Living and working in Germany

When we think of expats, traditionally we may think of British people moving to Spain and France but in fact, in 2021, there were over 168,000 British expats living in Germany. Here are a few reasons why we think living in Germany would be a fantastic experience:

 

There is a current unemployment rate of 2.9% in Germany - the lowest it has been in the last 40 years. This has created a skills shortage for mathematics, computing, natural sciences and technology. Last year Germany had nearly 2 million unfilled job vacancies. The life sciences sector remains strong in Germany and Quanta are supporting a number of high-profile clients including Bayer, Roche, GSK, Novartis, TEVA, Sanofi and more for almost 10 years.

With the strongest social market economy in Europe, Germany has a stable healthcare industry which drives the life sciences sector. There are over 8.1 million people employed in the healthcare sector, and it has been steadily growing at 3.8% annually over the last 11 years, meaning there are plenty of life sciences jobs available here.

 

The education system is free in Germany, even for internationals, from school right through to university. And the transport systems in Germany are extremely efficient and reasonably priced in comparison to most European cities. A monthly train pass will cost up to €49 covering regional rail, metro, trams, and buses - making it considerably cheaper than the UK. The beer is cheaper too; an imported bottled in the UK costs £3.75, while in Germany it will only set you back the equivalent of £2.85. But why drink imported beer when Germany is renowned for their locally brewed draught beer? The variety that you will find across the 16 federal states will blow your taste buds, from the light flavoured German Pilsners to the wheat-barley blended Weissbier. The Weissbier is one of the reasons for putting Bavarian on the map, another being Oktoberfest.

 

Oktoberfest has come to be a celebration of Bavarian culture but originated when the citizens of Munich were invited to celebrate the royal wedding between Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. 200 years on and it now attracts travellers from all over the globe dressed in their Lederhosen and Dirndls, coming to feast on käsespätzle (German pasta) and drink steins of Bavarian beer.

Germans are proud football supporters and any tournament match is shown at cafeterias and restaurants; even the municipalities put up big screens. This brings together the town as they sit and watch with their favourite beer and a German sausage. A lot of expats would say that their favourite thing about living in Germany is the food, which can be found in abundance at the Christmas markets all over the country. These festive events are a great celebration of German culture and an excuse to try the sweet and savoury treats

 

In Germany there is a club for every hobby. At Berlin’s largest public park, a former airport, you’ll find locals using the old runway for everything from roller skiing to recumbent cycling (cycling whilst lying down). If you fancy leaving the cities there are 20,000 castles to explore, some dating back to the 7th century. Germany has more public holidays than any other European country, giving you ample time to explore outside of the country. The land-locked country has nine countries that share its border so travelling to new lands via their reliable train system couldn’t be easier.

 

Old English has Germanic origins which is why English and German share many cognates - words which sound similar and have the same meaning. This can make it easier to learn than the Romance languages, and since there are 90 million native German speakers it would be a very useful language to have under your belt. Being bilingual is a valuable skill to have on your CV and could open many doors further in your career.

 

Are you interested in embarking on a career journey that could take you overseas on new adventures? At Quanta, we are committed to providing our candidates with a friendly and professional service, and helping them every step of the way with their relocation process. Find our latest job vacancies within the life sciences sector.