I the Uk I used to employ a large range of european language guys who answered technical questions across the continent. Some of them started knowing little English as their training info was in their language of choice but they were all together in my head office so we could keep them tight and providing good quality info maybe that would help

Thanks you all guys!

I think I will come over and have a try!

I also understand about logos' misgivings and I am sure that taking a German course would be vital...

Also, I am pretty sure who contacted me was NOT a pimp since both companies were global. The point was just that their marketing/communication was 100% developed in English, that's why. But I went there for an interview and I wouldn't describe them as pimps.

Talk soon and take care ;-)

Julian

Marketing, PR, Advertising agencies are mostly based in Düsseldorf and Hamburg, Frankfurt would rank second to both. Berlin or Munich usually have just subsidiaries of those firms.
Due to the high percentage of non-German speaking professionals in either Düsseldorf, Frankfurt or Hamburg (and I am not talking about the Turkish grocer at the next street corner), you will get along with English just fine.

Whether or not basic or advanced knowledge of German is required will depend only on the actual job description.

It is not uncommon that the working language in a multinational firm is English. Actually, that is pretty much the norm, especially in those fields mentioned above. Also when a multinational based here does the marketing for the whole region (i.e. Europe) or even beyond for the whole EMEA cluster.

And if you get homesick, you still have RAI on cable

>25 year old guy from Italy
>graduated in marketing
>finding an entry-level position
>I cannot speak German
wants to be paid for his work

Everybody will be waiting for him whith this job description, right. How about introducing some reality first.

Carax, it won't be easy, but it's not impossible either. I suggest you forget - for the moment anyway - about working in a "cool" location and focus on getting a job with a company that offers opportunities to grow or that will be a good launchpad for a job with another company.
Many large employers offer traineeships for grads. You spend a couple of years learning different aspects of the company rotating in an out of teams. Of course, it's expected that you will stick around for a while if the company wants you because they have invested considerable time and resources in your development.
For example, there's a marketing comms/social media traineeship at Philips in Eindhoven: check their global careers site. Nobody is ever going to call Eindhoven the most exciting city in Europe, but it's a university town and Philips is a good company with global recognition. Do a search for similar jobs in other large global corporations and something might turn up.

A few personal words of advice: Put everything you have into every (online) application with these companies. Even if you're not the right fit for a particular job, you could catch the reviewer's attention and go into their hmmmm... file for other jobs. That's what happened to me. People like logos told me I didn't have a chance with the European company I now work for (American, over 45, no passport from an EU country, didn't speak the local language well) - but I went all out in the application process and here I am, several years into what many people in my field of any age would call a dream job.
Temper YOUR dream with a dose of reality, but don't let the dream die. And good luck!

logos..
OP said that recruiters from two "global companies" have approached HIM with a job offer.
You still seem to think that OP was browing thru Süddeutsche Zeitung online looking for a job.
If you think that are no jobs of any level in Germany where German language skills are not important then you are a bit out of sync with 21st century reality LOL.

Whether or not those existing offers are serious will probably show the interviews OP already has scheduled.

Cowboy..
Let me tell you how it works. Those recruiters are the pimps, they don't work for those companies at all. They are independent or work for a third company. They'll apporach anybody, even if they have no offers. It's absurd to believe any "bigger company" would take someone with that job qualification (and pay him money) (entry level...), that can't find a job at home. Be reasonable, those things don't happen.

perhaps Julian will be kind enough to come back and tell us how he got on.

Thanks guys,

I have carefully read all you suggestions which look really interesting. Cowboy, good to know, especially if RAI will broadcast soccer

I agree with FoFoBT, location shouldn't be a top priority that's why I am focussing on several possible towns which are unnecessarily the most exciting or well-known.

I will surely update you regarding how things will work for me. What Logos seems not to understand is that I WAS working here in my hometown but Italy is going through a terrible recession, that's why is kind of hard to get a proper job and I chose to move away. Second, the German recruiters I was in touch with where HR department of multinational companies, not 'independent'...I agree with all those who say that no knowledge of German might be an hurdle even though the operating language is often English but I cannot understand logos' point though I respect it.

I mean, I don't think that a Master graduate who worked in a multinational company (3M) as Junior Product Manager for one year and able to speak three languages has no skill....

Let's see I was just perring the Internet and I found several ops which seem to match closely, will update you anyway

Thanks again

Julian

Do post how the story continues here. Master graduate doesn't mean a thing. 3 languages at minimum are expected, they are not as asset on you side, it's just the standard. German should be one of those three. Make sure the boys are actually are from the company they claim to be. (This is not the common way and VERY unlikely). And most important:

Why did you leave after only one year. Did you not perform well? Alarm bells ringing! If you weren't good engouh for them, why would you expect to be good enough for us?

If you answer, oh well, it's the economy or if you even mention to anybody that you were asking in a forum frequented mostly by US tourists, you are out. You don't need to convince those tourists or me. Save this for the interview should it actually happen.

Of course they WERE, I had been to their office........

I had actually to leave since 3M Italy for its local policy decided not to renew all temporary contracts so me and other colleagues are now unemployed. Do you think is that uncommon my friend?!?! Ask to other Italians how things work here and then you will have the whole picture but now I realize you really live on Mars...

Convince? I am not expecting to convince anyone, again, you haven't understood much. I just started askind for information as I wanted to hear from someone who experienced how is living in Germany, and it looks so clear to me that I am not expecting to find 'a dream world' just wanted to have an overview of ups and downs.

After having chatted with you guys I am definitely positive on my job search, despite someone seems not to know much about the ongoing reality...

US tourists and many who are currently living in Germany, as you can see.....

See Julian, a temp employee like so many of the others in Germany. Welcome to the new economy as a Praktikant .
The questions that come from HR (or the pimp) will be just like those I asked. You'll respond in an aggessive way, instead of thinking about them. Why not, instead of dreaming about where you want to live, develop a strategy how to impress HR?

No, YOU are aggressive my friend. Reality is that, unfortunately, nowadays many employees have no chance to follow up in their position and I can tell you that in my country salaries are getting worse and worse...HR are not pimps in most cases and they're well-aware that discharges may happen despite one's performances.

I have not the dream to live in Germany, I had the dream to live in Australia where I completed a Master and where today it is hard to obtain PR (like the US Green Card). I have carefully thought on a suitable place to grow up porfessionally, and I think Germany/ Holland are the countries which would be best for my purposes.

Regarding 'strategies for impressing PR', don't worry I have many things to say about and that's obviously a part of the process but has nothing to do with my starting question.

Anyway I thank you as well for indicating your own opinions but I am relieved by seeing you are the only one to be that negative...

look at it this way, Julian, if you can cope with logos's negativity, you can probably cope with anything!

good luck!

Yes Annhig, agree

Logos seems to know everything: he knows that the employers who contacted me where pimps, he know that I didn't perform well in my job, he knows I have no skills and so on...

That's why I am a bit shocked. He may be also negative, it would be fine, but any opinion should be motivated by giving reasons why getting a job may be difficult...In the third post Alec manifested some misgivings about my position as being a non-German speaker but he motivated his doubts. This something I can't see in Logos which looks 'omniscient', don't even know if this is the proper word

Julian, the only point is to be realistic.
>in my country salaries are getting worse and worse
Your expected salary in Germany will be lower than in Italy, my friend, Germany tops everything whith its declining salaries for the last 10 years. A 30% advantage in productivity over Italy for Germany comes from our declining wages.
A Master dregree from Australia is worthless in Germany.
I may be the only realistic person you meet here, but that comes from experience. If you have what it needs, Australia would be the place. Germany it is not.

Well, talking to many German friends I haven't found this true: I was told their salary was slightly better than the one I had...

A Master degree is a Master degree, some comapnies just evaluata local qualifications whilst other consider foreign ones too, surely it is not worthless as it is not in Italy.

Australia is not part of the EU, this is the highest barrier for people to work permanently, trust me

Mainhattengirl

Don't know why but I had the same vibe....

Anyway I will be more than happy to keep discussing about this topic if anyone is keen but I am sick of shooting back to users trolling around...

As your German friend I can tell you that salaries are lousy for entrance level people. I trust you that Australia is not part of the EU, but finding permanent work in Germany is just as difficult as in Italy for young folks like you. A Master degree from Australia in your field.. If you were an engineer, that would have been good.