Who’s Hiring? English Speaking Jobs in Berlin after Corona

After the Corona crisis, many companies are beginning to hire again. And if you were worrying about unemployment instead of practicing your German, you are in luck! There are still many companies hiring for English speaking jobs in Berlin.

Times have certainly been tough. The past four months have seen record unemployment, layoffs, reduced hours and few government subsidies to the industries hit hardest by the global coronavirus pandemic. The Berlin job market during Corona shrunk and in April 2020 the unemployment rate in Germany jumped up to 13.2 per cent.  In the wake of a global pandemic, many are wondering where their next paycheck will come from. Especially expats and internationals who require contracts to continue their visas.

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay 

Fix up your CV

The good news is that there are still lots of companies hiring for various positions. So the first step you need to do is fix up your CV!

This goes without saying but a new job, a new CV. Don’t be afraid to get creative either – did you learn how to play the guitar during lockdown? Did you start a blog or cook a new recipe every week? This shows initiative, ambition and an eagerness to learn new skills – qualities which are important to have for a new job and can help fill in the gaps of your unemployment for a potential employer. 

Pro Tip:  Use this CV review service to help tailor your CV for free to improve your CV.

English Speaking Jobs

While the job market is saturated with competition there is still hope – even if you haven’t quite mastered the German language yet. There are many industries in Berlin still hiring which offer English speaking positions.

Pro Tip: It is better to search directly through company websites. Smaller companies and startups many find it expensive to post on general job boards.  

Start with These

To start, check out these Berlin-based companies who often look for international employees. They even consider expertise in languages other than German or English an advantage.

The world’s largest chemical company BASF regularly posts job offers, especially the IT jobs do not always require profound German skills.

The online food-ordering service Delivery Hero Holding GmbH operates in 12 countries and is based in Berlin. They pride themselves in having an international startup atmosphere with English as a working language and offer jobs in IT, Operations, Marketing, Finance, and Content. 

The multinational ebay offers positions around Germany and in Berlin for careers in IT and Management as well as many working student positions.  

The Google office in Berlin has postings for Sales & Account Management, Marketing & Communication and more.

Finnish multinational Nokia offers positions for students and graduates as well as opportunities in IT and Project Management.

If you are missing the clubs in Berlin during the Corona closure, why not put your music knowledge and skills to the test by working with Soundcloud, or Deezer, the Berlin based streaming platform which is always looking for content creators, software developers, marketing and operations assistants. 

The fashion e-commerce company Zalando was founded in Germany in 2008 and has since spread across Europe but still has its headquarters in Berlin. They offer positions in fields such as IT, Marketing, Controlling, Design, etc.

Some other top expat employers in Berlin include:

Ada Health Healthcare app             Arvato Call center

Auto1.comTransport                        AWS Amazon E-commerce

Babbel Language app                     Bertelsmann Various

Blacklane Transport                        Booking.com Hotel platform

CareerFoundry Education               Contentful Content  

Finleap Fintech                                Getyourguide Tourism platform 

HelloFresh Meal delivery                 Honeypot Recruitment service

Houzz Online retail platform            Infarm Urban farming

Movinga Moving platform                N26 Online banking

Omio Travel platform                       Onefootball Football app

Orderbird POS system                    Raisin Finance

Sitel Call center                               Sixt Car rental

SmartFrog Tech                               Spark Networks Online dating  

Stoyo Advertising                             SumUp Payment solution

Sykes Call center                             Urban Sports Club Sport membership app

Vehiculum Car leasing platform       Wayfair Interior Decorating

Pro Tip: Whatever your level of German, even if it’s A1.1, put that on your CV.  If you are still learning German, try to learn one new sentence a day that is relevant to your job search!

Image by Igor Link from Pixabay 

Where to Search for Jobs 

An easy way to avoid getting lost in company websites and the constantly opened tabs on your computer, is to consult large job posting platforms. They are updated almost every day with new opportunities and great filters which allow you to choose the date of the job postings, keywords, and even the level of expertise required. 

The newly updated GLOBALS Jobs also has a number of job postings in tech, IT, and start-up positions.  

Linkedin jobs offers you an excellent filter system to find exactly what you are looking for. Try their premium account upgrade free for one month to access even more benefits like applicant insights, profile views, and direct personal connections. 

For Indeed.de alone, there are currently over 11 589 jobs in project management, HR, finance, business, customer service, product development and more available to apply to!

Glassdoor  offers jobs in English and other languages for Berlin-based companies and is less trafficked than the more popular sites such as Indeed which has been a staple for internationals looking for jobs since 2004.

Additionally, if your German isn’t terrible, it is worth searching through Monster and Xing which tend to be used more by German companies. 

Remember to Keep Applying!

It is frustrating not to hear back from potential employers, but don’t give up! These resources and tips will help you succeed when searching for a job post corona. Remember to keep your eyes and ears open to network as much as you can. Once events for international connections and job-seeking such as Club GLOBALS Welcome Day start up again be sure to attend and participate. It is not an easy job market out there but with the right tools and the proper preparation, there is a company out there looking just for you. 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Berlin in times of Coronavirus

Coronavirus in Germany

There have been almost 200,000 cases confirmed in Germany, which puts it on the 16th place by the number of infected patients in the World. With the first case of coronavirus infection in Berlin occurring on March 2, 2020. Since then 8655 cases have been confirmed, but the number of recovered patients exceeds the number of active cases, which gives us hope that very soon we’ll be back to normal. A good site to keep us informed about the monitoring of the virus is The Robert Koch Institute. Also, an app from the Federal Government could be useful. In order to determine, whether or not you had contact with an infected person, you can download the Coronavirus Warning App from App Store or Google Play for free.

Berlin walls down and lockdown

In Berlin so far, a slight, but already noticeable, revival of population activity is planned. This is due to the removal of the most stringent restrictive measures to fight the spread of the pandemic.

But at the same time, some requirements continue to be in force, agreed, and adopted by the governments of all federal states. Namely: the use of protective masks in public transport and in stores, as well as distancing and prescribed hygiene measures, are still mandatory for everyone.

It is quite clear that the process of eliminating restrictions is gradual. And it is carried out carefully, to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

Passengers of public transportation are still strictly checked for compliance with the rules of conduct (wearing safety masks) caused by the threat of a pandemic. And are charged with appropriate fines for violations. Well done BVG! do not be surprised to find this message in public transport: Gemeinsam gegen Corona: Abstand halten, Mund und Nase bedecken. For more information have a look at the public transport site: BVG Berlin.

Shops, Restaurants, and Concerts

But there is good news too. In all federal states of Germany Museums, Fitness Centers, Open Swimming Pools, Beaches, Restaurants, Bars and Shops are open, only Discos and Clubs remain closed.

Even the World-renowned club – Berghain will remain closed until the end of the year. But Berliners don’t lose their spirit. Some of them still find ways to party by gathering in the city’s parks under an open sky and dance their troubles away – of course, while still keeping the safe distance.

And for the most precautious people, many will keep in mind the option to get food, furniture, and more online. Many companies as Amazon.de, Dr.Pierre Ricaud, Ravensburger, and Bodfeld-Apotheke have been on-demand in the times we are living.

Image by Valentin Baciu from Pixabay

Flying to Berlin?

As for the people who want to visit Berlin, there are some restrictions. Citizens from most countries outside the European Union will have to stay in quarantine for two weeks. Whereas people arriving from EU countries are exempt from lockdown. In any case, you can start to check out and get some advice about your travel plans in CHECK24.de and Booking.

COVID-19 Second wave likelihood and holidays

German Minister of Health Jens Spahn warned the population of the likelihood of a second wave of COVID-19. The Minister believes that every responsible citizen should be cautious during the holidays.

So as long as there is no tested and safe cure for the virus, every person should remember to follow the simple rules of hygiene in order to protect their own as well as the loved ones’ health.