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[jehend1982]

Hello,

I have a Master's Degree in the Humanities (focus: Art History) from a top midwestern university, and have worked as a higher education professional for the past four years.  My professional experience entails curriculum development for a study abroad organization in Chicago and program development and accreditation work at a Design School in New York City.

I have just moved to Hamburg, Germany and will marry a native of this city in October.  So, I'm looking into career options here.  Aside from becoming an English teacher (a possibility, but not one I want to pursue as a career), I'm at a loss for how to obtain employment without having the connections or the education native Germans would have.  I would really like to work in the Study Abroad industry, but I'd be happy working in any other higher education field or at a humanities/culture-oriented non-profit.

My German is conversational, and improving all the time.  Ideally, I would work in an environment which requires both German and English (as opposed to solely German), but perhaps I'll change my mind about that once my confidence speaking the language increases!

Many thanks for your advice...

Jodi

[euro_trash]

Your chances are limited.  The job market in the humanities is almost impossible.  Do you have experience in study abroad admin?  If not, English might be the only thing to put bread on the table.  I lived in Germany for many years.  I knew many Brits and Americans that taught English off the books and raked it in. 

[embitteredhistorian]

I don't know about the art field in Germany specifically, but my suggestion: work on your German as much as you can. Most positions in Germany expect a working command of German, and for a good position, you will need to be fluent.

[expatacademic]

If you want to work in Germany, one needs to speak very good German. And by 'very good' I mean you need to be fluent if you would like to find a job above that of a bar tender. Near fluency and proficiency is not enough. The bar tends to be a bit lower in English speaking countries.

I recall having had courses with professors as an undergrad in the US who spoke English with lots of grammatical mistakes and a very thick accident. I remember 2 specifically, one was from the Czech Republic and the other from Japan. Neither of these 2 people would've ever found a job in Germany.

Not to be pessimistic. But I've lived in the country for 10 years. We as English speaking people are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to working internationally. Yes, English is the language of international trade. But when the person gets of the telephone or finished typing his/her email in English, he goes back to speaking with his colleagues in his native language.

[expatacademic]

Sorry, I meant to write:

But when the person gets off the telephone or finishes typing his/her email in English, he goes back to speaking with his work colleagues in his native language.

[cora_b]

Like someone said above, the academic job market in the humanities in Germany is very tight. You're somewhat lucky in your choice of location, as Hamburg is an academic hotspot of sorts and has 18 universities and colleges. A full list (in German) with links is here. In addition to Universität Hamburg, Hochschule für bildende Künste, Akademie Mode & Design and maybe Hafen City University might be of interest for you, given your art and design experience. What is more, most universities and colleges have foreign language programs. I'd also look a bit further afield. Bremen, Flensburg, Kiel, Hannover, Lübeck, Magdeburg, Rostock, etc... all have universities and can be easily reached from Hamburg via train or car.

If you want to teach at a public school in Germany, you need a German teaching diploma and very very good German. However, there is a teacher shortage at the moment. Many states are actively looking for teachers and are also willing to consider qualified applicants without a German teaching diploma, though you'll have to take extra classes. The guidelines for public school teacher applicants without German teaching diploma in the city of Hamburg are here. Again, I'd also consider the neighbouring states of Niedersachsen and Schleswig-Holstein. You'll have to look up their teacher application guidelines, since the conditions differ from state to state.

Private schools usually require a teaching diploma as well. You might have more luck at the various private language schools and institutes, which usually prefer native speakers and don't insist on formal teaching qualifications. Private Nachhilfeschulen, i.e. tutoring schools, are also looking for teachers and don't require a formal diploma. I'd also try Volkshochschule (VHS), a semi-public adult education organisation that offers everything from pottery and bellydancing to language classes. VHS operates on a contract per class basis and is a good way of tiding yourself over until you've found something else. The website of the Hamburg Volkshochschule is here.

A lot of media and advertising companies are based in Hamburg and might be of interest given your art and design background. However, you would need very good German. I wouldn't bother with the museums and other public cultural institutions, since the Hamburg senate has just slashed the culture budget and many institutions are struggling or even closing.

If your German is good enough, I'd also look into freelance translating. You don't need a formal diploma (though it may be worthwhile to take the translator exam, if you want to make a full time job of it) and it can pay quite well, particularly if you find a niche.

Hope this helps and good luck!