International Background in the German Job Market: Rights, Challenges and Opportunities

This session will be held in English and online. Part of the series "Staying and Working in Germany".

Many companies present themselves as multicultural and open-minded employers. At the same time, studies show that applicants with non-German sounding names often face disadvantages compared to equally qualified candidates with German names.

In this session, you will examine the legal framework and practical realities of entering the German job market with an international background. You will explore which laws protect you from discrimination, who the relevant contact persons within a company are, and how you can highlight the strengths you bring through your international experience.

You will:

• examine different forms of discrimination in the workplace
• learn what you can do if you experience discrimination
• understand which laws protect you in Germany
• identify responsible actors and contact points within organizations
• explore how to use intercultural competence as a professional strength

You will also engage with current data and findings on migration and the labour market, exchange experiences, and develop strategies to position your international background as an advantage in professional contexts.

The session will be led by Aristidis Sidiratos from IG Metall, one of Germany’s largest trade unions representing employees in the metal and electrical industries.

Participation Policy and Data Protection Information

The events are offered for international degree seeking students and recent graduates (up to one year after graduation) within the DAAD-funded (German Academic Exchange Service) project “Study, Stay, Succeed in Karlsruhe”. As participation is limited and the activities are publicly funded, we ask participants to register only if they plan to attend the full session. Registration implies a binding intention to attend. If your plans change, please cancel your registration in advance.

We collect, save and process personal data of persons who register for the event in order to organize the event and evaluate the project. The anonymized personal data is shared with the DAAD for statistical reasons. Please see our data protection information for details.

Non-international students can also enroll and will be placed at the waiting list. We inform them a few days before start, if there are places left for non-international students and if they can attend.