowledge. I can tell you that I could already help several international women with a couple of sessions detecting how their university diploma is recognized here and what kind of industries are looking for candidates with these skills.
Explore entrepreneurship opportunities:
If you have the ambition to start your own business, Germany and especially Berlin is THE Place to do it. There are several public organizations offering consultancy and workshops on how to set up a business in Germany, from creating a business plan to navigating the tax and legal system. You will get key information about the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and learn how to take advantage of available support and funding networks.
If you want more personalized support, it is worth investing a little money in the development of your business and hiring an entrepreneurship coach. If you are registered as jobseeker, ask the govenrment for a free AVGS Coaching voucher.
Make us of online platforms for jobs and entrepreneurship:
The internet offers a wide range of platforms and websites dedicated to job searching and entrepreneurship. Explore employment portals in Berlin or Germany, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, or Xing, where you can find job offers tailored to your skills and experience. Additionally, consider launching your own business through online platforms that give important information to entrepreneurs, such as grüenderplattform.de (information only in german) or the booklet from the chamber of commerce (in english: https://www.ihk.de/berlin/english/en/s-987416/starting-a-business-in-berlin/getting-started-3298302
Embrace Continuous Learning and Adaptability:
Reinventing your career in a new country requires a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability. Stay updated on industry trends and advancements, enroll in relevant courses or certifications, and be open to acquiring new skills that can enhance your professional prospects. Embracing lifelong learning will not only improve your employability but also boost your confidence in navigating the job market or entrepreneurship scene in Berlin or Germany. There are online courses from LinkedIn Learning but also face-to-face and/or online courses from the organizations mentioned additional document. I personally did several courses with the mentioned organisations and with some of them I have now official cooperatoins for my business as career coach. Does this not sound incredible? Life is full of great suprises.
If you ask yourself now: Is it necessary to study the basics of German in order to develop my career or own business here?
While it is true that it is possible to find job opportunities or entrepreneurship without speaking German. I know and have coached several women living here in Berlin who have found a job in an international company working in English or owning their own business, while speaking German only at a very basic level. As Berlin is so international, this is possible. However, women from other parts of Germany tell me more often that it is necessary to learn at least the basics of the language. Learning the local language, at least at a basic level, will open more doors and allow you to interact more confidently in the public and work environment. So depending on your personal situation, it is more or less vital to invest time and effort in studying the language, either through formal courses, mobile applications (like babbel) or daily interactions with native speakers, for example the meetup platform offers free meetings (called “Sprachcafé”) in different cities in Germany where you can practice your speaking skills with natives.
Reinventing your career as a female international professional in Berlin and Germany may require effort, perseverance, and a willingness to adapt, as well as a positive attitude. Remember to seek support, then with the right guidance, you can get back your confidence, and step by step reinvent a (different) career according to your full potential. Female internationals sharing with you here their most important tips such as me can tell you: when you finally achieve your professional and / or entrepreneurial goals, it makes you feel very powerful and independent where you might start to change the image you have about yourself, being finally that confident woman with a career fitting your full potential in a completely different country.