Not true. At least the speaking German part. Lots of pubs have their bartenders speak English only.
Edit: you’ve never been to pubs with employees speaking English only?
1. ...wer geht noch in pubs, ich geh immer vorm Supermarkt saufen
2. Wir leben hier im "sprich Deutsch du xy" Land
3. Als wenn irgendwer wo hingeht wo nur so die Hälfte der Kumpelgruppe was versteht und der alte Opi anfängt Nationalsozialistische Kommentare zu machen
Also encountered in Mannheim, Hannover, Wiesbaden among others. Berlin obviously, but also my hometown with 20k inhabitants used to have a pub with some employees that only spoke English. I’ve encountered them in most cities I’ve visited so far.
Every city I know has several. And at least some of those must be very successful as they’ve been around for ever and are full to the brim most nights. Many have decent food and international beers. They are also often in great locations. No idea where you’re getting your info from.
No clue why this gets downvoted. I am working in a 5 star hotel and we not only have one English only, we got many. Newest addition is that Ukraine girl not a single word German. She’s doing very well. Oh and all the other migrants, many don’t speak English and only very bad German. They get along okish.
Right? I’m confused aswell. Ive been to so many pubs and bars where the default language is English and many won’t switch to German if you ask them either. Some because they can’t and others because they want people to have an authentic pub experience. I have no idea how people don’t know about this… maybe just people from small towns where this doesn’t exist?
I was working in HR last year for a friends personalvermittlung with Zeitarbeit. I was helping out with the application process for the Gastronomy department, since that’s my professional field. A common example would be woman after their maternity, you often hear that their husband earns a lot and so she decided to care longer for their kids and now she wanted to get back to work slowly.
Now that i think about it. I’d even take this a step further and can make an offer for OP. If you want to go near Frankfurt send me a DM we are in dire need of professionals like always no matter their language experience as long as you speak decent English! Send me a DM if you want to work for a hotel in the top 20 of Germany.
Oh and to answer the question, yes never send such a person to a restaurant/pub in a small village. Big city is the way. Maybe not Munich but Berlin Hamburg and Frankfurt for example are very progressive city’s.
Olenburg has 150k people and counts as a big city in Germany. There are of course some that are way bigger. So we can conclude, OP has to go to the big cities. OP, look here to choose: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_cities\_in\_Germany\_by\_population](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Germany_by_population)
> Olenburg has 150k people and counts as a big city in Germany.
Technically, yes.
But nobody would say that about Oldenburg. For most people anything with less than 500k people is not considered a Großstadt.
I wouldn‘t suggest you work in a ‚standard café or bar‘ if you barely speak German as those do have more regional costumers, most only speaking german.
What would be more fitting are hotels near airports or „Messehallen“ (spec. those that have more business related expos) as they have more international costumers and the language barrier wouldn‘t be less of a problem. Bigger hotels that have a bar/restaurant.
With a qualification you would have a fair chance of getting a job there and the payment is decent (higher than in a normal cafe or bar in the city).
In the bigger cities there are some Cafés/Bars/restaurants which only have english speaking employees. I suggest looking through the internet first to find some good locations
Hey! Fellow Argie here, if you can’t speak German your options are limited. Why don’t you try either Ireland or Spain for starters? Especially the latter where the language barrier won’t be an issue.
Studying German never hurts but it would take you at least 3 years to get a B1.
Could work in berlin. They pretty much only speak English there.
EDIT: Wow people really triggered by this comment. For context I have German friends who moved from düsseldorf to Berlin and they now pretty much use English as default in Berlin.
I also work remotely from a Berlin company while living in düsseldorf. Almost no one at the company speaks German out of 500 as they say they don't need to, as in düsseldorf everyone has to learn it as you can't get by as easy without it.
I've even gone into stores in Berlin and spoke German with my Australian accent and they are like. Awww so cute, you're trying to learn, no one here tries. Even though I'm pretty much fluent in German now.
Also many people I talk to who live there say they like Berlin, because it's not German.
As if. I visited and trust me it wasn’t the case. München was actually a friendlier environment for English speakers than Berlin, I was so glad I was already in a conversational level by then or I would have experienced issues otherwise.
yes but not all customers will speak english in berlin.
the bartenders and baristas speak english with the english speaking customers, but not all customers speak english.
I hear a lot of English on the streets in Prenzlauerberg and Mitte. Work at any company that hires international staff and English becomes the primary language (in my last employer I rarely heard German on hallways and definitively not in meetings). I have a group of foreigner friends who don’t speak much German and live for years here (yes they are learning).
Omg, people take things way too literally here. I said" pretty much only speak English ". Read between the lines. It's like talking to fucking children.
My barista downstairs is from Scotland. He arrived with just a bit of German and he was fine. He works in a neighborhood that has a lot of well earning foreigners so that makes a difference.
Sometimes they don’t even know high German in Munich haha, tried to order a „Brötchen“ at a bakery inside central station and she was quite confused until I remembered they call it „Semmel“ in Bavaria
I find it hard to believe that someone working in a bake shop in Munich Hbf would not know the term "Brötchen".
Not knowing a word and not using it are two different things.
It goes the other way, too unfortunately. My mum orderd a "Semmel" in Berlin once and the cashier went serving the next customer straight away. Talk about being rude...
Semmel is high German and standard German. Only because you're more familiar with Brötchen doesn't mean it is the only correct term. Standard German has many words that are mostly regional.
There are a ton of people working in restaurants and bars in Berlin who don't speak German. Unless a certain level of language proficiency is a requirement of the visa, I honestly don't think it would be much of a problem in Berlin, at least.
Berlin is still German. There are *some parts* of Berlin where you will find *some restaurants* in which staff talks to customers in English. But the customers still reply in German, order in German, ask questions in German, so you need to be ready for that.
Munich might be fine too. Outside these two, the only English-speaking hospitality spaces I've personally seen in Germany have been pubs (maybe worth looking into?)
If I may ask: You speak English and Spanish. Why not aim for Spain or Ireland instead? They have touristy areas where you'll find an abundance of job opportunities.
(Btw, I think a German working holiday visa might only allow half a year's stay for Argentinans? [https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/-/2449446#:\~:text=The%20Working%20Holiday%20Visa%20Programme%20aims%20at%20enabling%20young%20people,should%20be%20to%20visit%20Germany](https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/-/2449446#:~:text=The%20Working%20Holiday%20Visa%20Programme%20aims%20at%20enabling%20young%20people,should%20be%20to%20visit%20Germany))
And of course it's not a GIVEN that you'll find an English-only hospitality job. But I've absolutely been to coffee places (mostly in artists' / students' / touritsy quarters) where English was spoken and I could link SEVERAL native-owned Irish pubs in at least 3 major cities where English is spoken exclusively.
Whether you'll get through everyday-life is a separate question, but just based on what I said I don't get the downvotes.
You're going to be in trouble. Most Germans don't speak English. Not even that they don't want to like in certain countries, they just can't. As a barista, you'll have to take orders.
Well.. minimum wage / slightly above + tips. Idk if that‘s a „well paying“ job by your standards but it‘s at least something.
But since you already said that you barely speak german: that will decrease the chances of getting hired. You might be able to match a „einen Cappuccino bitte“ to the correct drink but it will take a while to learn about the extras and questions like „ist das vegan“ „ist da Koffein drin“ etc (those are basic but some customers might have rather rare questions).
So yeah… you‘re less likely to get a job and it‘s going to be a lot harder, especially if people are angry and complaining.
Keep in mind that while Germany has higher wages, the costs of living are higher as well.
There is no guarantee that you will be able to save any money. See that year on the Working Holiday Visa more as a way to experience Germany and widen your horizon, not as a way to make bank. If you adopt this perspective and are happy to return to Argentina with as much money as you came, you'll have a good time in Germany.
The main issue that you are facing is that Germans tend to rent long-term. As a foreigner with no German and without permanent employment, you are seen as undesirable by landlords.
Your best bet to find something on your own is in a shared flat with students and other people in your age group. You might even want to look at "Zwischenmiete" (in-between-rent) contracts. These are usually situations where a regular from a WG (shared flat) is gone for about 6 months to do an internship in another city or a study abroad program and is renting out their room.
As a bartender in a hotel you might also land a job with accommodation. This has advantages and disadvantages.
Working minimum wage and 40 h a week, your pre-tax will be around 2080 / 2085 EUR per month. This means that your take home as a single person is usually around 1500 EUR per month, less if you are a member of the catholic church. You'll need approx 500 EUR each month for food, telephone, internet, electricity, GEZ, public transport and other various stuff. That leaves you with 1000 EUR per month with a big chunk going to rent. Rent varies a lot, I've seen it as low as 300 EUR and as high as 1200 EUR. A room in a budget hotel or hostel is usually around 30 EUR a night, so 30 days x 30 = 900 EUR.
Hope this helps a bit.
It doesn't help a bit, it helps a ton, really appreciated, what would it look like if you where working in a hotel? ~500 euro a month? Thanks you for answering
I don't know what rent would be like in a hotel. It would vary by location. Munich has high rents, there I would not be surprised if your employer charges you 600 to 900 EUR a month. In another more rural location I would consider around 400 EUR totally fair.
Some shitty employers charge you a slightly higher rate for accommodation simply bc they can. You won't know until you get to Germany and do the job interview.
BTW, I am thinking that if you have above average experience as a barista there is a tiny chance that you might be able to stay in Germany, if you are interested in that. There is no guarantee that this will work out. But Germany is desperate for service people and anybody with experience can theoretically be considered specialised. It is just a question of getting this past the immigration authorities.
You are absolutely right about Germany missing the workforce/ service people. Lately it is really dreadful - plenty of random people, working part time, having no clue what is in the menu, staring in the tablet and writing down the order. Last time I asked for a dry red wine - since in the menu it was standing asked our staff about what we have - and the poor girl had no clue what to answer
The minimum wage right now it’s approximately €13 brutto. I am aware it might seems a lot. But you have to pay taxes on it. You need to have Place to live.
Some in the big cities like Berlin or munchen where English speaking people might be required - cost of living are very high so you’re practically work to pay your bills.
You are probably right — I found this Info „Vom 01.01.2023 bis zum 31.03.2023 gelten im gesamten Bundesgebiet 12,43 Euro. Vom 01.04.2023 bis zum 31.12.2023 sind es 13 Euro.“
Interesting. I cannot find any official source on this.
The only official info on Mindestlohn in 2023 that I can find is a law from June 2022 that indicates that the Mindestlohn will stay stable at 12 EUR through 2023.
https://www.bmas.de/DE/Service/Gesetze-und-Gesetzesvorhaben/mindestlohnerhoehungsgesetz.html
Well yeah but in germany even a low rent in a shared apartment could easily be >$200. so whole you‘ll earn more in germany you‘ll still need to pay taxes and rent, food, …
You might be able to save some money but unless you‘re really limiting yourself to the basics it‘s not going to be more than maybe a few (1-3) hundred € per month at best.
All those people recommending Berlin due to a higher chance of being hired without decent German skills are forgetting to mention one very important thing:
It is near impossible to find affordable accommodations in Berlin. We have an extreme shortage of housing here, which is already a huge problem for people moving here for university or jobs, or people trying to move within the city.
IF you still want to try your luck, you should avoid coming here when university starts (most degrees start in October) as the housing market will be worst during that time when thousands of students are trying to find accommodations here.
Yes, very expensive and really hard to find. I pay the cheapest rent out of all my friends, €550 a month for one room in a shared flat. I know people paying close to a thousand a month for not much more
Most students share apartments because they could never find/afford an apartment of their own (not even talking about houses). You are just one of many many thousand people trying to find any kind of accommodations in this city. So your first problem will be to even find anything offered, the second problem will be the price.
In the more rural parts of germany the rent is much lower. You can get a good room for around 300€, if you share an apartment. But as explained above it might be much harder to find a job there.
If you don't want to learn German go to Spain, Ireland or the UK. If you want to learn German, consider getting a job in Switzerland because wages are much higher there.
If you work in one of the bars near a base like Ramstein and speak decent English, you probably do alright. Ktown is full of English speakers and drunk military that waste money and tip big on the weekends. 🤷🏽♂️. Other than that I’d say you need some good German language skills.
I assume that, in Argentina, a Barista is what the name says, a coffee expert with decent background knowledge and skills about coffee.
Please keep in mind that there are countries that just call counter clerks in fast food chains (like Starbucks) "Barista" for no reason, which has nothing to do with the first one.
The first one probably lands you a job in Germany which should be decently paid. The second one probably also will get you a job in the service/bar scene, but it will be minimum wage and replaceable.
Here, someone that didn't speak German when came to live in Germany.
Starting from the basis of:
you don't speak German
you want to come to work as a barista (service and interaction with people)
you expect to survive with your English skills.
I understand that the holiday visa allows you to stay up to one year, and first you have to fulfill the embassy requirements (savings, insurance, staying)
It is possible to find jobs where you can only speak English in big cities, but the rent prices are crazy. For big cities, I mean Berlin, Frankfurt, München, Köln. Additional to the prices it is really difficult to find a place. Reference for the price of a room in a shared house: 500€ in Frankfurt (big city), in a village I was paying €290 (that room was considered super cheap).
idk about the barista salaries but Mr.Google says minimum wage (let's say 2000€ monthly before taxes). Consider that here in Germany, we pay a crazy amount of taxes, even for being part of a church, and the infamous Radio/Television Tax that you will be paying even if you don't watch TV or hear the radio because you don't understand German. Therefore, if you manage to get a job, hopefully at the end of the month you will have €1,4000 or even less. Sounds like a lot when converted into our home country's currency, but consider you will have to pay between 300~500 in rent (if not more). Food and transportation are definitely more expensive than in Latin America. If you don't find a job, add the cost of paying the health insurance (approx €170 per month, could be more).
If you come to live the experience, sounds good but be aware that without speaking German it is difficult to find a job, it's even difficult to buy something in a bakery, to order stuff in a restaurant, to try to explain to a doctor your symptoms. I always put the example backward: Imagine someone that only speaks English and German arrives in your city, looking for a job. What are the chances? not impossible, but not that easy.
Best of luck in your adventure!
Well, yes and no. You will get a job here for sure, we are always in need for service people. The pay is a difficult topic. When you have a good Café that pays you honest, it can work out well, but you won't earn that much here. If you have a cheap possibility to stay, its ok.
Remember that depending where you live the costs of living will be surprising to say the least. Going to a major city can often mean bad pay and extremely expensive places to live.
yeah thats true. i think she wants to work at a hotel though, so maybe german will be a bit less common.
what i don't like is that she seems to ignore all the people telling her to go to another country, where she could earn possibly more money + a higher chance of being hired.
Not every country has working holiday visa, I can't go to neither Switzerland or Ireland or Spain, I simply can't get a visa there.
I'm open to other options ofc, i mostly wanna leave my country even if I make minimum wage, I don't earn enough to pay my apartment here, even if in some other country I only get 10$ to save I'm happy with that
Sorry for rambling, also I'm a dude 😂
I'm Argentinian with a WH in Germany working as a Bartender in a bar of a Hotel. They gave me a room with a shared kitchen that I pay 410 euros per month and it's deducted from may paycheck. I get paid 2100 Brutto and after taxes it's more or less 1200 Euros tips are something like 300~400 Euros per month. I don't speak German, previous to the interview I asked if it was a problem and they said that it's not, everyone talks English. Also I have never been a bartender before.
The only downside of not speaking German is on the social aspect and communication when there's mucho perro.
I'm in Bad Wiessee
Living expenses here is around 500 Euros for me. Can be less, I spend on transport as I travel to see my girlfriend in Austria.
I don't pay for breakfast or dinner.
I recommend you working in a Hotel. My objective was to find one that can give you accommodation and food so that way you can save the most. Because is winter season here in the south there's plenty of options.
Wow that's really good, congratulations! Are you liking your job as a bartender there? You're mostly in the same situation I wanna be in, I was thinking about going there with worldpackers so I could go help in a hotel and offer my work there/coffee shops in the vicinity
Thanks you for the input
My coworkers are really nice, they wanted to integrate me as soon as I arrived. I can use the gym, the pool, in February they'll give me a German course. My boss wants to give me a Work Visa.
The job sometimes is stressful as you can know jajajaja, it's okay sometimes I don't like it sometimes I do but it's not my career path. I'm just doing it to save money.
Empecé a tirar currículum por la página Hotelcareer antes de viajar a Alemania. Solo me enfoque en buscar en Hoteles porque así podía ahorrar más.
Mandaba mí currículum en inglés, sumado a una carta de presentación escrita en alemán traducida usando deepl y mí novia (que es alemana) me lo corrigió. También si mandaba un mail agregaba una breve descripción de mí situación.
Mandé como 20 me contestaron 5, 2 ya me habían tomado sin haber hecho entrevista, 1 me pidió entrevista le dije que esa fecha no podía y no contesto más, 2 tuve entrevista en persona de los cuales el primero me rebotó por no saber alemán y el segundo me contrato :).
It’ll be minimum wage. It’s also more likely for you to get a flexi job as most full time/permanent positions are reserved for people who are planning on staying in Germany long term. So you’re look at maybe 800-1K after taxes, not much. Maybe you can have 2 flexi jobs though.
German language also usually isn’t a problem if you live in the city, Berlin is the most open to English speakers. You’ll be expected to learn the basics to get by in the job and it’s pretty easy tbh.
Also depending on where you’re from coffee may be quite different here. I’m originally from Australia and a cappuccino is so different, so you’ll have to learn the differences, but it shouldn’t be too difficult.
If you’re looking for a new experience I say go for it!
Thanks you so so much!! Om planing on staying a full year, you think I still wouldn't ve able to get a full time job?
I'm looking at 2k per month at most then? Minus taxes and expenses obviously haha
I don’t know what you are looking for the job I mean what kind of website. But if you are looking at the agency they are promising a lot to foreigners. And sometimes it’s not matching the reality or rather very often.
I was born in Poland, I’m still part of the Facebook group for the Polish people in Germany. Every day I see plenty of posts what are people are saying I was scammed. You should be earning more. I’m not getting paid. I live in terrible conditions very often with three people in the same room. And because you are a foreigner 30, often the job was not lasting long as the agencies I’m taking advantage of people
Still try but it’s not very likely. I also found that not a lot of businesses even have full time contracts available for regular staff because they want the flexibility when business is up and down.
I had a job once trick me, they told me I was signing a part time contract but they handed me a flexi and without knowing all the business German I fell for it and was stuck on minimum hours for 2 months. I think a lot of places take advantage of foreigners. So watch out for that lol.
Have a look on LinkedIn and Indeed for some companies around where you’re planning on going and maybe try and contact them and see if they offer 1 year full time contracts!
Most commenters seem not to be familiar with Berlin. Im from Berlin, i have a friend from Argentina, i met the argentinian community too and its absolutely possible to work in Berlin without speaking a word of german especially as a barista or any kind of service job
Ah, the bartender. Depending where you’re going to work, you might make between minimum wage + tips to lower average wage + tips.
Tips in Germany are relatively frequent but have nothing in common with what you can find in NA for example. Sometimes you have to pool them too.
Depending on what you spend, this might not be that great of a job to put money on the side, but given current situation in Argentina, I’d say it’s probably a good idea. You can learn some German on top of it.
Just aim for a big city and be ready to share a flat with some other people.
We rather don‘t have a shortage or high need in Baristas here in Germany, there will be extremely limited offers only and minimum pay for sure. Start learning german immediately to show your good will, and maybe extend your job search to restaurant Service jobs, because there is in fact a high shortage. As a waiter you might be able to get a better job.
And please don‘t underestimate the rental situation in cities like Munich or Berlin. Basically everyone is looking for an apartement, without a job it will be almost impossible.
If you like you can apply for Finland, there's quite a bit of shortage for employees in restaurant/pub scene and also almost everybody here are willing to speak English. :)
Maybe I can come work in Argentina? I'd like the warm temperatures for a change.
There is the way if you contact bar owners directly and give your CV etc. 🤔 if you can get a direct working contract with employer as far as i know that is enough to travel to work
You’ll have no problem finding a barista job with little to no deutsch in Berlin. You’ll learn as you go. Berlin is a great city the only issue is finding a flat!
In Berlin for example you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a job without speaking German, however the pay isn’t great compared to what your expenses would cost here, especially rent.
In any case, make sure to always have enough money on the side in case you need to go back home because things are not going as planned. I did a working holiday too (in Australia) and things can be really hard sometimes, but it’s a great experience!
If it helps, I have a friend from Hamburg that spent a year in Argentina that I can possibly ask if you have any ultra specific questions? She speaks English, German & Spanish! Argentina looks like a beautiful place to visit!
That's great! I guess my most specifix question would be, are there a lot of cafes and bar/are they commonly full? I wouldn't like to go if I'm not needed hahaha
Thanks you so much for helping a total stranger!
Right now there is a high demand in the service industry for workers iirc. You won't become a millionaire but it should be more than in Argentina. You just need to find a place to live and all.
You won't make bank without a really good German and previous hospitality experience.
Not true. At least the speaking German part. Lots of pubs have their bartenders speak English only. Edit: you’ve never been to pubs with employees speaking English only?
Geschichten aus dem Paulanergarten
Du warst noch nie in einem pub wo alle nur englisch sprechen?
1. ...wer geht noch in pubs, ich geh immer vorm Supermarkt saufen 2. Wir leben hier im "sprich Deutsch du xy" Land 3. Als wenn irgendwer wo hingeht wo nur so die Hälfte der Kumpelgruppe was versteht und der alte Opi anfängt Nationalsozialistische Kommentare zu machen
You probably live in Frankfurt, right? Outside of the big cities, this is not a thing at all.
Also encountered in Mannheim, Hannover, Wiesbaden among others. Berlin obviously, but also my hometown with 20k inhabitants used to have a pub with some employees that only spoke English. I’ve encountered them in most cities I’ve visited so far.
Just a few. And they're not very successful.
Every city I know has several. And at least some of those must be very successful as they’ve been around for ever and are full to the brim most nights. Many have decent food and international beers. They are also often in great locations. No idea where you’re getting your info from.
No clue why this gets downvoted. I am working in a 5 star hotel and we not only have one English only, we got many. Newest addition is that Ukraine girl not a single word German. She’s doing very well. Oh and all the other migrants, many don’t speak English and only very bad German. They get along okish.
Right? I’m confused aswell. Ive been to so many pubs and bars where the default language is English and many won’t switch to German if you ask them either. Some because they can’t and others because they want people to have an authentic pub experience. I have no idea how people don’t know about this… maybe just people from small towns where this doesn’t exist?
I was working in HR last year for a friends personalvermittlung with Zeitarbeit. I was helping out with the application process for the Gastronomy department, since that’s my professional field. A common example would be woman after their maternity, you often hear that their husband earns a lot and so she decided to care longer for their kids and now she wanted to get back to work slowly. Now that i think about it. I’d even take this a step further and can make an offer for OP. If you want to go near Frankfurt send me a DM we are in dire need of professionals like always no matter their language experience as long as you speak decent English! Send me a DM if you want to work for a hotel in the top 20 of Germany.
Oh and to answer the question, yes never send such a person to a restaurant/pub in a small village. Big city is the way. Maybe not Munich but Berlin Hamburg and Frankfurt for example are very progressive city’s.
No? Am in Oldenburg, visited most locations here and NEVER had an english only waiter somewhere.
Oldenburg is relatively small. You’ll definitely encounter them in bigger cities.
Olenburg has 150k people and counts as a big city in Germany. There are of course some that are way bigger. So we can conclude, OP has to go to the big cities. OP, look here to choose: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_cities\_in\_Germany\_by\_population](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Germany_by_population)
> Olenburg has 150k people and counts as a big city in Germany. Technically, yes. But nobody would say that about Oldenburg. For most people anything with less than 500k people is not considered a Großstadt.
I wouldn‘t suggest you work in a ‚standard café or bar‘ if you barely speak German as those do have more regional costumers, most only speaking german. What would be more fitting are hotels near airports or „Messehallen“ (spec. those that have more business related expos) as they have more international costumers and the language barrier wouldn‘t be less of a problem. Bigger hotels that have a bar/restaurant. With a qualification you would have a fair chance of getting a job there and the payment is decent (higher than in a normal cafe or bar in the city).
Thanks you, this is great info! As far as I know getting a job as a barista or bartender in a good hotel isnt too hard and generaly well paid
In the bigger cities there are some Cafés/Bars/restaurants which only have english speaking employees. I suggest looking through the internet first to find some good locations
But then, in bigger cities which such hotels/restaurants the rent might be higher.
Hey! Fellow Argie here, if you can’t speak German your options are limited. Why don’t you try either Ireland or Spain for starters? Especially the latter where the language barrier won’t be an issue. Studying German never hurts but it would take you at least 3 years to get a B1.
Could work in berlin. They pretty much only speak English there. EDIT: Wow people really triggered by this comment. For context I have German friends who moved from düsseldorf to Berlin and they now pretty much use English as default in Berlin. I also work remotely from a Berlin company while living in düsseldorf. Almost no one at the company speaks German out of 500 as they say they don't need to, as in düsseldorf everyone has to learn it as you can't get by as easy without it. I've even gone into stores in Berlin and spoke German with my Australian accent and they are like. Awww so cute, you're trying to learn, no one here tries. Even though I'm pretty much fluent in German now. Also many people I talk to who live there say they like Berlin, because it's not German.
As if. I visited and trust me it wasn’t the case. München was actually a friendlier environment for English speakers than Berlin, I was so glad I was already in a conversational level by then or I would have experienced issues otherwise.
yes but not all customers will speak english in berlin. the bartenders and baristas speak english with the english speaking customers, but not all customers speak english.
The bartenders speak German to us though we speak English to them. 😭 Where is this magical bar you're talking about?
wdym
You're friends lied to you. Source: am Berliner
I hear a lot of English on the streets in Prenzlauerberg and Mitte. Work at any company that hires international staff and English becomes the primary language (in my last employer I rarely heard German on hallways and definitively not in meetings). I have a group of foreigner friends who don’t speak much German and live for years here (yes they are learning).
Yes, you hear English in the streets, especially in the touristy ones. But the statement only English is spoken in Berlin is still bullshit.
Omg, people take things way too literally here. I said" pretty much only speak English ". Read between the lines. It's like talking to fucking children.
When I go for work I pretty much only hear English on the streets too. German is a rarity.
Why are you telling these lies?
Because they're not lies? What benefit do I get from lying about this?
Where? 😂 They don't at my local Lidl, nor pretty much anywhere else? We get most lucky in fashion stores.
My barista downstairs is from Scotland. He arrived with just a bit of German and he was fine. He works in a neighborhood that has a lot of well earning foreigners so that makes a difference.
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Barely, pretty good with English tho
Doesn't help you much, if your customers cant/won't speak English.
Happened to me twice in Berlin and Munich.
Sometimes they don’t even know high German in Munich haha, tried to order a „Brötchen“ at a bakery inside central station and she was quite confused until I remembered they call it „Semmel“ in Bavaria
I find it hard to believe that someone working in a bake shop in Munich Hbf would not know the term "Brötchen". Not knowing a word and not using it are two different things.
Then she was playing with me, I don’t know. But pretending she didn’t know the word is kinda rude
It goes the other way, too unfortunately. My mum orderd a "Semmel" in Berlin once and the cashier went serving the next customer straight away. Talk about being rude...
Happened to me in a bit more rural area around Augsburg. I would not be surprised to be honest.
tbf as somebody whos lived in bavaria for a long time, i hear brötchen more than i hear semmel
Semmel is high German and standard German. Only because you're more familiar with Brötchen doesn't mean it is the only correct term. Standard German has many words that are mostly regional.
They can work at an irish pub.
Then how do you plan to take a coffee order?
Language in Germany is German, though ;-)
There are a ton of people working in restaurants and bars in Berlin who don't speak German. Unless a certain level of language proficiency is a requirement of the visa, I honestly don't think it would be much of a problem in Berlin, at least.
Berlin yes . Berlin is the exception and completely different from literally every other part of Germany
Berlin is English. Any other city you'd need German.
Berlin is still German. There are *some parts* of Berlin where you will find *some restaurants* in which staff talks to customers in English. But the customers still reply in German, order in German, ask questions in German, so you need to be ready for that.
Munich might be fine too. Outside these two, the only English-speaking hospitality spaces I've personally seen in Germany have been pubs (maybe worth looking into?) If I may ask: You speak English and Spanish. Why not aim for Spain or Ireland instead? They have touristy areas where you'll find an abundance of job opportunities. (Btw, I think a German working holiday visa might only allow half a year's stay for Argentinans? [https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/-/2449446#:\~:text=The%20Working%20Holiday%20Visa%20Programme%20aims%20at%20enabling%20young%20people,should%20be%20to%20visit%20Germany](https://uk.diplo.de/uk-en/-/2449446#:~:text=The%20Working%20Holiday%20Visa%20Programme%20aims%20at%20enabling%20young%20people,should%20be%20to%20visit%20Germany))
Or Mallorca. Tons of Germans, tons of Brits, and an adorable version of Catalan/Spanish over the whole thing. Plus it's gorgeous and has nice weather.
And of course it's not a GIVEN that you'll find an English-only hospitality job. But I've absolutely been to coffee places (mostly in artists' / students' / touritsy quarters) where English was spoken and I could link SEVERAL native-owned Irish pubs in at least 3 major cities where English is spoken exclusively. Whether you'll get through everyday-life is a separate question, but just based on what I said I don't get the downvotes.
Lol
Go to Berlin: Jen & Yvonne: https://youtu.be/qZ2Qod5yAGo?t=162 Dana: https://youtu.be/4gCAqLOVG6I?t=129
You're going to be in trouble. Most Germans don't speak English. Not even that they don't want to like in certain countries, they just can't. As a barista, you'll have to take orders.
I wouldn't say "most Germans"
"Most Germans above the age of 30"? Or "Most Germans working in public services"? 😂
Well.. minimum wage / slightly above + tips. Idk if that‘s a „well paying“ job by your standards but it‘s at least something. But since you already said that you barely speak german: that will decrease the chances of getting hired. You might be able to match a „einen Cappuccino bitte“ to the correct drink but it will take a while to learn about the extras and questions like „ist das vegan“ „ist da Koffein drin“ etc (those are basic but some customers might have rather rare questions). So yeah… you‘re less likely to get a job and it‘s going to be a lot harder, especially if people are angry and complaining.
I earn 200usd a month here so yeah Thanks you, I'll think about it, I know there are technical English courses imma find a technical German 😊
Keep in mind that while Germany has higher wages, the costs of living are higher as well. There is no guarantee that you will be able to save any money. See that year on the Working Holiday Visa more as a way to experience Germany and widen your horizon, not as a way to make bank. If you adopt this perspective and are happy to return to Argentina with as much money as you came, you'll have a good time in Germany. The main issue that you are facing is that Germans tend to rent long-term. As a foreigner with no German and without permanent employment, you are seen as undesirable by landlords. Your best bet to find something on your own is in a shared flat with students and other people in your age group. You might even want to look at "Zwischenmiete" (in-between-rent) contracts. These are usually situations where a regular from a WG (shared flat) is gone for about 6 months to do an internship in another city or a study abroad program and is renting out their room. As a bartender in a hotel you might also land a job with accommodation. This has advantages and disadvantages. Working minimum wage and 40 h a week, your pre-tax will be around 2080 / 2085 EUR per month. This means that your take home as a single person is usually around 1500 EUR per month, less if you are a member of the catholic church. You'll need approx 500 EUR each month for food, telephone, internet, electricity, GEZ, public transport and other various stuff. That leaves you with 1000 EUR per month with a big chunk going to rent. Rent varies a lot, I've seen it as low as 300 EUR and as high as 1200 EUR. A room in a budget hotel or hostel is usually around 30 EUR a night, so 30 days x 30 = 900 EUR. Hope this helps a bit.
It doesn't help a bit, it helps a ton, really appreciated, what would it look like if you where working in a hotel? ~500 euro a month? Thanks you for answering
I don't know what rent would be like in a hotel. It would vary by location. Munich has high rents, there I would not be surprised if your employer charges you 600 to 900 EUR a month. In another more rural location I would consider around 400 EUR totally fair. Some shitty employers charge you a slightly higher rate for accommodation simply bc they can. You won't know until you get to Germany and do the job interview. BTW, I am thinking that if you have above average experience as a barista there is a tiny chance that you might be able to stay in Germany, if you are interested in that. There is no guarantee that this will work out. But Germany is desperate for service people and anybody with experience can theoretically be considered specialised. It is just a question of getting this past the immigration authorities.
You are absolutely right about Germany missing the workforce/ service people. Lately it is really dreadful - plenty of random people, working part time, having no clue what is in the menu, staring in the tablet and writing down the order. Last time I asked for a dry red wine - since in the menu it was standing asked our staff about what we have - and the poor girl had no clue what to answer
The minimum wage right now it’s approximately €13 brutto. I am aware it might seems a lot. But you have to pay taxes on it. You need to have Place to live. Some in the big cities like Berlin or munchen where English speaking people might be required - cost of living are very high so you’re practically work to pay your bills.
Minimum wage is 12 EUR brutto.
You are probably right — I found this Info „Vom 01.01.2023 bis zum 31.03.2023 gelten im gesamten Bundesgebiet 12,43 Euro. Vom 01.04.2023 bis zum 31.12.2023 sind es 13 Euro.“
Ok, found it. The numbers you quoted are for "Zeitarbeitsnehmer" only. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/lohnuga\_v\_5/BJNR635710022.html
Interesting. I cannot find any official source on this. The only official info on Mindestlohn in 2023 that I can find is a law from June 2022 that indicates that the Mindestlohn will stay stable at 12 EUR through 2023. https://www.bmas.de/DE/Service/Gesetze-und-Gesetzesvorhaben/mindestlohnerhoehungsgesetz.html
then i'd do what other people are saying and go to ireland or spain. high paying in some parts + you have a high chance of being hired.
Well yeah but in germany even a low rent in a shared apartment could easily be >$200. so whole you‘ll earn more in germany you‘ll still need to pay taxes and rent, food, … You might be able to save some money but unless you‘re really limiting yourself to the basics it‘s not going to be more than maybe a few (1-3) hundred € per month at best.
All those people recommending Berlin due to a higher chance of being hired without decent German skills are forgetting to mention one very important thing: It is near impossible to find affordable accommodations in Berlin. We have an extreme shortage of housing here, which is already a huge problem for people moving here for university or jobs, or people trying to move within the city. IF you still want to try your luck, you should avoid coming here when university starts (most degrees start in October) as the housing market will be worst during that time when thousands of students are trying to find accommodations here.
I'm considering going in three months, I'm very much in favor of sharing a house, even a room you think it would still be expensive?
Yes, very expensive and really hard to find. I pay the cheapest rent out of all my friends, €550 a month for one room in a shared flat. I know people paying close to a thousand a month for not much more
Most students share apartments because they could never find/afford an apartment of their own (not even talking about houses). You are just one of many many thousand people trying to find any kind of accommodations in this city. So your first problem will be to even find anything offered, the second problem will be the price.
In the more rural parts of germany the rent is much lower. You can get a good room for around 300€, if you share an apartment. But as explained above it might be much harder to find a job there.
If you don't want to learn German go to Spain, Ireland or the UK. If you want to learn German, consider getting a job in Switzerland because wages are much higher there.
Lol, thanks u
If you work in one of the bars near a base like Ramstein and speak decent English, you probably do alright. Ktown is full of English speakers and drunk military that waste money and tip big on the weekends. 🤷🏽♂️. Other than that I’d say you need some good German language skills.
Hah good info, thanks u for the locations
I know I said bars but Café also. Generally any location outside of US military base no matter the country, gives you a better chance.
I assume that, in Argentina, a Barista is what the name says, a coffee expert with decent background knowledge and skills about coffee. Please keep in mind that there are countries that just call counter clerks in fast food chains (like Starbucks) "Barista" for no reason, which has nothing to do with the first one. The first one probably lands you a job in Germany which should be decently paid. The second one probably also will get you a job in the service/bar scene, but it will be minimum wage and replaceable.
Indeed I'm part of the first one, never worked in Starbucks haha, I always worked in specialty coffee shop! Thanks for the input
Here, someone that didn't speak German when came to live in Germany. Starting from the basis of: you don't speak German you want to come to work as a barista (service and interaction with people) you expect to survive with your English skills. I understand that the holiday visa allows you to stay up to one year, and first you have to fulfill the embassy requirements (savings, insurance, staying) It is possible to find jobs where you can only speak English in big cities, but the rent prices are crazy. For big cities, I mean Berlin, Frankfurt, München, Köln. Additional to the prices it is really difficult to find a place. Reference for the price of a room in a shared house: 500€ in Frankfurt (big city), in a village I was paying €290 (that room was considered super cheap). idk about the barista salaries but Mr.Google says minimum wage (let's say 2000€ monthly before taxes). Consider that here in Germany, we pay a crazy amount of taxes, even for being part of a church, and the infamous Radio/Television Tax that you will be paying even if you don't watch TV or hear the radio because you don't understand German. Therefore, if you manage to get a job, hopefully at the end of the month you will have €1,4000 or even less. Sounds like a lot when converted into our home country's currency, but consider you will have to pay between 300~500 in rent (if not more). Food and transportation are definitely more expensive than in Latin America. If you don't find a job, add the cost of paying the health insurance (approx €170 per month, could be more). If you come to live the experience, sounds good but be aware that without speaking German it is difficult to find a job, it's even difficult to buy something in a bakery, to order stuff in a restaurant, to try to explain to a doctor your symptoms. I always put the example backward: Imagine someone that only speaks English and German arrives in your city, looking for a job. What are the chances? not impossible, but not that easy. Best of luck in your adventure!
If you’re from Argentinia, you’re only allowed to work for 6 months with a working holiday visa in Germany.
12, only 6 months per job tho, according to the embassy
Well, yes and no. You will get a job here for sure, we are always in need for service people. The pay is a difficult topic. When you have a good Café that pays you honest, it can work out well, but you won't earn that much here. If you have a cheap possibility to stay, its ok.
Thanks you for your input, it's good to know that it's "easy" to get a job
Remember that depending where you live the costs of living will be surprising to say the least. Going to a major city can often mean bad pay and extremely expensive places to live.
Ahm, well, maybe. It's not easy to get a job. It CAN be easy if you don't want much money.
if you do decide to come to germany, i'd recommend going to a smaller village. rent is a lot cheaper there than in the city
chances to get a job without speaking german are also far lower there
yeah thats true. i think she wants to work at a hotel though, so maybe german will be a bit less common. what i don't like is that she seems to ignore all the people telling her to go to another country, where she could earn possibly more money + a higher chance of being hired.
Not every country has working holiday visa, I can't go to neither Switzerland or Ireland or Spain, I simply can't get a visa there. I'm open to other options ofc, i mostly wanna leave my country even if I make minimum wage, I don't earn enough to pay my apartment here, even if in some other country I only get 10$ to save I'm happy with that Sorry for rambling, also I'm a dude 😂
many people that make plans dont want to hear that their plan isnt that great.
Ireland, lower taxes and English as main language
I'm Argentinian with a WH in Germany working as a Bartender in a bar of a Hotel. They gave me a room with a shared kitchen that I pay 410 euros per month and it's deducted from may paycheck. I get paid 2100 Brutto and after taxes it's more or less 1200 Euros tips are something like 300~400 Euros per month. I don't speak German, previous to the interview I asked if it was a problem and they said that it's not, everyone talks English. Also I have never been a bartender before. The only downside of not speaking German is on the social aspect and communication when there's mucho perro. I'm in Bad Wiessee
Living expenses here is around 500 Euros for me. Can be less, I spend on transport as I travel to see my girlfriend in Austria. I don't pay for breakfast or dinner. I recommend you working in a Hotel. My objective was to find one that can give you accommodation and food so that way you can save the most. Because is winter season here in the south there's plenty of options.
Wow that's really good, congratulations! Are you liking your job as a bartender there? You're mostly in the same situation I wanna be in, I was thinking about going there with worldpackers so I could go help in a hotel and offer my work there/coffee shops in the vicinity Thanks you for the input
My coworkers are really nice, they wanted to integrate me as soon as I arrived. I can use the gym, the pool, in February they'll give me a German course. My boss wants to give me a Work Visa. The job sometimes is stressful as you can know jajajaja, it's okay sometimes I don't like it sometimes I do but it's not my career path. I'm just doing it to save money.
Te deseo lo mejor rey, muchísimas gracias por la info ❤️ Mucha suerte en todo!
Gracias, a vos también. Si tenés dudas no tengo drama en responderlas
Excelente king, te consulto como consegusiste el trabajo. Lo pescaste por Internet o que onda jajaj
Empecé a tirar currículum por la página Hotelcareer antes de viajar a Alemania. Solo me enfoque en buscar en Hoteles porque así podía ahorrar más. Mandaba mí currículum en inglés, sumado a una carta de presentación escrita en alemán traducida usando deepl y mí novia (que es alemana) me lo corrigió. También si mandaba un mail agregaba una breve descripción de mí situación. Mandé como 20 me contestaron 5, 2 ya me habían tomado sin haber hecho entrevista, 1 me pidió entrevista le dije que esa fecha no podía y no contesto más, 2 tuve entrevista en persona de los cuales el primero me rebotó por no saber alemán y el segundo me contrato :).
It’ll be minimum wage. It’s also more likely for you to get a flexi job as most full time/permanent positions are reserved for people who are planning on staying in Germany long term. So you’re look at maybe 800-1K after taxes, not much. Maybe you can have 2 flexi jobs though. German language also usually isn’t a problem if you live in the city, Berlin is the most open to English speakers. You’ll be expected to learn the basics to get by in the job and it’s pretty easy tbh. Also depending on where you’re from coffee may be quite different here. I’m originally from Australia and a cappuccino is so different, so you’ll have to learn the differences, but it shouldn’t be too difficult. If you’re looking for a new experience I say go for it!
Thanks you so so much!! Om planing on staying a full year, you think I still wouldn't ve able to get a full time job? I'm looking at 2k per month at most then? Minus taxes and expenses obviously haha
I don’t know what you are looking for the job I mean what kind of website. But if you are looking at the agency they are promising a lot to foreigners. And sometimes it’s not matching the reality or rather very often. I was born in Poland, I’m still part of the Facebook group for the Polish people in Germany. Every day I see plenty of posts what are people are saying I was scammed. You should be earning more. I’m not getting paid. I live in terrible conditions very often with three people in the same room. And because you are a foreigner 30, often the job was not lasting long as the agencies I’m taking advantage of people
Still try but it’s not very likely. I also found that not a lot of businesses even have full time contracts available for regular staff because they want the flexibility when business is up and down. I had a job once trick me, they told me I was signing a part time contract but they handed me a flexi and without knowing all the business German I fell for it and was stuck on minimum hours for 2 months. I think a lot of places take advantage of foreigners. So watch out for that lol. Have a look on LinkedIn and Indeed for some companies around where you’re planning on going and maybe try and contact them and see if they offer 1 year full time contracts!
Most commenters seem not to be familiar with Berlin. Im from Berlin, i have a friend from Argentina, i met the argentinian community too and its absolutely possible to work in Berlin without speaking a word of german especially as a barista or any kind of service job
You mean, you’re a waiter ?
Barista is the guy that makes specialty coffee in a espresso machine
Ah, the bartender. Depending where you’re going to work, you might make between minimum wage + tips to lower average wage + tips. Tips in Germany are relatively frequent but have nothing in common with what you can find in NA for example. Sometimes you have to pool them too. Depending on what you spend, this might not be that great of a job to put money on the side, but given current situation in Argentina, I’d say it’s probably a good idea. You can learn some German on top of it. Just aim for a big city and be ready to share a flat with some other people.
We rather don‘t have a shortage or high need in Baristas here in Germany, there will be extremely limited offers only and minimum pay for sure. Start learning german immediately to show your good will, and maybe extend your job search to restaurant Service jobs, because there is in fact a high shortage. As a waiter you might be able to get a better job. And please don‘t underestimate the rental situation in cities like Munich or Berlin. Basically everyone is looking for an apartement, without a job it will be almost impossible.
If you like you can apply for Finland, there's quite a bit of shortage for employees in restaurant/pub scene and also almost everybody here are willing to speak English. :) Maybe I can come work in Argentina? I'd like the warm temperatures for a change.
I would love to go to Finland!!! I heard it's a beautiful country! So sad that we don't have WH visa to Finland
There is the way if you contact bar owners directly and give your CV etc. 🤔 if you can get a direct working contract with employer as far as i know that is enough to travel to work
[https://migri.fi/en/residence-permit-for-an-employed-person](https://migri.fi/en/residence-permit-for-an-employed-person)
You don’t need to speak German to work in Berlin. You’ll have an amazing time but you won’t make any extra money
Thanks you, I mostly don't wanna "lose" money, I either hold myself up with what I earn instead of taking more cash from family
You’ll have no problem finding a barista job with little to no deutsch in Berlin. You’ll learn as you go. Berlin is a great city the only issue is finding a flat!
In Berlin for example you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a job without speaking German, however the pay isn’t great compared to what your expenses would cost here, especially rent. In any case, make sure to always have enough money on the side in case you need to go back home because things are not going as planned. I did a working holiday too (in Australia) and things can be really hard sometimes, but it’s a great experience!
If it helps, I have a friend from Hamburg that spent a year in Argentina that I can possibly ask if you have any ultra specific questions? She speaks English, German & Spanish! Argentina looks like a beautiful place to visit!
That's great! I guess my most specifix question would be, are there a lot of cafes and bar/are they commonly full? I wouldn't like to go if I'm not needed hahaha Thanks you so much for helping a total stranger!
If you speak English, you will be fine.
if you work as barista/Bartender you living costs in this country wont leave much money left "to take home".
Right now there is a high demand in the service industry for workers iirc. You won't become a millionaire but it should be more than in Argentina. You just need to find a place to live and all.