German Language Level Needed for Working.

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1
Hi All.

I just wanted to post a quick question asking if anyone knows what level of German (for example B1 etc) I would need to get a job in general in Switzerland?

At this stage it would be a job that doesn't require a degree/university education and only part time.

Thanks!

2
It really depends on the job and the company.

I got a job in Zurich with almost no German, and a job in Lugano with even less Italian!

Tom

3
Officially, the minimum required level in German is B2, but it always depends on the company and the position.

4
'Officially' what sort of speak is that, & can you give some 'official' reference?

5
Depends a lot on whether you are working with customers, but even without customer contact I think B2 is the minimum in a swiss company with German as the working language. With customer contact, you really need C1 plus the ability to understand swiss german.

There are many international companies where english alone is sufficent.

6
It comes down to the individual. Some are ready to get out there and yap away at B1, and personality/body language/willingness to make mistakes compensate.

Others are oblivious to the framework for languages levels, and are none the worse for it, often having picked up dialect beforehand.

then there are those who want their grammar perfect and won't open their mouth till every adjective ending is correct.

Trying is the more important part. When I was first learning German, I was nervous and reluctant to speak. However I thought about how often I laugh at grammar mistakes of non-native speakers of English: never.

Universities have a C1 requirement for study - you can perhaps take it from that that that's a good target for daily requirements.

7
Hello,

do i need a cert to certify my german or so long as i am able to speak is good enough?

8
Assuming you're foreigner here and your first language isn't german, a certificate will bring you on the safe side on the job market, in particular if your employer/function requires a specific level in german. Your employer may ask you a proof of it.

But , if you write your application letter in german and if you have a (very )good command of german, a future employer might consider it as sufficient.

Viel Glück

9
A Goethe Certificate certainly helps.

Try for the Goethe ZMP. It is not all too hard....

If it comes down to a couple of candidates with German

as a requirement, you would stand out just a bit more than

the others.

10
Here's a general description of the language competencies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_..._for_Languages

B1 would be the first target. B2 related to your field of work, and C1 for entry to tertiary studies. Even with C1 you will struggle with written language compared to your peers.

In reality ? Totally depends on the job and the position, but you're going to be limited in your options without at least B1 if not B2.

11
Does anyone know what the cost is like to take the exam and get a Geothe language certificate?

12
I speak little German and have had no difficulty in getting work for banks and insurance companies - where the working language is English due to the large number of non-Swiss being employed.

13
Google and two seconds later:

http://www.goethe-pz.ch/list.php