Career
From student job to Blue Card
A German degree is only half the plan. This is what working in Germany looks like during your studies, right after graduation and once you are on a full contract.
- Work days allowed per year
- 140
- Job-seeker permit
- 18 mo
- Blue Card threshold
- €48.3k
- To permanent residence
- 33 mo
Work days allowed per year
Job-seeker permit
Blue Card threshold
To permanent residence
Four stages of a German career
While you study
140 full or 280 half days per year. Werkstudent contracts pay €14–18/hour and count as relevant experience.
Internship & thesis
Pflichtpraktikum does not count against your working days. Many students write the thesis inside a company.
After graduation
An 18-month job-seeker residence permit lets you stay and work without restriction while searching.
Blue Card & settlement
From roughly €48,300 gross (€43,760 in shortage occupations) you qualify for the EU Blue Card.
Where the jobs are
An illustrative market snapshot for international graduates.
Engineering & automotive
Stuttgart, Munich, Wolfsburg
IT & software
Berlin, Hamburg, Karlsruhe
Health & care
Nationwide shortage occupation
German application standards
- One page, reverse chronological, no photo required but still common
- Tabellarischer Lebenslauf: dates in the left column, facts in the right
- Anschreiben (cover letter) is expected for almost every posting
- Certificates and transcripts attached as one PDF, certified if requested
- Zeugnis references from previous employers carry real weight
Typical entry salaries
- Werkstudent (per hour)
- €14 – €18
- Mandatory internship (monthly)
- €900 – €1,400
- Engineering graduate (yearly)
- €48,000 – €58,000
- IT graduate (yearly)
- €50,000 – €62,000
- Nursing graduate (yearly)
- €38,000 – €45,000
Career counselling with a mentor in Germany
CV and Anschreiben review, LinkedIn and Xing setup, interview rehearsal in German and English, plus salary expectations for your field.