After your name, the next question in Germany is often Was machst du beruflich? "What do you do for work?" With strangers and older people it's Was machen Sie beruflich? It comes early, it's not nosy, and the answer is expected to be specific.
German job titles have two forms, one for men and one for women, and job ads add a third letter for everyone else. Here are the words and how to use them.
Saying What You Do
What do you do for a living?
Was machst du beruflich?
I'm a teacher.
Ich bin Lehrer.
I work as a nurse.
Ich arbeite als Pflegefachkraft.
I work at Siemens.
Ich arbeite bei Siemens.
I'm self-employed.
Ich bin selbstständig.
I'm looking for work.
Ich bin auf Jobsuche.
I'm on parental leave.
Ich bin in Elternzeit.
I'm a student.
Ich studiere.
I'm retired.
Ich bin in Rente.
Practice these words
Was machst du beruflich?
Watch out: German drops the article with jobs. Ich bin Lehrer, not Ich bin ein Lehrer. Adding ein sounds like you're describing what kind of person you are.
Bei or in? You work bei a company, bei Siemens, bei der Post, and in a place or sector: in einer Bäckerei, im Krankenhaus, in der IT.
Office, Shop and Service Jobs
office clerk
der Bürokaufmann
accountant
der Buchhalter
sales assistant
der Verkäufer
cashier
der Kassierer
waiter
der Kellner
cook
der Koch
hairdresser
der Friseur
cleaner
die Reinigungskraft
driver
der Fahrer
warehouse worker
der Lagerarbeiter
manager
der Manager
software developer
der Softwareentwickler
Practice these words
der Bürokaufmann
Trades and Crafts
electrician
der Elektriker
plumber
der Klempner / der Installateur
joiner
der Schreiner / der Tischler
carpenter
der Zimmermann
painter and decorator
der Maler
baker
der Bäcker
butcher
der Metzger / der Fleischer
mechanic
der Mechaniker
bricklayer
der Maurer
apprentice
der Auszubildende / der Azubi
Practice these words
der Elektriker
North and south: a joiner is a Schreiner in the south and a Tischler in the north. A butcher is a Metzger in the south and west, a Fleischer in the east, and a Schlachter in parts of the north. A plumber is a Klempner in most of Germany and an Installateur in the south. Each set means the same job.
Good to know: these jobs are learned in an Ausbildung of three to three and a half years, part school and part work. A Meister is a master craftsperson with a further qualification, and in some trades only a Meister may run a business.
Health, Care and Education
doctor
der Arzt
nurse
die Pflegefachkraft
geriatric nurse
der Altenpfleger
pharmacist
der Apotheker
dentist
der Zahnarzt
teacher
der Lehrer
nursery teacher
der Erzieher
social worker
der Sozialarbeiter
Practice these words
der Arzt
Nurse: the official job title since 2020 is Pflegefachfrau or Pflegefachmann. In conversation you'll still hear Krankenschwester for a woman and Krankenpfleger for a man.
Men, Women and (m/w/d)
Almost every job title gets -in for a woman, and the plural ends in -innen.
| Man | Woman | Plural for women |
|---|---|---|
der Lehrer | die Lehrerin | die Lehrerinnen |
der Arzt | die Ärztin | die Ärztinnen |
der Koch | die Köchin | die Köchinnen |
der Verkäufer | die Verkäuferin | die Verkäuferinnen |
der Kaufmann | die Kauffrau | die Kauffrauen |
der Friseur | die Friseurin | die Friseurinnen |
Good to know: some words change their vowel as well: Arzt, Ärztin; Koch, Köchin. Words in -mann swap to -frau. To talk about a mixed group, many people now write Lehrer:innen or say Lehrerinnen und Lehrer.
Reading a Job Ad
| In the ad | What it means |
|---|---|
(m/w/d) | männlich, weiblich, divers: the job is open to everyone. It's in nearly every German ad. |
Vollzeit / Teilzeit | full time / part time |
unbefristet | permanent, open-ended contract |
ab sofort | starting as soon as possible |
Berufserfahrung | work experience |
Kenntnisse | knowledge, skills: gute Deutschkenntnisse |
wünschenswert | nice to have, not required |
Quereinsteiger willkommen | career changers welcome |
Gehaltsvorstellung | your expected salary, often asked for in the application |
Lebenslauf | CV |
Bewerbung | application |
Gute Deutschkenntnisse usually means you can work in German day to day, roughly B2. Verhandlungssicheres Deutsch means fluent enough to negotiate, and Grundkenntnisse means the basics are enough.