Germany recognizing more foreign degrees

Last year, Germany recognized 36,400 professional degrees issued to individuals abroad — 20% more than in 2017, according to the latest government data published on Wednesday.

Nearly two-thirds of the foreign professionals who requested recognition of their qualifications and saw their applications approved were in the health care sector, according to the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis).

Within those, 7,200 medical degrees for doctors were either fully or partially approved, as well as 10,400 qualifications for nursing and other health care officials.

The other most-recognized professions included engineers and teachers.

Germany has been trying to boost the number of skilled workers in critical areas such as nursing, senior care and early childhood education — and has been implementing programs to make the professions more attractive for workers at home and abroad. Overall, employment levels are high in Germany, the president of the Berlin-based Economic Research Institute (DIW), Marcel Fratzscher, told DW.

Syria tops approval list

Syria topped the list of countries whose degrees and qualifications were approved, with Germany recognizing some 4,800 applications last year.

Bosnia and Herzegovina came in second with 3,000 approved qualifications, followed by Serbia with 2,100 and Poland with 2,000.

The number of applications with degrees from the Philippines more than doubled last year, up from 744 applications in 2017 to 1,605 in 2018.

Last year also saw a rise in the number of applications from abroad, according to the Education Ministry, with 5,958 people outside of Germany applying to get their degrees recognized, as opposed to 3,597 applicants in 2017.

Over 50% of the applications were submitted by women.

German Education Minister Anja Karliczek praised the rise in the number of recognized degrees, saying that the approval procedure helps both businesses and skilled workers.

“At the same time, it facilitates the rapid integration of immigrants into qualified employment and thereby strengthens Germany as a business hub,” Karliczek said in a statement.

When a foreign-issued degree or professional certificate is recognized, that enables the person to pursue a career in a regulated profession in Germany.

• A few simple tips tricks to improve any German job application

  DO: Only apply for realistic jobs

  Read the job description and make sure it is a match. If you are just leaving school don’t apply to be company CEO. But at the same time don’t sell yourself short. Companies are often overwhelmed with applications and initially spend at most five minutes with each candidate. If they don’t quickly see a match, your application will end up in the “No” pile.

• A few simple tips tricks to improve any German job application

  DON’T: Send incomplete application packages

  Make sure you include everything that is requested in the job announcement. Always have all of your paperwork ready to send that way you won’t go crazy searching for a lost piece of paper. You will most likely need a cover letter, CV, letters of reference, and pdf copies of school leaving certificates, university diplomas and other documents proving qualifications.

• A few simple tips tricks to improve any German job application

  DO: Try and stick to conventions

  Though creativity is often a good quality, there are some German conventions that you have to think about like including your birthdate, marital status — and most controversially — a headshot with your application. Photos have a long tradition in German CVs. It is no longer a requirement, but most HR professionals like to see one, if only to help them organize all applicants in their heads.

• A few simple tips tricks to improve any German job application

  DON’T: Send your application to anonymous

  Don’t address your application “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir, dear Madame.” Take the time to research the company and at least find the name of the human resources boss. It shows initiative and interest. Use the company’s website or networking sites like LinkedIn or XING to find who you are looking for. Also make sure to add the company address to your letter.

• A few simple tips tricks to improve any German job application

  DO: Use spell check

  This is something that recruiters cannot stress enough — use spell check! It is easy, free and takes no time at all. Some personnel departments see simple spelling errors as an automatic deal breaker. Others are a bit more understanding, but it makes a really bad impression, especially when other applicants have taken this extra (simple) step to assure quality.

• A few simple tips tricks to improve any German job application

  DON’T: Do it alone

  Ask others for help or advice, especially if you are not from Germany or a native speaker. Have them proofread what you are sending and be open for their ideas. Even if your CV is in English, your cover letter should probably be in German. Employers will most likely guess you had help, but they will also know you care enough to hand in the best application possible.

• A few simple tips tricks to improve any German job application

  DO: Keep it authentic

  Lying on applications is a bad idea. Be yourself and be creative. The German job market is taking a less formal approach to how workers look. Tattoos, piercings and shorts used to be unacceptable is many work environments. Now even some police officers can show their tattoos while on official business. These welcome changes have a lot to do with digitization and a lack of qualified workers.

• A few simple tips tricks to improve any German job application

  DON’T: Be inconsistent

  Keep the format of your resume and letter of introduction consistent. This means font, spacing, headings, everything. These are the things recruiters see first and leave an impression. The content must also be consistent: dates, places, etc. all need to match up without major gaps. In general it’s better to send more than too little. At the same time do not overwhelm HR with a 30-page pdf.

• A few simple tips tricks to improve any German job application

  DO: Watch what you post online

  This is an important life lesson, still many people ignore it when they post drunken photos or link to inappropriate material. Just imagine a future boss seeing what you post. Additionally, your networking profiles should be up-to-date and reflect a positive image and show that you are an appropriate candidate with the relevant experience for jobs you are looking for.

  Author: Timothy Rooks

rs/sms (dpa, KNA)

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Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-recognizing-more-foreign-degrees/a-50113940?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom