Moving to Germany, want to work in the financial sector, need some help/info
Hi everyone,
Apologies for posting this in English. My German isn't good enough to write what I want to write. I got the advice to post here from Reddit.
I'm contemplating moving to Germany, and I would really appreciate your take on my situation to help me with the decision making process.
The facts
- 27 year old
- Would be moving to Germany with my girlfriend
- Liberal arts degree (Political Science) from an Ivy League (I know it won't help me, just trying to give as much info)
- German level currently at A2 (Bilingual in English/Arabic, Turkish B1/B2 although I haven't taken any official exams for it)
- 2 years experience in commercial banking (credit analysis)
- Two startups founded and up and running (i.e. I'm not worried about money)
- Passed the three levels of CFA, 2 levels of CMA, 2 levels of FRM, and 2 levels of the CAIA, also passed the American-centric Series 65 and SIE exam. I did all these while I was working on my startups so while I have passed all the exams, I don't have the experience to get any charter yet.
- Excel/VBA, Python, Tableau
The desired goal/planned process
- Move to Germany
- Enroll in intensive German classes for 2 years
- Obtain a job in the financial sector (I'm moving to Frankfurt if that matters, but my gf is open to moving to Berlin if it would be better for me professionally), ideally in equity research or asset management
The questions:
-
What level of German would I need to get to before I could start applying for jobs in the field? B2? C1? C2?
-
I'm estimating it would take me 2 years of intensive studying to get to B2/C1. By then I'll be about 30 years old. Would the combo of old age/lack of experience be a serious obstacle in getting an entry-level job in the field assuming I have the language by then?
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Would I be able to get part-time or even full-time internships in the field in the first two years while I'm learning the language? (even unpaid is fine by me during that stage)
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Someone told me that it's impossible to get a job in the field unless I have an academic degree in business or finance. Is that true? Would I have to do a second bachelor's just to enter the field?
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Would I be taxed in Germany on my income from my 2 startups? (no operations in Germany, but I would be doing the bulk of my work on them while I'm residing in Germany). These are registered and tax-paying LLCs, not freelance/independent contractor work.
-
Are there any standard certifications/licensing exams to pass if I want to work in the field? Any info on these would be much appreciated because I know that might be a tough question to answer.
- Any advice that pops in your head that you can give me
Thank you all for all your help in advance! And apologies again for posting in English or if I'm unknowingly breaking any forum rules.
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