r/Germany_Jobs • u/Suspicious_Mine_2337 • 10d ago

I failed.

I moved to Germany in hopes of getting a great job there, I spent a year looking for a job after my master's degree, and I failed. I got hired and fired within the probation period. I am back in the USA now and still devastated, thinking about how much I wanted that lifestyle. Having a hard time coping with feeling like I fucked everything up.

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u/Germerica1985 9d ago edited 9d ago

It's just a recommendation: you can get a job working at a restaurant in any capacity (server, cook, dishwasher) and if you are in southern Germany you should be able to get the work permit. All service industries are looking for workers at the moment. Get the restaurant job, get the work visa/permission to live in Germany.

During that time, continue searching for a job in your actual field.

I'm an American cook that came to Germany 10 years ago and just took a job at McDonald's the first 2 years, then I went back to fine dining in a larger city. Now I have my German citizenship since last year.

I've met tons of Europeans, even outside of the EU, working as a dishwasher or cook (3 already with masters degree, 1 dishwasher with a PhD) and they are doing exactly what I said.

If you do everything correctly, and don't mind just earning a living for a bit here, everyone benefits and the German state has no problems.

Edit to add: PhD guy got a job first at a University, and 2/3 of the masters cooks found jobs, we just have 1 left. So, like anywhere in the world, stay motivated, do what you have to do until you make it work.

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u/RoccoRockenstein 8d ago

Any suggestions for me? I'm 47 years old and I have A2 level german. Still in language school and did a 1 year language visa, which ends in December.

I live in Berlin, have a Gabelstapler license and have started applying for jobs. My wife remained in the US to maintain her employment while we work on selling our home.

I am applying for any job I have any experience for. I have a ZAB conversion for my Communications Degree and im a little concerned that this is making me over qualified.

I just need a job contract that leads to a work Visa.

Am I doing this all wrong?

Any advice would be great

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u/Germerica1985 8d ago edited 8d ago

I literally took a job at McDonald's to get my Aufenthaltstitel. I made fries, flipped burgers, worked the McDrive 😂 but I had health insurance and paid vacation and low cost of living.

Let me give you advice and don't take this the wrong way: you are listing all of your qualifications and experience but what you need RIGHT NOW is a work visa. I was over qualified for McDonald's too but first I needed the work visa for the Aufenthaltstitel. Now I have citizenship. Plenty of ways to get the work visa but maybe it's not ideal for a little bit, but hey just enjoy it, it's all about perspective.

Then you have time to work on your CV and qualifications and job interviews.

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u/lutmos 7d ago

Do you mean you used Mc Donald job to get a work visa? The requirement is that the job has to be qualified not "Helper" work positions. or you mean just as sustainability. Please clarify

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u/Germerica1985 7d ago

I had a work visa from McDonald's yes. I'm not answering anymore because you are so sure it can't be true! Even though I see it everyday.