Students or working professionals interested in pursuing a post graduate program in Germany generally orient themselves towards the popular MINT [1] stream while exercising their choice of study. Strong industry interactions, cutting edge research projects with copious government funding or industrial sponsorship, highly experienced & knowledgeable faculty, state of the art labs, quality education, affordable tuition fee etc. are some compelling reasons why Germany is an attractive destination for post graduate studies.
Application process involves submission of conventional set of documents like completed Bachelor’s Degree, Curriculum Vitae, TOEFL/IELTS scores (English Proficiency), TestDAF/DSH/Goethe Zertifikat C2 etc. (German Proficiency – needed only for programs taught purely in German), APS[2], ID proofs etc. to university. Gathering documents for student visa and its application at nearest German embassy or via its authorized representative like VFS is the next step after gaining a successful admission into a German university.
A good working knowledge of German and/or work experience in German based multinational companies coupled with an international internship or project work in Germany or German spoken countries immensely enhances career prospects post completion of post graduate course in Germany. The first step in getting your foot into German companies is by using an internship (Praktikum) trump card which maybe a compulsory requirement for some study programs. This opportunity can be cashed in by an enterprising student if he can showcase his talent at work as well as communicative ability in German. This internship provides a bilateral chance for the student as well as his employer to evaluate the performance and “fit” into the team viz. corporate work culture. It also provides an attested “German work experience” which is invaluable during job search in Germany and Europe.
In our experience, a student’s ability to express fluently on common topics and engaging in meaningful small talk with team mates and managers in German carves a solid foundation for next steps in the job hunt with any employer. It is also a sublime truth that German employers are looking out for an employee with a reasonable level of social integration into the German milieu, for which German proficiency is obligatory. Working professionals can leverage their domain expertise and academic credentials effectively with an insightful German proficiency amongst German employers.
The Foreigners Office grants 18-month of job search visa for successful graduates of German universities which is a mammoth advantage in comparison to US F1 students of STEM[3] programs. A successfully completed German degree with good academic grades as well as German proficiency will astronomically enhance probability of landing into a job in Germany.
[1] Mathematics, Information Sciences, Natural Sciences and Technology – MINT
[2] Akadmische Pruefstelle – APS
[3] Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – STEM