students of rwth aachen jana koehler, 21st september …

meetra

The German job market Keynote for international students of RWTH Aachen

Jana Koehler, 21st September 2021

meetra

meetrameetraJana Koehler• Co-founder of meetra• 8+ years experience in

consulting, IT project management and HR

• Formerly Siemens & Volkswagen

• Worked and lived in Germany, India, USA, Malaysia and Taiwan

Meet me on LinkedIn

2www.meetra-germany.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jana-koehler-027a66a3/

meetraThe German job market: Behind the scenes

• What employers in Germany are looking for

• 3 ways to start off your career as a student

• Early stage career planning for students

• Recruitment and application processes in Germany

• Where to look for jobs • Which application documents

are required

www.meetra-germany.com

meetraGermany is the no. 1 destination for highly skilled professionals in Europe

✔ Career opportunities: Highly skilled professionals are in great demand

✔ 72 % increase of skilled labor migration from non-EU in the last 5 years

✔ Great employee benefits, good social security and health system

✔ Excellent research facilities and education system

✔ Ranked among the world's top countries in terms of innovative capability

meetra


meetraGermany’s skill shortage will increase in the future

55 % of companies expect skill shortages in the future

370 % expected increase in demand for non-EU skilled workers

Expected demand of +260k skilled workers every year

Sources: BertelsmannStiftung 2021, FachkräftemigrationsmonitorBertelsmannStiftung 2019, Deutscher Arbeitsmarkt auf außereuropäische Zuwanderung angewiesenKOFA 2019, Informationen zum Fachkräftemangel

288 shortage professions in Germany

5

Crafts

IT & Software

Metalwork & Electronics

Healthcare


meetraThe German job market is slowly recovering from the pandemic

#askmeetra│www.meetra-germany.com

meetraThe German job market is slowly recovering from the pandemic

• Recruitment efforts on the upswing since August 2021

• Sectors with expected increase in demand:

• Electrical and electronics industries

• Manufacturers of machinery and equipment

• Logistics companies and IT service providers

• Biotech

• Higher flexibility, more (hybrid) remote work


meetraSTEM professions are in high demand

Source: KOFA calculations based on special analyses of the German Federal Employment Agency 2019.

Data scientists, natural scientists, geography (master's degree or higher)

Engineers (master’s degree or higher)


meetra

Small and medium sized companies account for 58 % of employees in Germany

1307 of the 2700 “hidden champions” worldwide are German Mittelstand companies.

meetraThe entry-level salary for graduates depends on their academic degree

Source: Stepstone 2020/21www.meetra-germany.com

meetra… and on their field of study

Source: Stepstone 2020/21www.meetra-germany.com

meetra

Key success factors to find a job as an international candidate:

Studying here offers a lot of opportunities to prepare for the job market

German language proficiency

Technical skills that are in demand

Soft skills & intercultural competencies

Proactive approach & early stage planning


meetraSoft skills and company-culture fit are very important for employers in Germany

Soft skills in demand

*Sources: LinkedIn 2020, Diese Kompetenzen sind 2020 gefragtLinkedIn 2017, Soft Skills dominieren die Berufswelt der Zukunft

Hard skills in demand

1. Blockchain2. Analytical thinking3. Business analysis4. Affiliate marketing5. Artificial intelligence6. Sales7. Foreign languages8. Industrial design9. Data science

10. Corporate communications

1. Ability to work in a team2. Time management3. Flexibility4. Creativity5. Emotional intelligence

57% of leaders in Germany say soft

skills are more important than

hard skills


meetraLearning German is worth it!

• Better job chances / More choice of jobs

• Safety and transparency: Better understanding of processes, contracts and regulations

• Prerequisite for some visa types

• Easier integration: German is still the main language in everyday life!

meetra

meetra

Teachers

Doctors, Dentists,Pharmacists

Nurses, PhysiotherapistsIT Sales, IT Security, program managers

Engineers (excl. IT)

Vocational professionals / Technicians with partial recognition

HospitalityERP consultants

Vocational professionals / Technicians

Software developers, Data scientists

System administrators,IT hardware technicians

German skills by profession

C2

C1

B2

B1

A2

A1

Mandatory Recommended


meetrameetra

1Internship

2 33 ways to enter the German job market while you are still studying

Write your thesis with a

company

Working student /

HiWi

meetra

Internship


meetrameetra

• Usually full-time internships (+/- 40hweek)

• 3-6 months

• Mandatory or voluntary• Mandatory 🡪 no remuneration required• Voluntary 🡪 minimum wage applicable if more than 3 months

Note: Many companies tend to remunerate their interns irrespective of legal requirements.

Benefits

• Professional orientation

• Show your skills to the company, for future employment

• Gain experience in your professional field

• Great opportunity for networking

1Internship


meetrameetra

2Working Student /

HiWi

• Applicable minimum wage of 9,60 €/h• Not more than 20h/week during the semester• More than 20 h/week allowed during the lecture-free period (max. 26

weeks or 182 calendar days in the course of 12 months)• Usually well-paid for a student job

Benefits• You don‘t have to take a semester off• Your earn money while studying• Great opportunity for networking• Show your skills to the company, for future employment• Gain experience in your professional field


meetrameetra

3Write your thesis with a

company

• Write your thesis about a topic that is of interest to a company

• Can be connected to an internship or working student job

• Some companies also offer them publicly + remunerate them with a bonus

Benefits

• You don‘t have to take a semester off

• Show your ability to translate scientific knowledge to make it useful to a company in their day-to-day business 🡪 practical application

• Show your skills to the company for future employment


meetra

Different work cultures, different expectations & standards

Recruitment in Germany:

• Graduates apply directly to companies, no campus recruitment

• Job ads are very particular

• Personalized applications are expected

• Communication tends to be very formal, recruiters stick to one communication channel

• Focus on quality, not quantity

• Keep in mind work permit requirements

• Be patient: Recruitment processes can take several weeks


meetraMost candidates in Germany find their job through personal referrals

Percentage of candidates who found their job through initial contact on this channel.

Source: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg 2020.

“My current job results from the first contact via this channel.”

22,4 % employee recommendations

10 % others0,6 % social

networking platforms0,8 % other social media channels

3,5 % career networks

4,3 % recruiting agency / headhunter

6,3 % company website

7 % print media

11,1 % Federal employment agency 15,3 % direct

approach by company

18,7 % online job portals

meetraThere are numerous (online) sources for your job search

• University job board & career services• University chairs that interest you• Career fairs & networks• Employer websites• General and specialized job boards• LinkedIn & Xing• Personal network

-> In the beginning, getting started is important!

Even a temporary job pays off on your experience. Check out our YouTube video or website for a list

of job boards!


meetraRecruitment processes vary depending on company policy and job level

Application

● One-click application● Upload of the

application to a database

● Online application form (manual or with document upload)

● Email

Screening

● Manual screening by a recruiter / staff member

● Automated CV screening and pre-selection

1-3 interview rounds

● First interview is often a pre-assessment with an HR person

● Follow-up interviews with supervisors, peers or team members

Negotiation & job offer

● Negotiation of salary level & benefits

● Binding job offer

Tests

● Job skills, personality, culture-fit or leadership tests

● Case studies● Assessment centres


meetraApplication documents in Germany follow specific formatting and standards

Cover letter AttachmentsCV


meetraApplication documents in Germany follow specific formatting and standards

Cover letter

1-2 pagesFully written text

Attachments

Relevant certificates & References

CV

1-2 pagesBullet points


meetraEarly stage career planning pays off

• Familiarize yourself with application standards in Germany and get your CV ready

• Create a professional profile on LinkedIn / Xing and follow employers you are interested in

• Connect with Alumni / professors / contacts who are already working in the field you are aiming at, ask for references

• Gather work experience in international projects or internships• Attend conferences, stay up to date with news, latest research in domains that

interest you• Join student associations or career networks

• Send out unsolicited applications (Initiativbewerbung)• Opportunities often arise unexpectedly through networks and experiences


meetrameetraHelpful tools

• Career tips: meetra YouTube and career blog• LinkedIn group for jobseekers:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/13635599/ • Cover letter and CV generator by Xing:

https://lebenslauf.com/• ATS resume checker: https://www.jobscan.co/ • Cost of living - comparison of cities in Germany:

https://www.stepstone.de/lebenshaltungskosten.html • Salary levels and employer ratings: Kununu and Glassdoor• Survey on entry-level salaries for graduates:

https://www.stepstone.de/wissen/einstiegsgehalt/ • Employment contracts: Overview of the most important

facts • Salary calculator: https://www.brutto-netto-rechner.info/


https://www.youtube.com/c/meetraGermany

https://www.meetra-germany.com/career/blog

https://www.linkedin.com/company/13635599/

https://lebenslauf.com/

https://www.jobscan.co/

https://www.stepstone.de/lebenshaltungskosten.html

https://www.kununu.com/

https://www.glassdoor.de/index.htm

https://www.stepstone.de/wissen/einstiegsgehalt/

https://www.meetra-germany.com/career/blog/employment-contracts

https://www.meetra-germany.com/career/blog/employment-contracts

https://www.brutto-netto-rechner.info/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEIpre-Q7DQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeKaZ73Y4vc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYFz_Etplnc&t=1s

students of rwth aachen jana koehler, 21st september …

Documents