Once you’ve finished your studies in Germany, you may decide you’d like to stay in the country longer and start looking for somewhere to work.
In this guide, we’ll take you through all of your options as a newly-graduated international student and let you know the steps to work in Germany after graduation. This will include how you can get a working visa in Germany if you need one.
Working in Germany after graduation
Table of Contents:
Can I stay & work in Germany when I complete my studies?
Yes. If you want to stay in Germany after you’ve graduated, you can.
You’re making a good decision to stay in Germany after your studies as we have the largest economy in Europe - so there’s no better place to start your career!
If you are from non-EU and non-EEA countries and currently hold a residence permit in Germany, you can apply to have it extended for a further 18 months, which should be enough time for you to find a job. During this time, you can also look for temporary jobs to earn money until you find something more permanent.
If you want to start preparing for employment, it’s time to start getting all of your documents (qualifications, residence permits, etc.) ready as you'll be asked to submit these during the interview process. You should also start working on your resume/CV that will showcase your skills, previous experience, and qualifications to prospective employers.
Here are 80 common job interview questions & answers
How do I find a job in Germany after graduating?
If you already know what company you want to work for, you can look for jobs directly on their website - most companies will have a ‘Careers’ or ‘Jobs’ section where new jobs will be posted.
You can also find jobs on online portals where lots of different companies will post positions they’re recruiting for. These portals are great because you can filter the results to only show positions that are relevant to the field you want to work in and your qualifications. Here are the most popular job portals in Germany:
If you’re studying with us at CBS, we also organise careers fairs on campus so our students can network directly with companies they may be interested in working for. We regularly invite experts from the business world to present their companies and tell their own success stories. First-hand. How often do you get the opportunity to meet a respected founder personality anyway? Career Events are there for you to broaden your horizons, get ideas for your own future and perhaps even find inspiration for a thesis.
In addition, we have our own job portal the CBS Career Center where you can directly apply for part-time and full-time positions in Germany andabroad. Our Career Service advises our students on which internships, companies, and departments at home or abroad best match their qualifications and career goals as well as when and how they should apply. We also assist our students in evaluating offers, optimizing application documents, and giving them plenty of tips to prepare for job interviews.
Check out 22 tips for living in Germany as an international student
How long does it take to find a job in Germany after graduation?
The time it takes to find a job in Germany will depend on your skills and qualifications, as well as how much demand there is for in your field at the time you’re applying.
Normally jobs like business, marketing, health care practitioners, engineers, and IT specialists are more in-demand, so if you’re applying to these roles you can expect to find a job quicker.
Even if you’re not applying for jobs in these fields, you shouldn’t need to worry too much. In Germany, we have an aging population so there are always plenty of companies looking for recent graduates to recruit.
Check out our undergraduate degrees
Check out our graduate degrees
How to increase your chances of getting a job in Germany?
If you want to make yourself more attractive to employers and get a job quicker as an international student, having a degree from a German university will help increase your chances of employment. If you’re looking to start a degree, you can take a look at the wide range of English-taught undergrad and graduate study programmes that we offer at CBS.
It also helps if you can speak some German. Even though there are many English-speaking jobs in Germany, having some German language skills will set you apart from other applicants and increase your chances of getting employed.
Here are some tips to learn German fast
At CBS we focus our study programmes around future employment for our students by integrating language classes into all courses, to help them improve their German skills by the time they graduate. We also integrate business projects where students experience working with big German companies.
We also have a great Career Service on campus that gives our students advice and support when trying to find a job.
Working in Germany after graduation for EU students
If you’re planning to get a job in Germany after graduation and you’re from the EU (or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), you don’t need to obtain a work permit in order to find employment.
You’ll be in the same situation as German graduates when it comes to employment, working conditions, and taxes.
Working in Germany after graduation for non-EU students
If you want to find employment in Germany after your graduation and you’re not from an EU country, you don’t need to worry as there are a few different options you can choose from.
Your next steps will depend on whether you have a job offer from a German company at the time of your graduation.
We’ll take you through all of the different routes that are open to you, depending on your situation.
Graduating without a job offer
If you don’t have a job offer when you graduate, but still want to stay in Germany, you’ll need to extend your German residence permit. You’ll be allowed to extend this for a maximum of 18 months from the date of your final exam, which should give you plenty of time to find a job.
During the 18 months, you can also work any other job you’d like to get you by until you’re able to find permanent employment in the field of your studies. Check out Prospects after graduation (make-it-in-germany.com) for further information.
Graduating with a job offer
Once you’ve been offered a job, with a minimum of a 1-year contract, you can apply for either an EU Blue Card, or a German residence permit.
What is the EU Blue Card?
The EU Blue Card is a work- and residence permit for international students and professionals from non-EU/EEA countries.
To be eligible for an EU Blue Card you will need a degree from a German university (or a foreign degree comparable to a German degree) and an employment contract with a company in Germany that pays at least €45,300 a year. In some fields that have a shortage of skilled workers, this may be €41,041 a year. Check out this site for further information: EU Blue Card (make-it-in-germany.com)
Seeking work in Germany after returning to your home country
If you’ve decided to go back home after graduation, you can still apply for jobs in Germany if you decide to come back. In this case, you can apply for a job seeker visa. Check out Visa for jobseekers (make-it-in-germany.com) for further information.
Check out all the reasons why Germany is the best place to study.
Conclusion
If you have any questions about your future in Germany after graduating, please get in touch with our international office, career service or schedule an appointment with one of our friendly student advisors.
Check out all the regulations about working as an international student in Germany
Looking for an internship? Check out our complete guide on internships in Germany
Learn more about German student visas
