Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
MY GERMAN CAREER

JOBS

‘The predictability here can be comforting’

In this week's My German Career, US pastor Jeff Ingram, 54, talks about life in the church and the advantages as well as the downside of Germany's desire for order.

Published: 24 February 2014 09:00 CET
'The predictability here can be comforting'
Jeff with his wife Anne. Photo: Submitted

Where are you located and what do you do?

I live in Dresden with my wife, Anne. I am a church planting pastor with the German Association of Evangelical Free Churches (FeG). We have been invited by the FeG in Dresden to help them start daughter churches in the greater Dresden area.

What brought you to Germany and how long have you been here?

We moved to Kaiserslautern in 1999 in order to help some friends start the FeG there. In 2003 we took a team from Kaiserslautern and started the FeG Ramstein, about 20km. After a 15-month assignment in the USA, we moved to Dresden in December 2013.

How did you land your job and do you have tips for anyone seeking similar work?

After serving for three-and-a-half years as an assistant pastor in a big church in Pennsylvania, we applied to work overseas with TEAM, or The Evangelical Alliance Mission. We were accepted and we began to seek funding for our work in Europe. We are financed exclusively through donations from interested friends and churches, primarily in the USA.

Anyone interested in doing the work we do must have a close relationship with and abiding trust in God, a clear sense of purpose, good communication skills, a willingness to endure hardship as well as a deep love and compassion for people.

CLICK HERE for The Local's job listings

Is it important for you to be able to speak German in your position?

Absolutely. I do a lot of public speaking in German so I have to speak German well. Consequently, I have worked very hard at it. If I could not speak German well, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to gain a hearing for our message of reconciliation.

What are the best and worst parts about working in Germany?

I appreciate the emphasis on order. Most things in Germany don’t just work – they work well. One can usually count on things functioning as they are supposed to. Most processes are well thought out and logical. There is a predictability here that can be comforting. There are not a lot of surprises once one gets accustomed to how things run here.

The flip side of the coin might be the worst part about working in Germany. The emphasis on order and predictability tends to stifle creativity and spontaneity. When we were preparing to hand the leadership of our church in Ramstein over to a young German pastor, our leaders told me: “We’ve really appreciated your willingness to try all sorts of crazy things. With you, we experienced the freedom to fail. We Germans have a difficult time trying new things because, for us, failure is not an option.”

Do you plan on staying?

Yes! Our work cannot be accomplished in a few short years. It takes time to build trust and, considering the spiritual nature of our work, trust is essential. We’re figuring we may finish out our career here in the Dresden area. 

SEE ALSO: 21 phrases to help you out in a German office

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

WORKING IN GERMANY

Four steps to take straight away after losing your job in Germany

Losing a job can be a nightmare situation for foreigners in Germany - but following these simple steps will get you back on your feet in no time.

Published: 10 September 2024 16:34 CEST
Updated: 15 September 2024 08:14 CEST
Four steps to take straight away after losing your job in Germany

In times of economic downturn, layoffs are far from unusual – but that doesn’t make it any more difficult for the people who find themselves suddenly left without work.

For foreigners in Germany, the situation is even more frightening. You may wonder whether your residence status is in jeopardy, how hard it will be to find another position, and whether you can support yourself while you look for another job.

Though it may be hard to think clearly at a time like this, following these four simple steps will set you in good stead to move forward – and hopefully, it won’t be long before another dream opportunity comes your way. 

1. Negotiate your terms 

Before signing or agreeing to anything, it’s crucial that you’re familiar with your rights and understand how much notice your employer has to give you and what kind of settlement you may be owed.

Generally, the rule of thumb is that you get half a month of severance for every year you worked at the company. That said, higher settlements can be negotiated in return for signing a termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag), so you may want to seek legal advice before settling. 

Even during a probationary period, your employer will also have to give you a certain amount of notice before your last working day. During the interim, you can either work for the company or be put on what is known as gardening leave in English, where you stay home but are paid as if you were working.

This can all be negotiated as part of a termination agreement, so you should think carefully about what works best for you and consider speaking to your labour council (Betriebsrat) or a legal specialist before making any firm decisions. You should also be aware that you have no obligation to sign any agreement and can legally dispute the layoff if you want to. 

READ ALSO: Can I get unemployment benefits in Germany if I quit my job?

2. Get all the necessary documents from your employer

Once the terms of the layoff are final, ensure that your employer gives you all the necessary documents you need to navigate the next phase of German bureaucracy.

The main two to think about first are the confirmation of work (Arbeitsbescheinung) and the confirmation of your holiday entitlement (Urlaubsbescheinigung).

The first can be sent to the Agentur für Arbeit (jobcentre) as proof of your last job and recent layoff, while the second will help your next employer calculate your vacation days for the rest of the year.

An Arbeitszeugnis, or German letter of reference

An Arbeitszeugnis, or German letter of reference. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-tmn | Zacharie Scheurer

On top of these documents, you’ll want to ask your employer for a letter of reference (Arbeitszeugnis), which is useful for finding a new job in Germany.

You should also keep hold of your last payslip and statement of earnings (Lohnsteuerabrechnung), which are helpful for tax purposes and may also be requested by the Agentur für Arbeit.

Speaking of which… 

3. Register as unemployed with the Agentur für Arbeit

As soon as you know that you are soon to be unemployed, you should register as a jobseeker with the Agentur für Arbeit. To get full unemployment benefits, you usually have to do this within three days of receiving your termination notice or at least three months before leaving.

Depending on what type of residence permit you’re on, you may or may not be entitled to long-term unemployment benefits (ALG II), but most employees are able to get unemployment insurance (ALG I), which covers a proportion of your former salary while you look for a new role.

It’s important to be a little bit careful here, as claiming long-term unemployment benefits (ALG II) can affect any future citizenship applications. Any severance pay you agree to can also result in you losing some months of unemployment benefits, so these are all factors you will have to consider while deciding on the best way forward. 

READ ALSO: What happens to your work permit if you lose your job in Germany?

4. Inform the immigration office 

If you’re on a residence permit that is linked to your job in some way, like a Blue Card or work visa, you’ll need to inform the immigration office about your change in circumstances as soon as possible.

This should be done in writing, and in German, within two weeks of receiving your termination notice.

You should include all relevant personal information, such as date of birth, residence permit type, and nationality, as well as the date of your final day at work. As proof of the layoff, you should also enclose a copy of your termination agreement or a letter from your employer. 

People enter the immigration office

For foreigners who move to Germany and settle in Berlin, a visit to the Berliner Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) is ultimately unavoidable. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Britta Pedersen

In most cases, the immigration office will give you between 3 and 12 months to look for a new job. If they give you a shorter period, be aware that you may be able to negotiate an extension later on if you are struggling to find work through no fault of your own.

Above all, stay positive. Though it may feel like one door has closed, another one is sure to open. This being Germany, you may just have to wade through a sea of paperwork to get there.

SHOW COMMENTS