First Job in Germany as an American (Who Doesn’t Speak German)
I just finished working my first day on the job in Germany as an American who doesn’t speak the language…what to expect.
First of all, obviously, it was hard. The good news is, it really wasn’t any more difficult than any other first day on the job. Starting a new job is always difficult. You’re in a new environment surrounded by new people learning a new set of skills or procedures, it’s a lot to take in. Now, add on top of that the fact that you can't speak the native language, what could go wrong right? Honestly, and surprisingly, not that much. I was set up with an English speaking fellow who would be training me for the day, and even though it was information overload, it wasn’t much more difficult than any other first day.
That’s not to say I didn’t have any encounters with German speaking people, because I did. I had both coworkers and customers approach me and start speaking German to me. All I can say is, don't be afraid of this, you’ll figure it out! When a customer approached me asking a question, I would never understand them, but I’d just tell them, “Entschuldigung, mein Deutsch ist nicht gut.” which means “Sorry, my German is not good.” and they’d just look to the guy I was training with for help. When a coworker approached me speaking German, I’d say the same thing, and we’d begin to communicate as best we could through body language and gestures. You’d be surprised how much you can communicate with your inflection, tone, pointing, gestures, etc. Even if we aren’t speaking the same language, you can communicate by “showing” the other person what you’re trying to say.
Again, you just sort of figure it out and find a way, so don’t be too scared. Remind yourself, they’re just people, and most people are actually pretty nice. If you put on a happy face and are nice about the fact that you can’t really communicate with them, most people are empathetic and understanding. So yes, your first day working a German job when you don’t speak German will probably be difficult, but it’s honestly not much if any more difficult than starting any other job, so keep your head up. It’s going to be okay, you will figure it out, it’s not as bad as you think.