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Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Old Aug 18th 2016, 3:37 pm
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Default Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

My husband and I have been living in London for 13 years now and we have British Citizenship.We are at highly paid jobs in banking in the City. We would like to move Frankfurt for 2-3 years for a change. We both love Germany and would love to spend a few years there. However, we don't speak German. How possible is it to find a banking job in Frankfurt, without any knowledge of German? Obviously if we managed to find a job we would move to Frankfurt and start lessons immediately. I would love to learn German
Thank you
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Old Aug 18th 2016, 4:24 pm
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Personally, I would start German lessons well ahead of looking for work.

I would also recommend waiting until you have tried to learn and speak German before declaring a love for it.
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 6:43 am
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by Renia
My husband and I have been living in London for 13 years now and we have British Citizenship.We are at highly paid jobs in banking in the City. We would like to move Frankfurt for 2-3 years for a change. We both love Germany and would love to spend a few years there. However, we don't speak German. How possible is it to find a banking job in Frankfurt, without any knowledge of German? Obviously if we managed to find a job we would move to Frankfurt and start lessons immediately. I would love to learn German
Thank you
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
My first reaction is, why not ask your bank(s) about the possibility of a transfer to their offices in Frankfurt?
I agree with Pulaski, German syntax is difficult and you should start learning as from now, to be sure that you really want to live in Germany! Even if you find English-only work in a multi-national banking institution, you still need to communicate with the locals, and "integrate".
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 6:59 am
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

I agree with the others. Learn German first or ask your bank if you can get a transfer. However, the problem with waiting is that as British citizens you will lose your right to live and work in the European Union soon. So you should probably also look into how your legal position might chance once the UK leaves the EU.

Last edited by Assanah; Aug 19th 2016 at 7:04 am.
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 7:23 am
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by Assanah
I agree with the others. Learn German first or ask your bank if you can get a transfer. However, the problem with waiting is that as British citizens you will lose your right to live and work in the European Union soon. So you should probably also look into how your legal position might chance once the UK leaves the EU.
Why oh why do people come up with this everytime the EU is mentioned, no-one knows yet just what will happen, and even whether the UK will leave the EU. If the UK does leave the EU it's highly likely that freedom of movement will remain as the UK is likely to join the EEA.
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 10:00 am
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by mikelincs
Why oh why do people come up with this everytime the EU is mentioned, no-one knows yet just what will happen, and even whether the UK will leave the EU. If the UK does leave the EU it's highly likely that freedom of movement will remain as the UK is likely to join the EEA.
So, why do you then speculate about it?

I think the point of visa and working permit is very important. That is why I mentioned it. I know people who have decided not to look for jobs in the UK because of this uncertainty - incidently these are very well educated people with good jobs in the EU who do not want to end up in legal limbo thanks to some decision Madame-Brexit-means-Brexit might take or maybe not take or maybe take and then reverse or maybe whatever. You wants to bet his/her future on this kind of situation? .
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 1:48 pm
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by Assanah
So, why do you then speculate about it? ....
Mike isn't speculating, he is making a perfectly valid point to counter the entirely bogus "certainty" that Britain leaving the EU would automatically put a stop to all and any possibility of British citizens working in any country in the EU.

Originally Posted by mikelincs
.... If the UK does leave the EU it's highly likely that freedom of movement will remain as the UK is likely to join the EEA.
Even without such freedoms of movement, I would bet my life savings that the Germans will give visas to skilled and highly qualified British citizens so they can work in Germany.

Last edited by Pulaski; Aug 19th 2016 at 1:51 pm.
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 2:34 pm
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Mike isn't speculating, he is making a perfectly valid point to counter the entirely bogus "certainty" that Britain leaving the EU would automatically put a stop to all and any possibility of British citizens working in any country in the EU.


Even without such freedoms of movement, I would bet my life savings that the Germans will give visas to skilled and highly qualified British citizens so they can work in Germany.
I haven't said that there will no possibility for British to work in the EU. I just pointed out that you will need a visa. What the requirements are is not clear. It will probably be in alliance with what Germany needs. If we need bankers and there are no EU or EEA citizens that qualify then a qualified British can get a visa.
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 3:20 pm
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by Assanah
I haven't said that there will no possibility for British to work in the EU. I just pointed out that you will need a visa. What the requirements are is not clear. It will probably be in alliance with what Germany needs. If we need bankers and there are no EU or EEA citizens that qualify then a qualified British can get a visa.
Why will you need a visa, or do you know what the outcome of the negotiations is going to be. Everything is speculation at the moment, and with legal things going on through the supreme court here in the UK to ensure that article 50 will only be activated when and IF Parliament agrees then there is still the possibility that the UK will NOT leave the EU.
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 4:30 pm
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Working in Germany - at ay level - without fluency n German language and a knowledge of German Business Culture and Etiquette just is not going to happen !
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 4:41 pm
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by scot47
Working in Germany - at ay level - without fluency n German language and a knowledge of German Business Culture and Etiquette just is not going to happen !
I disagree.

I moved to a fairly high level job in Germany (just 25 minutes from Frankfurt actually) in 1986. At the time I had virtually no knowledge of German. Now this wasn't a bank but rather a science research institution. Lack of German was not a problem at all (at work) and it only took a few months to become functional in the language "on the street". We all became fluent within a year or two.

Back to banking: I have a niece who was working for Deutsche Bank in London, also at a high level and now works for the same bank in New York. She's been asked to consider a transfer to Frankfurt and speaks not a word of German.
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 5:12 pm
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by mikelincs
Why will you need a visa, or do you know what the outcome of the negotiations is going to be. Everything is speculation at the moment, and with legal things going on through the supreme court here in the UK to ensure that article 50 will only be activated when and IF Parliament agrees then there is still the possibility that the UK will NOT leave the EU.
No, I don't know the outcome. Neither do you. One thing is sure there will be no free movement for the British if EU citizens will not get the same once the UK leaves. So it is quiet likely that you will need to apply for visas if you want to work or live in the EU. Of course if the UK chooses not to leave at all than there will be no issue. But then the British will need to work hard to mend the mental break between the UK and the EU.
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 5:28 pm
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by Assanah
I agree with the others. Learn German first or ask your bank if you can get a transfer. However, the problem with waiting is that as British citizens you will lose your right to live and work in the European Union soon. So you should probably also look into how your legal position might chance once the UK leaves the EU.
The problem that you're causing with this thread is the bolded bit. No-one knows.

Originally Posted by Assanah
No, I don't know the outcome. Neither do you. One thing is sure there will be no free movement for the British if EU citizens will not get the same once the UK leaves. So it is quiet likely that you will need to apply for visas if you want to work or live in the EU. Of course if the UK chooses not to leave at all than there will be no issue. But then the British will need to work hard to mend the mental break between the UK and the EU.
Not once the UK leaves, but if the UK leaves and if the UK doesn't do a Norway or a Switzerland.

Anyway, none of this bickering is remotely helpful to the OP. In this regard I'd point out the they have only been in the UK for 13 years and are NOW British citizens.

For all we know they are Greek.

Last edited by Novocastrian; Aug 19th 2016 at 5:31 pm.
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Old Aug 19th 2016, 10:13 pm
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

Originally Posted by Novocastrian
The problem that you're causing with this thread is the bolded bit. No-one knows.



Not once the UK leaves, but if the UK leaves and if the UK doesn't do a Norway or a Switzerland.

Anyway, none of this bickering is remotely helpful to the OP. In this regard I'd point out the they have only been in the UK for 13 years and are NOW British citizens.

For all we know they are Greek.

If they are Greek or French or Polish they will of course have no problems. But if they are only British they should consider the worst case scenario which is that the British government will reject free movement which is in my view very likely. That would mean that British citizens will need to apply for a visa to work and live in the EU. Also it is possible (as May has already threatened) that your government will not grant EU citizens who immigrated after the referendum the right to stay. In this case I very much expect Germany to respond in kind. I think this to be not very likely but who knows how desperate the negotiations will become. Simple truth is that if you move now you will be a pawn in the hand of the politicians. And now I will stop bickering.
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Old Aug 20th 2016, 7:12 am
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Default Re: Prospects of a job in Frankfurt

The OP did say that they were considering moving to Frankfurt for 2-3 years for a change. If they find work before Article 50's been notified, they could be back in the UK before negotiations have been concluded.
(Has the OP left the building?)
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