Where to find jobs in Germany (and how to avoid scams)

The Jobbörse of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) is the largest public job database in the country. Companies of every size post there, including many that never advertise on paid job boards. The Make it in Germany portal also lists roles aimed at international professionals, and the agency's international placement service (ZAV) advises people abroad.

Boofoll uses the Federal Employment Agency's public database as its source: we fetch the jobs, score how well they match your profile and help you build a German-style CV.

• StepStone and Indeed: large aggregators with many qualified roles.
• LinkedIn: strong for tech, international companies and active recruiting.
• XING: a German-language professional network still used by local recruiters.
• Niche boards: for example, sites specialising in engineering, healthcare, academic research or start-ups.
• Company career pages (Karriere): many roles appear there first.

Recruitment agencies (Personalvermittlung) and temporary staffing agencies (Zeitarbeit) are common in Germany. They are paid by the hiring company. Temporary work can be a way in, but read the contract terms carefully.

• Being asked to pay to secure a job, a visa or a "processing fee".
• An offer with no interview and pay far above the market.
• Contact only through messaging apps, with no company email or verifiable website.
• Requests for sensitive documents (passport, bank details) before any contract.
• Promises of a guaranteed visa: visas are only granted by German authorities.

• Pick three to five target job titles and search using both German and English names (for example, "Softwareentwickler" and "Software Developer").
• Turn on job alerts so you do not rely on manual searches.
• Prioritise roles where you meet most of the mandatory requirements.
• Track all your applications in one place so you know when to follow up.