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South Africans in Germany

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Working in Germany

It is important to have your CV or Resume in the correct format. In Germany the prefer a Resume for job applications.

  • CV –  a full history of your academic credentials and details the whole course of your career. Your research experience, rewards, publications and memberships can be included
  • Resume – a one or two page document listing the key facts of your professional experience, education and skills. The emphasis is on skills

[wpfa5s icon=”fa-hand-o-right”] Tips:

  • You always apply in the language of the job posting, so if the job is advertised in German, your application should be in German as well.
  • No longer than two pages
  • Include a professional looking photo
  • Adjust your emphasis depending on the job requirements – do not elaborate about your financial background if you apply for a programming job. Keep it relevant to the role
  • Triple check for spelling and grammar mistakes (you can use a tool like Grammarly)
  • At a minimum you should list your profile, personal information, education, works experience, skill set, certifications and language abilities
  • Your hobbies and personal interests do not belong on a German resume
  • Profile – a short description or introduction about yourself, your skills, experience and qualifications – again keep it relevant to the role. Almost like an elevator pitch
  • Personal information – Include your first and last name, nationality, date of birth, contact information and a photo. You could also add your marital status.

Resume Formats

Documents to attach to your application:

  • Cover letter
  • Resume
  • Testimonials
  • Proof of education if asked

Vocabulary

CV / ResumeDer Lebenslauf
Cover LetterDas Anschreiben
TestimonialDas Zeugnis
RecognitionDie Anerkennung
InterviewDas Bewerbungsgespräch / Vorstellungsgespräch
Study curriculumDas Studium
DegreeDer Abschluss
e.g Bachelor Degree is Der Bachelorabschluss

Translators listed on our website

Birgit Böttner – Sworn Translator

Based in Johannesburg South Africa. I’m a qualified sworn translator for English & German, registered with the German Consulate in Pretoria Trained in Germany in

Linguistika

A Multifaceted Language Service founded by Stephanie Schaffrath TAILORED ONLINE LANGUAGE TUITION: With over 12 years of experience teaching languages, Linguistika is committed to providing

Helge Mayer translations services

Based in Germany. Helge Mayer (MA) – accredited/sworn translations German to English and English to German Masters Degree in Translations from the University of Heidelberg

Related content

Career coaching

Career coaching or counselling is professional advice and support to help you manage your education and career. This could be in the form of workshops,

Networking

In todays connected world it is important to manage your online professional identity. Many companies find potential staff via professional networks like LinkedIn, and they

Career coaching or counselling is professional advice and support to help you manage your education and career. This could be in the form of workshops, webinars and one on one sessions.

We had a webinar with Yvonne Brockaus, who is a career coach with working experience in South Africa. You can find a transcript of the questions and answers in the following file: Career webinar with Yvonne Brockhaus

Yvonne is also listed on our website, and will gladly assist if you have any further questions.

Yvonne Brockhaus – Career Coach

Trainerin HR Interim Karrierebegleiterin Your International HR and Career Support with 15 years experience in 5 countries After having worked for the German Southern African Chamber of Commerce in Jozi, I frequently prepare German Expats and their families for their move to South Africa. And once in a while South Africans  on how to come to Germany and find work for themselves and especially their spouses – since as a once accompanying spouse myself and HR Manager helping the WHOLE family put down roots here is my desire.

Other sources on the internet

Podcasts

Wendy Burne, from Hype Woman, shared this podcast with us with some tips on getting hired

Related content

Curriculum Vitae and Resume

It is important to have your CV or Resume in the correct format. In Germany the prefer a Resume for job applications. CV –  a

Networking

In todays connected world it is important to manage your online professional identity. Many companies find potential staff via professional networks like LinkedIn, and they

In todays connected world it is important to manage your online professional identity. Many companies find potential staff via professional networks like LinkedIn, and they may also view your profile before interviewing you.

It is important to make a good impression so give some thought to the following:

  • Choose a professional profile picture
  • Add a background photo that shows your interest
  • Use your summary as an “Elevator pitch”
  • Don’t use to many buzzwords
  • List your relevant skills
  • Join relevant groups and engage in dialog and discussions
  • Ask for endorsements by colleagues
  • Share relevant content to your feed, that is how many people notice you
  • Follow relevant public figures

The following Professional Networks are used in Germany:

  • LinkedIn
  • Xing – This site is favoured by German companies, if possible do your profile in German

If you are interested in working for a specific company, follow them on their professional networks as well as social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
This will enable you to engage better in your interview. Most German interviewers expect you to know about their company history, mission and values
Interview tip– Always have some questions prepared to ask during the interview.

The following Social Insurances are payable in Germany when you are a full-time employee or trainee:

  • Krankenvesicherung / Medical Insurance
  • Plegeversicherung / Long Term care insurance. Nursing or home care
  • Rentenversicherung / Pension insurance
  • Unfallversicherung / Accident insurance – Should you become ill due to your profession you will be supported by the statutory accident insurance scheme. This will, for example, continue to pay your wages.
    It also assumes the cost for a further training course (retraining) should you no longer be able to work in your original profession.
    And it also pays pensions to widows and orphans.
    The contributions to this insurance will be paid by the company for which you work.
  • Arbeitslosenversicherung / Unemployment insurance – If you have a position with a company that is subject to social insurance contributions you are automatically insured against unemployment. Should you become unemployed you will receive support from your employment agencies and job centres. The Arbeitsagentur will help you look for work. They also offer you financial support to cover your living costs should you fulfil the conditions for this.
    You can find more information concerning Unemployment Benefit and Supplementary Unemployment Benefit II (Arbeitslosengeld und Arbeitslosengeld II here – available only in German).

You can download a very informative e-book from the Deutsche Rentenvesicherung. This is available in German only.

Additional Information

  • You should receive a Sozialversicherungsausweis / Social Security card.   – Your social security number will be on this card. – As an employee, you need a social security card. With this, you can prove to your employer, among other things, that you are a member of the statutory social security system. You receive your number the first time you start employment and register for social insurance.
    Karrierebibel explains, “If the employer knows that the new employee is taking on a job for the first time, they register them with the health insurance company or the mini job centre. You will then apply for your social security card from the German Pension Insurance. The Deutsche Rentenversicherung will send you the ID.”
    You can also read more from the AOK
  • You will get a yearly Meldebescheinigung zur Sozialversicherung / Social Security certificate from your employer. This certificate contains your gross salary for the previous year that is subject to contributions. The information is relevant for calculating your pension, and you should keep your copies until at least your retirement date.

How to apply for your Social Security number

Your Social Security number is used as identification for health insurance (public), pension, long-term care, and unemployment insurance. 
You can get this number in different ways, depending on your situation.

  • Public Health Insurance – You receive your number automatically when you first sign-up for public health insurance in Germany. If you are on private health insurance, you need to request it manually at your local Rentenversicherung office.
  • Employer – your employer might offer to apply for a social security number for you through their payroll system
  • The German Pension Office – You can personally contact the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, either online or by visiting their offices 
  • Your Insurance Broker – As your broker for assistance

You need to supply your employer with this number. 
Your social security card (Sozialversicherungsausweis) is a very important document which you must keep safe. You will also need it when applying for social benefits e.g unemployment benefits

Format

Your Sozialversicherungsnummer has the following format: 12 123456 A 123.

  • The first 2 digits are the area number of the office that registered you
  • The next 6 numbers are your birthdate
  • The Letter is the first letter of your surname
  • The last 3 numbers are used to differentiate you from people with the same name and birthdate
Detailed information on the GRV Website(in German)

References and info on the web

Related content

Income Tax / Lohnsteuer

We receive a lot of questions about income tax declarations and where to get help, especially getting help in English.First I have to state that

Pension

Homepage of the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Information about the German state pension scheme can be found on their homepage for foreign languages. The German site has a lot more information.

Medical

Health insurance is mandatory for everyone visiting or living in Germany.When living in Germany you can either take our private (privaten Kran­ken­ver­si­che­rung – PKV) or

We receive a lot of questions about income tax declarations and where to get help, especially getting help in English.
First I have to state that we are not tax consultants and by German law are not allowed to give any tax advice. You can read more about it here, the article is German but can be easily translated.
Basically your immediate family can assist you with your taxes, see the article, but if there is no family relationship you are not allowed to assist someone. You are not allowed to help with your friend’s tax return. This also includes a partner if you are not engaged or married.
See more from Steuertipps,

Some of the options available to you are:

  • Get a Tax advisor. In Germany they are called der Steuerberater
  • Get help from a Lohnsteuerhilfeverein (  A wage tax aid association is a self-help institution run by employees for employees to provide assistance in wage tax matters and in special income tax assessment cases (Section 13 StBerG). They were created in 1964 at the instigation of the trade unions. The aim of the legislature is to ensure that employees can receive tax advice at reasonable costs regardless of their income.) To find one in your area you can search online or on this website. You can specify your language as well e.g Englisch or English
  • Do it yourself. You might want to consider using software or apps. The tax rules in Germany are extremely complicated especially when both partners are working and you have kids.
    These rules also changes yearly so make sure that if you use software, it is up to date

Where to get more information:

Some basic information

The German Tax year runs from January to December and you can submit your tax return between 1 January and 31 July the following year.
Lohnsteuer and Einkommensteuer – They differ by the method of collection. Lohnsteuer is collected at source and paid directly to the Finanzamt (tax office) by the employer while the individual must pay Einkommensteuer himself.
There are 6 German Income Tax Classes “Lohnsteuerklasse”. You can find the list here.
South Africa uses a Residence base tax system and Germany a Source base system.
To get a basic idea of your taxes you can use a Wage tax calculator from SteuerGo
ELSTER (Elektronische Steuererklärung) – For online tax submissions. You need to register for a free account. The application is currently only in German

How and where do I register for Tax

As an employee, you will receive your tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer), Format: 12 345 678 901, when you register at the Bürgerampt and Auländerbehorde.  This is like an Identity number and you will keep it for life. Children born in Germany receive their tax ID at birth.

As a freelancer or company, you must register for a tax number (Steuernummer), Format: 12/345/67890 or 3012034567890, that you use on your Invoices.
This number is related to your place of residence and if you move to a new town you will need to apply for a new number. Application is done at the Finanzamt.

You also apply for a VAT number (Umsatzsteuer-Id), Format: DE123456789,  at the Finanzamt.

How to Berlin has an excellent article about registering for tax

Double Taxation Treaty between South Africa and Germany

Double Taxation Treaty between South Africa and Germany

Resources on the web

Finding a tax advisor

The following organisations were suggested by members of our FB group, we are not affiliated with any of these organisations.

Bayern

  • Lohi Lohnsteuerhilfe Bayern e.V.
  • ISAR E.V. Lohnsteuerhilfeverein
  • KSW Legal

English speaking tax advisors

Apps and software