₦airaland Forum

smile11s:
well written.

https://gist.am/question/as-a-nigerian-a-true-life-story-of-my-first-major-job-interview-in-germany

Thanks for sharing it on Gist Am. It's my first time of seeing the platform. I appreciate your help.

Kaiair:
I rather end up in canada than in germany...for me it's easier to learn french than other language...una wey dey japa dey try sha

I think German is easier than French. Also, Germany offers way more opportunities for international students than Canada.
I made a video sometime last year when I highlighted some of these opportunities. You can watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is6UGUfpflw
Feel free to connect.

EkelediliBuhari:
Mine was a shocker....

i studies maths in school. Happy to scale through and get to real life.... only to meet a Dr. in Mathematics at the interview pannel and this was a marketing Job.

Nigga started asking me questions from my Project... Greenfield theory and shit... dang... well i got the Job after 7 months of waiting for another interview...

Lol! True story.
You could never be too prepared.
I think at the end of the day, you are hired mainly for your attitude and not necessarily your certificate or grades. The latter are good, but not what comes first.
Happy you got the job.
Feel free to connect if you plan to move to Germany and continue your career.
https://setlinn.com/members/wohks/

optimusprime2:
Moral of the story, in Germany, "Talk the German Talk, do the German do's and walk the German walk"... if done correctly, you get the German job

100%
Have you had a similar experience?

monkmike:
Sure, always happy to help.
Here’s my group that I manage on SETLINN, a social media platform that provides information and connects people to study, work and live abroad. I share regular insights and experience there, plus guide people who are interested in migrating.
https://setlinn.com/groups/da-lounge/
I think it'd be best to connect there.

Thanks so MUCH !

monkmike:
Okay. So, nursing or working as a nurse in Germany works a bit differently - first and foremost, to practice nursing, medicine, pharmacy or core fields like that which require very close interactions with the locals (native people), a level of German language proficiency is always required. So, just keep this at the back of your mind.
Health Care Management or related courses can be done completely in English language, especially at the Masters level. So, I can honestly tell you that with your Business Management degree, you can easily secure an admission to study Health Care Management or a related course.
Send me a DM on Setlinn and I will share some courses/universities with you, so you can look up their requirements.
https://setlinn.com/members/wohks/profile/
That’s the link to my profile

I tried signing up but it kept on showing Nonce error. Iv written to them again and complained and no response yet.

Dukeolumidemans:
I tried signing up but it kept on showing Nonce error. Iv written to them again and complained and no response yet.

Sorry about your experience. Some people who had similar experience wrote to contact@setlinn.com and the issue was resolved. Maybe email them your username or email address that you used for the registration.

monkmike:
Sorry about your experience. Some people who had similar experience wrote to contact@setlinn.com and the issue was resolved. Maybe email them your username or email address that you used for the registration.

I have done that twice

monkmike:
You can study in TUM or any other part of Germany without German proficiency, especially at the Master's level. In courses where German language is required at the Master level, it may only be up to A2, which is, in my opinion, easy to attain.

Learning German was easy for me; I had the interest and practised as much as possible using all the means exposed to me - neighbours at home, colleagues mini-job, listening to radio stations, watching German TV shows and movies, tandem classes and practising on my own. The secret is simply PRACTICE!

Munich vs Berlin; this depends on your field of study or career path. Munich offers more soft works than Berlin. You will find more of Software/IT companies in Munich, and the state generally pays higher than Berlin. However, accommodation and other living costs are quite higher in Munich compared to Berlin.

Berlin, on the other hand, has all types of jobs, including Software/IT, and the cost of living is relatively cheaper. Also, Berlin is way more multi-cultural and international than Munich.

So, in the end, it really depends on you and what you are looking for.

Feel free to connect with me on Setlinn, where I share regular insights and experience about Germany, plus guide people who are interested in migrating.
https://setlinn.com/groups/da-lounge/

Thanks a lot bro, when the time comes i think i`d just pick universities in both cities and whichever works out is where i head to

BrodaAgbaya:
Thanks a lot bro, when the time comes i think i`d just pick universities in both cities and whichever works out is where i head to

Sounds good. I am always available if you need anything.

pquaver:
Do fast and come...
I went to futo studied elect elect.
Came to Germany did Ausbildung in German as Gesundheit und krankenpfleger and when I finished I applied for BSc in TU Darmstadt in Elektrotechnik studied it in German and when I finished did my MSc in TU Hamburg Harburg.. I was able to be working with my Ausbildung in hospital in Dauernachtschicht and go to school for my BSc and MSc today I do not regret I bit this decision... Ich wünsche dir alles Gute und viel Erfolg in deinem Werdegang...

How were you able to do Ausbildung, when you don't speak German? Or did you learn German in Nigeria before coming? How many years did all this take you?

monkmike:
That was me 4 years ago – after landing my first major job in Germany. And in no time I was travelling around Europe..... until the next opportunity came.... and then next, and the next....

I look fresh there, it was about a year after my postgraduate studies (M.Sc. Infection Biology, University of Lübeck). When I received the invite to the interview, I was super excited; positive, enthusiastic, confident……… and all optimistic feelings you can think about. I have had interviews before then, but they were all virtual, this was going to be the first physical interview.

You must have heard/read that you can work in Germany without the German language; that's true, so read on.

The job post was in English; Company’s website: in English; no option to even change it to German or other languages. My job application was sent in English; First feedback to the application sent in English; Invitation to interview was sent by the company in English! Wow! What more could I ask for? Although I could speak some German then, but having a job interview in English was way much better for me.

I could not ask for more – on top of the above, the offer was in Munich – one of the highest paying cities in Germany. Even if you will probably spend most of it on house rent and perhaps groceries, Munich is a beautiful city to leave in, so it’d all be good anyway.

I was so sure of getting the job and was already making accommodation plans. I prepared in the best ways possible – at least, I thought and rehearsed my speeches and possible answers to potential questions a million times. Since the interview would be in English (logically it should), I was confident in myself – actually, I was overconfident.

Anyways, just in case I had to talk to someone at the reception, I pocketed precisely enough German to get me across to the interview room (I thought to myself… lol ?). Well, things started changing slowly when I arrived a bit too early – 20 minutes before the time and was informed (by one of the interviewers, in German), to go and hang around for a while and come back just shortly before the interview time: Welcome to Germany – the land of precision! Being late is not accepted, coming too early praised is neither accepted.

I came back right in time as was asked to. To show good manners, I exchanged greetings with the interviewers (two of them) in German, hoping that’d be it (my pocketed German was already running out!!??). The first interviewer proceeded to introduce himself, and then the second, and then I did – all in German. And I thought to myself, ‘when will the real interview begin?’

The real interview continued as the first person started describing the company. I had to interrupt, to ask if the language of the interview is German: ‘Oh yes, it is. Didn’t you know that?’ He asked. I was like, ‘no! I did not expect it at all………’ I explained how every step so far in the application process was in English until now. The first tension in the meeting ensued – I was caught off guard and I started sweating in my nice suit! Lol, ? I laugh about it today, but not then.

To cut a long story short, we had some arguments on which language to interview in. Of course, they understood my points but wouldn’t accept it since it is a German company and most of the colleagues in the laboratory are native German speakers – there was hardly a chance that I would work in English. I should have thought about that earlier. In the end, we had a compromise – the interview was conducted in Denglisch! Heard that before?

That experience taught me that, you could never be over-prepared for anything. When you are taken by surprise and feel disappointed, let it be a lesson that’d propel you to the next level. I learned my lessons that day and sent all subsequent applications in German ONLY – thanks to the good friends that supported me then. If the communication turned out to be in English, that’s several pluses for me!

Amongst other things to learn, I sure did learn the following:

Be open to changes and if one way does not work, try another
You could never be too prepared – look deeper than the logical procedures
Prepare for the worst. If things go all Gucci, then you can call it luck!
Join an active study abroad community, ask questions and make meaningful contributions.
Keep expanding your network of professional friends, especially those abroad; you need them for their experience.

What experience have you had attending job interviews abroad?

Or do you have questions on how to prepare for a job interview abroad?

Share your thoughts/questions.

This has been my state for the past 6months in search of a job. My German proficiency in my pocket is not even enough to pass reception point�. I am studying to improve it anyways.

GeepyEnsemble:
How were you able to do Ausbildung, when you don't speak German? Or did you learn German in Nigeria before coming? How many years did all this take you?

Did you see me say I don't speak German? I speak read and write German fluently..

GeepyEnsemble:
How were you able to do Ausbildung, when you don't speak German? Or did you learn German in Nigeria before coming? How many years did all this take you?

Did you see me say I don't speak German? I speak read and write German fluently.. I learn German from my secondary school days. So I just prepare myself for Zertifikat Deutsch c1.. After that getting my results.. I left for Deutschland. Ausbildung took 3years

GeepyEnsemble:
How were you able to do Ausbildung, when you don't speak German? Or did you learn German in Nigeria before coming? How many years did all this take you?

You will have to learn German up to at least B1 level from Nigeria before moving to Germany. The German language proficiency is a prerequisite for Ausbildung in Germany. I am planing to do some videos with Nigerians in Germany who are currently still doing their Ausbildung.

Here is a recent guide that you should read: https://setlinn.com/apply-for-ausbildung-in-germany/

You may also connect with the writer on Setlinn for more information.

If you'd like to, you can join my group as well: https://setlinn.com/groups/da-lounge/

GeepyEnsemble:
This has been my state for the past 6months in search of a job. My German proficiency in my pocket is not even enough to pass reception point�. I am studying to improve it anyways.

Lol
Don't worry, it will happen soon.

I offer free consultation about how jobs in Germany. You can join my upcoming session.

Here is my group that I manage on Setlinn to coordinate language practice and job applications: https://setlinn.com/groups/da-lounge/

Feel free to connect and let us relate.

pquaver:
Did you see me say I don't speak German? I speak read and write German fluently.. I learn German from my secondary school days. So I just prepare myself for Zertifikat Deutsch c1.. After that getting my results.. I left for Deutschland. Ausbildung took 3years

We should link up and make a video. I'll like to cover your story, and I have been doing with many people.

monkmike:
We should link up and make a video. I'll like to cover your story, and I have been doing with many people.

Srry I am not the camera type bro.. I don't like the lights.. Hook up OK but nothing else I like my stuff in Hintergrund.

pquaver:
Srry I am not the camera type bro.. I don't like the lights.. Hook up OK but nothing else I like my stuff in Hintergrund.

Alles klar. Kein Problem. Hook Up können wir auch gerne machen

monkmike:
Alles klar. Kein Problem. Hook Up können wir auch gerne machen

Klar.. Ich wohne in Hamburg und auch arbeite dort. Wo befindest du dich momentan?

pquaver:
Klar.. Ich wohne in Hamburg und auch arbeite dort. Wo befindest du dich momentan?

Ich wohne jetzt in Berlin, aber hatte vor fünf Jahren in Lübeck studiert. Also, ich kenne Hamburg sehr gut

Bist du auf Setlinn? Vielleicht können wir uns dort mal vernetzen. Hier, den Link zu meinem Profil: https://setlinn.com/members/wohks/

Ich freue mich, dich auf die anderen Seiten zu sehen