💼 Work · Guide

Job interview in Germany: questions, your rights and real tips

Updated 12 October 2026 · For kitchen, warehouse, office, care and IT jobs

Short answer: A German job interview (Vorstellungsgespräch) is usually calm and direct. They ask about your CV, your German, why this job, and your salary wish. Be on time, know the company, bring copies of your papers, and prepare a two-minute story about yourself. Some questions are not allowed — like pregnancy or religion — and you do not have to answer them truthfully.

Many of us got our first job in Germany through a friend or a cousin. No interview, just "come tomorrow". But for a better job, a Blue Card job or an Ausbildung, you will sit in a real interview. It feels scary the first time. It gets much easier when you know what is coming.

Before the interview: three things to prepare

1. Know the company

Open their website. What do they sell? Where do they work? Who are their customers? You only need three or four facts. When they ask "Why us?", you can say something real instead of "Because I need a job".

2. Your two-minute story

Almost every interview starts with "Erzählen Sie etwas über sich" — tell us about yourself. Do not read your whole CV. Say it in this order:

What you do now (or did last).
One or two things you are good at, with a small example.
Why this job fits you.

Practise it out loud, in German if the job is in German. Two minutes is enough.

3. Your papers

Bring copies, not originals: CV, certificates, Arbeitszeugnisse, language certificate, and your residence permit if they ask about it. Put them in a clean folder. If you still need a German CV, use our Lebenslauf tool and the cover letter guide.

Questions you will hear — and how to answer

Question	What they want to know	A good way to answer
Warum möchten Sie bei uns arbeiten? Why do you want to work here?	Did you prepare?	Name one real thing about the company and connect it to your experience.
Wie gut ist Ihr Deutsch? How good is your German?	Can you work with the team and customers?	Be honest. Say your level (A2, B1…) and what you are doing to improve. Then show it by speaking.
Was sind Ihre Stärken und Schwächen? Strengths and weaknesses?	Do you know yourself?	One strength with an example. One real weakness and what you do about it.
Warum wollen Sie in Deutschland arbeiten? Why Germany?	Will you stay?	Talk about your plans here: language, family, a long-term job.
Was waren Ihre Aufgaben im letzten Job? Tasks in your last job?	Can you do this job?	Give numbers: "I prepared 150 meals a shift", "I picked about 120 orders per hour".
Was sind Ihre Gehaltsvorstellungen? Salary expectation?	Do you fit the budget?	Say a yearly gross range. Check normal pay first (see below).
Haben Sie noch Fragen? Any questions?	Are you interested?	Always ask one or two (see below). "No" sounds like no interest.

Sometimes they ask a strange question to see how you react. That is normal. Stay calm, think for a few seconds, then answer.

How to talk about salary

Do not guess. Look up what people in your job earn in your region. The Bundesagentur für Arbeit has a free tool for this, the Entgeltatlas (only in German). Then give a range, for example "between 38,000 and 41,000 euros gross per year". Always talk about gross per year (brutto im Jahr) unless the job is paid by the hour. To see what is left after tax, use our Brutto-Netto calculator.

If you need a Blue Card, the salary must reach the legal limit. Say this openly. See our post on the Blue Card limit for 2027.

Good questions to ask them

Wie sieht ein normaler Arbeitstag aus? — What does a normal day look like?
Wer wird mich einarbeiten? — Who will train me?
Wie sind die Arbeitszeiten und Schichten? — What are the hours and shifts?
Wie geht es nach der Probezeit weiter? — What happens after the trial period?
Wann bekomme ich eine Antwort? — When will I hear from you?

Questions they are not allowed to ask

German law protects you from some questions when they have nothing to do with the job. Usually not allowed:

Are you pregnant? Do you plan to have children?
Are you married?
What is your religion? What party do you vote for?
Are you in a trade union?

German courts say that if an employer asks an illegal question, you may give a false answer without negative legal results. This is called the Recht zur Lüge. A polite answer like "Das hat mit der Stelle nichts zu tun" also works. But be careful: for allowed questions (your experience, your certificates, your work permit) you must tell the truth.

If you were rejected because of your origin, religion, gender or age, you may claim compensation under the AGG. The deadline is short: usually two months after you got the rejection. Get advice quickly.

Travel costs: who pays?

If the company invited you, it often has to pay necessary travel costs — unless it said clearly before that it will not pay. Keep your tickets.
If you are registered as a jobseeker, the Arbeitsagentur or Jobcenter can pay interview travel and application costs from the Vermittlungsbudget. You must ask before you spend the money. It is not guaranteed.

Trial work (Probearbeit): know the line

In kitchens, shops and warehouses you are often invited to "work one day and see". Just watching or walking with the team for a short time can be unpaid. But if you do real work — cooking for customers, filling shelves, replacing a worker — you may be owed pay at least at minimum wage. Write down the date, hours and what you did. Never work more than a short trial without a written agreement.

Video and phone interviews

If you apply from India or another country, ask for a video or phone interview. Check the time zone twice. Test your camera and internet. Sit in a quiet, bright place. Wear the same clothes you would wear in person.

On the day

Arrive 10 minutes early. Late is a very bad start in Germany.
Phone on silent.
Clean, simple clothes. A suit for office jobs. Neat clothes for kitchen or warehouse.
Say "Guten Tag", give your name, look people in the eye.
Use "Sie", not "du", until they offer "du".
At the end, say thank you and that you want the job.

After the interview

If you hear nothing for a week, send a short, friendly email and ask about the status. If you get the job, read the contract slowly before you sign. Check hours, salary, trial period and notice period. Our Probezeit FAQ explains the first six months.