also they say that immigration offices are understaffed … that is probably true but it’s also a lack of modernization and streamlining of processes.
one example – i submitted all my documents for application online but they were not reviewed until i was there in person… 6 months later.
How real is said gap? I see experts talking about it constantly on tv and in the papers – And at the same time know plenty of folks that’ve been job seeking for ages. Particularly in tech word on the street is that there are a lot of hiring freezes.
Even in fields like medicine – Is the “shortage” of doctors and nurses something unique to Germany? Do other countries like France and Switzerland have much higher numbers doctor to patient ratios?
If we’re being objective- part of the reason for this narrative is big business/ Insurance looking to save costs, because newcomers are more willing to take lower pay, and at times don’t even get paid if still in the process of getting their certifications recognised here.
Hospitals lack nurses, schools need teachers, and the IT sector is crying out for developers.
Very funny. I couldn’t find a Senior Data Scientist job in Berlin for 6 months, and I already live here. In the end I found a job in a company founded in Belgium.
But wait, there is more. My wife applied for a residences permit prolongation 8 months ago. Then she applied 2 more times. Still no answer.
There are a lot of reasons why there seems to be a mismatch, but I’ll only speak to my experience.
Granted I hold German citizenship through my parents, but I was born abroad and speak C1 German, so I’m at an advantage to immigrants coming here. I have a Bachelor’s degree and have had it recognized as a German equivalent, and my field of work is in Cybersecurity with 9 years of experience working for Fortune 500 companies.
With that said, I was routinely rejected for countless different jobs shortly after submitting my application documents. That included a German Lebenslauf written in German suited to the German style, each firm got a cover letter tailored to match my experience and professional certifications to their requirements, as well having my Lebenslauf reviewed by 2 different firms specializing in getting people hired.
Where I am from, it is not expected to find someone who will check off every requirement for a position. As I was a manager who has been a part of the hiring process for my own teams as well as adjacent teams, I would look for certain things in a resume and let the first interview be where I could learn if a candidate was bullshitting or not. I was rejected for a cybersecurity role because I only had 9 years of experience, instead of the 10 years required in the job listing. The recruiter I was working with was quite puzzled as to why they would not budge on the experience piece given I was a perfect match everywhere else. They are still looking to fill this role 7 months after I was rejected.
Secondly, the hiring process is incredibly drawn out, takes way too long, and overly complicated. When I finally received an offer, I reached out to the 3 other companies where I was still a candidate in the pipeline to let them know I have accepted an offer. 2 wrote back letting me know of their disappointment in my decision and that I was a top candidate. If that was the case, then why not offer me the position?
Then there is the economic pressures that Germany is experiencing. Germans are very risk adverse. Given that there is not a clear sign of future revenue or growth for some companies, they may not want to risk hiring anyone who may not be the perfect fit since it is rather difficult to terminate employment and they will be stuck with the new hire.
In all of my years in the workforce, this has been the strangest job market I have ever seen. Companies are using AI to filter out candidates who are using AI to match their CV to the role requirements. There are tools out there that will help candidates mass apply to any role based on keywords and hiring teams are bombarded with trying to sift through everything. Add in German risk avoidance and strict requirements, you end up with what folks are experiencing today. I talked with a server who was a pharmacist in her home country. She can’t get any work and has resorted to working at a restaurant because every other simple job requires an Ausbildung and I’m hoping her luck changes soon.
tl;dr shits fucked yo.
> Hospitals lack nurses, schools need teachers, and the IT sector is crying out for developers.
That is definitely not true for developers, and the DW should know better.
6 comments
Doctors and nurses yes, everything else NO
Migration hurdles – YES, very bureaucratic
no, the authors at dw made it all up! /s
also they say that immigration offices are understaffed … that is probably true but it’s also a lack of modernization and streamlining of processes.
one example – i submitted all my documents for application online but they were not reviewed until i was there in person… 6 months later.
How real is said gap? I see experts talking about it constantly on tv and in the papers – And at the same time know plenty of folks that’ve been job seeking for ages. Particularly in tech word on the street is that there are a lot of hiring freezes.
Even in fields like medicine – Is the “shortage” of doctors and nurses something unique to Germany? Do other countries like France and Switzerland have much higher numbers doctor to patient ratios?
If we’re being objective- part of the reason for this narrative is big business/ Insurance looking to save costs, because newcomers are more willing to take lower pay, and at times don’t even get paid if still in the process of getting their certifications recognised here.
Hospitals lack nurses, schools need teachers, and the IT sector is crying out for developers.
Very funny. I couldn’t find a Senior Data Scientist job in Berlin for 6 months, and I already live here. In the end I found a job in a company founded in Belgium.
But wait, there is more. My wife applied for a residences permit prolongation 8 months ago. Then she applied 2 more times. Still no answer.
There are a lot of reasons why there seems to be a mismatch, but I’ll only speak to my experience.
Granted I hold German citizenship through my parents, but I was born abroad and speak C1 German, so I’m at an advantage to immigrants coming here. I have a Bachelor’s degree and have had it recognized as a German equivalent, and my field of work is in Cybersecurity with 9 years of experience working for Fortune 500 companies.
With that said, I was routinely rejected for countless different jobs shortly after submitting my application documents. That included a German Lebenslauf written in German suited to the German style, each firm got a cover letter tailored to match my experience and professional certifications to their requirements, as well having my Lebenslauf reviewed by 2 different firms specializing in getting people hired.
Where I am from, it is not expected to find someone who will check off every requirement for a position. As I was a manager who has been a part of the hiring process for my own teams as well as adjacent teams, I would look for certain things in a resume and let the first interview be where I could learn if a candidate was bullshitting or not. I was rejected for a cybersecurity role because I only had 9 years of experience, instead of the 10 years required in the job listing. The recruiter I was working with was quite puzzled as to why they would not budge on the experience piece given I was a perfect match everywhere else. They are still looking to fill this role 7 months after I was rejected.
Secondly, the hiring process is incredibly drawn out, takes way too long, and overly complicated. When I finally received an offer, I reached out to the 3 other companies where I was still a candidate in the pipeline to let them know I have accepted an offer. 2 wrote back letting me know of their disappointment in my decision and that I was a top candidate. If that was the case, then why not offer me the position?
Then there is the economic pressures that Germany is experiencing. Germans are very risk adverse. Given that there is not a clear sign of future revenue or growth for some companies, they may not want to risk hiring anyone who may not be the perfect fit since it is rather difficult to terminate employment and they will be stuck with the new hire.
In all of my years in the workforce, this has been the strangest job market I have ever seen. Companies are using AI to filter out candidates who are using AI to match their CV to the role requirements. There are tools out there that will help candidates mass apply to any role based on keywords and hiring teams are bombarded with trying to sift through everything. Add in German risk avoidance and strict requirements, you end up with what folks are experiencing today. I talked with a server who was a pharmacist in her home country. She can’t get any work and has resorted to working at a restaurant because every other simple job requires an Ausbildung and I’m hoping her luck changes soon.
tl;dr shits fucked yo.
> Hospitals lack nurses, schools need teachers, and the IT sector is crying out for developers.
That is definitely not true for developers, and the DW should know better.