Career guidance, apprenticship and employment service

The competent authorities for asylum seekers are the professional and mediation advice centres from the employment agency. If you are within the waiting period and have the prohibition to work during the first three months, there is an entitlement for counselling. This is valid for tolerated persons and people who are permitted to stay for the asylum procedure. In order to get possible benefits and support for the integration into the labour market, those that are are permitted to stay for the asylum procedure, or are tolerated, should register themselves as seeking employment. This should be done as early as they can at their competent employment agency.

When recognised refugees, entitled asylum seekers or people that were granted subsidiary protection, change into the SGB II, then the job centres are the ones responsible for mediation and counselling.

To find either a suitable apprenticeship or an employment is not always a simple thing.

One of them is the vocational information centre (BIZ) from the employment agency. Here you will get suitable information concerning a wide range of professions as well as the associated qualifications. In addition you may make a consultation appointment on short notice with one of the employment agents.
Which employment agency in your region is the competent one for you, can be found on the website of the agency ww.arbeitsagentur.de under the menu item: Kontakt/Anschriften der Agenturen vor Ort.

Quite often, vocational guidances are offered at secondary schools for its pupils. Another possibility for an occupational trial are the voluntary and compulsory internships at companies. Please inform yourself at the respective school, as which possibilities may be available to you.

Within the county of Schleswig-Flensburg there is another offer for counsel and support for refugees by the project All aboard.

If necessary, the project offers its support:

• when starting an internship, dual as well as school based vocational training, work or a study
• competence assessment, respectively the mediation of counsel in order to recognise foreign qualifications, as well as for language courses and advanced training offers
• support at professional orientation, job application training and coaching

Further information about the advisory service can be found on the website of the project
All Aboard LINK

Job search

You can look for up-to-date job opportunities in the local press, as well as in the internet.

There are many job portals that can help you in your search for a suitable occupation with according qualifications. Among others, there is the job exchange from the Federal Labour Agency. You can register there and make up your own profile. These detailed informations about your abilities and skills may be very attractive for a potential employer. The more detailed your profile is, the better your chances are to get an employment.

The regional newspapers are another source for job advertisements. Most of the time they are published on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Job application

There are different kinds of job applications which are common in Germany. A successful job application generally leads to an employment and as such is clearly of very great importance. You can apply for a job at a potential employer via telephone or online. Other possibilities are to do it in written form or via Email. Most of the time it is stated within the job advertisement which kind of application is asked for. Normally the applicants will be asked to submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae (CV) including a photo and signature, certificates and proof of work. The documents are then usually being uploaded online into a job application portal. Usually the job applications are asked for in German. Sometimes however, a job application is also possible in a different language.

 The job application documents are often decisive for a successful application. For this reason you should concentrate intensively with this topic and get good advice. Several job application training offers are often being conducted by the job agency. Another possibility is that you inform yourself extensively online and take a look at standard examples. However, your application documents should be made up individually in order to stand out in a positive manner.