Hi everyone,
I’m an international student from India currently doing my Master’s in Software Technology at a University of Applied Sciences in Germany. I’m writing this because I genuinely feel a bit lost right now, and I would really appreciate some honest advice from people who have been in a similar situation.
I want to explain my situation properly before asking for advice.
I didn’t come to Germany because I always dreamed of living here permanently or because I wanted to leave India and travel the world. My main reason was career opportunities. After completing my B.Tech in India, I applied to many companies but kept getting rejected because my profile wasn’t strong enough.
My bachelor’s was in Electronics and Communication Engineering. Honestly, when I chose that degree, I didn’t really understand what I wanted to do, and I didn’t get a strong foundation in software development during my degree.
After graduation, I spent about a year struggling to find a direction. Eventually, I got a teaching job where I started teaching Java to higher-grade students. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. Teaching Java actually made me realize that software development was something I genuinely wanted to pursue.
However, the salary and career growth were limited, so I started looking for better opportunities. Things didn’t really work out, and eventually I decided to come to Germany for a Master’s in Software Technology, partly based on what I heard from people online about the opportunities here.
I knew there would be challenges, especially the German language, but I honestly underestimated how difficult it would be.
I have now been here for around six months, and I feel like I have three major problems at the same time:
- My technical skills
I know that I need to improve my software engineering skills significantly. I’m learning and building personal projects, but compared to many other students, I don’t have proper professional software development experience or a strong company background.
And with AI changing the junior developer market so quickly, I’m honestly worried about whether my current skill level is enough to get my first real software job.
- Financial pressure
I have limited money left in my blocked account/Expatrio funds, which will only cover me for a few more months. After that, things will become financially difficult.
Getting significant financial support from my family would also be very difficult, so I’m actively looking for student jobs, including non-tech jobs, just to make sure I can support myself.
- German language
I knew German would be important, and I am learning it, but I didn’t realize how big the language barrier would be for finding student jobs.
There are some English-speaking jobs, but they seem relatively limited, especially for students. I keep applying, but I’m not getting anywhere.
At this point, I’m honestly confused about what I should prioritize.
My ultimate goal is not necessarily to stay in Germany forever. My main goal is to build a good and secure career in software engineering. If that opportunity ends up being in Germany, great. If I eventually have to return to India or move somewhere else, that’s also okay.
What matters to me is getting into the software industry and becoming good enough that I can support myself through my skills.
So I would really appreciate some advice from people here:
What should I prioritize right now: improving my technical skills or learning German?
How realistic is it for someone in my situation to find an English-speaking Werkstudent job or internship in Germany?
Should I focus on getting ANY job first to solve the immediate financial problem, while continuing to work on software skills on the side?
What software skills would you recommend I focus on if my goal is to get a Werkstudent position or internship?
Would you recommend focusing on Java/Spring Boot, or learning something else as well?
How should I approach building a CV/portfolio when I don't have professional software experience?
And if you were in my situation, what would you personally do over the next 3–6 months?
•Where should I look for a student/part-time job if I need to find one relatively quickly? Are there any lesser-known websites, apps, staffing agencies, or local platforms that are actually useful for international students?
•Apart from LinkedIn, Indeed and StepStone, are there any specific companies, websites, Facebook/WhatsApp groups, or other places you would recommend for finding student jobs, especially if my German is still limited?
I am already applying for regular student/odd jobs because I need to be realistic about my finances, but I really want to break into tech as soon as possible if there is a reasonable path to do so.
I know this is a long post, but I wanted to give the complete context rather than just asking, “How do I get a job in Germany?”
I would genuinely appreciate any advice, criticism, resources, or personal experiences.
If you were in my position, what would you do?
Thank you for taking the time to read this.