In one of her recent Expatica columns, Cultural Clues, Hilly van Swol-Ulbrich answered questions from readers about the opportunities for working in Germany. It generated a whole series of queries about the German job market, which she sets out to answer in her latest column.

Dear job seekers:

Did I take the lid off something when I wrote about looking for work in Germany (How to find a job in Germany)?

The many responses and questions you have put to me on working in Germany have generated this column on job seeking. Nonetheless, do revisit our first contribution on this subject and see this column as essentially an add-on.

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Ashaki wrote:

I am currently studying to become a nurse in the United States and would love to move to Germany once I have completed my BSN. What sort of opportunities can I expect in Germany with my degree? How would I go about getting a work visa and how long would it last? Is it difficult to make such a transition to work overseas?

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Dear Ashaki,

Here are some additional resources which address all the specifics of working abroad as a nurse and which you will find useful:

www.nursingabroad.net; and for visa questions: www.permitsfoundation.com

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Michael wrote:

I am a 55-year-old IT consultant who is interested in relocating to Germany. I would like to find out whether there is better than a remote possibility of being hired. I have been to Germany several times and have no illusion of the obstacles that may await me. I have been independently learning German as well as taking classes. Please when you have the opportunity, let me know your advice on the matter.

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Dear Michael,

Do you want to have good news or the bad news first? Well, let’s start with the bad news: the IT branch has taken a big dip after the big hype. But here is the good news: it appears to be on the road to recovery as we heard during the kick-off to the Munich conference for IT specialist this autumn (www.systems-world.de). Here you will also find benchmark information on remuneration.

More good news: the extreme shortage of IT specialists in Germany has prompted the German government to introduce a US-style green card scheme for IT specialists. Although originally targeted towards Indian IT specialists, this initiative is open to all nationalities.

Other resources which might be worthwhile consulting are:

• www.netexpat.com
• www.partnerjob.com
• www.cg-services.com
• www.career-in-your-suitecase.com

Good luck to you all, and remember: “Ohne Fleiß kein Preis” (no pain, no gain).

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Send a question to
Hilly van Swol-Ulbrich

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Hilly van Swol-Ulbrich is managing partner of CONSULTus. Her website is WWW.Consultus.net. She reserves the right to decide which questions she considers relevant for her column. She will, however, not answer any questions dealing with tax or legal matters.

For more information about Hilly, read Across cultural barriers