Our involves international professionals providing insights into the professional and private experiences they have gleaned in Germany. They also give valuable tips and practical advice relating to arriving in Germany and personal integration.

In early October, Putu Budha from Indonesia spoke about his experiences in the nursing industry and about learning German. Participants also had the opportunity to ask questions during the online event. This was an opportunity for them to get some advice on how to start a career in Germany.

Putu Budha from Indonesia has a special connection to Germany and the German language. When he was in year 10 at school, some of his classmates were awarded a scholarship for a stay in Germany. Putu Budha said to himself: “I can do this, too.” In his home country Indonesia the now 26-year-old attended a so-called school. PASCH stands for “Schools: Partners for the Future”. This initiative by a number of Germany institutions provides funding for schools outside Germany that teach German and attach great importance to such language teaching.

Useful tips from Facebook groups

The German lessons at his school were an essential aspect when Putu Budha went on to apply for jobs in Germany later on. “When I graduated from school after year 12, I was at A2 level,” he reports in the online discussion event. After leaving school, he initially worked as a waiter, while doing research about his options for . Facebook groups run by other Indonesians who were already living in Germany or still looking for a job just like Putu Budha, proved a good source of information.

“Applying as an au pair would have been my first choice, but that’s not so easy for young men,” he says. From his online contacts he learned about the option of doing a social year. A number of German organisations offer this type of volunteering work for young people from abroad, too. It was through the organisation “Freunde Waldorf Freiwilligendienst” that Putu Budha came to Berchtesgaden in the South of Germany in 2017. Here he did a voluntary social year (Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr, FSJ) at an assisted living facility for people with disabilities.

Learning German through self-talk

A community member asked if Putu Budha’s German had been good enough for a job that involved being in contact with lots of people. Putu Budha admitted that he understood little at the start. “This was also to do with being in Bavaria where people tend to ,“ he recalls. However, his language skills improved rapidly. Putu Budha came up with his very own method. His recipe for success is this: “I learn by talking to myself on the street.”

Putu Budha also makes an effort to communicate with people everywhere and at all times. He talks to himself to practice wordings. He also listens to podcasts and German music a lot. With this autodidactic approach he was able to significantly improve his German within about a year and a half.

Urgent demand for skilled professionals in the nursing industry

While Putu Budha liked the little town of Berchtesgaden that has a population of around 7,600, he was often lonely at first. The breathtaking view of the Alps he was able to enjoy from his apartment offered some consolation. “It took me six months to feel at home.” At the end of his social year, Putu Budha for an apprenticeship in nursing and he found a training position in the city of Augsburg in Bavaria.

He completed his training in 2022 and has since found that it is relatively easy to find a job in the German healthcare sector. “Nursing staff and doctors are in high demand across Germany, as there is a shortage of skilled professionals. If you apply as a nurse, you can usual come in for a work trial just a week later.”

Applying for German citizenship

Putu Budha is now working for an outpatient facility that takes care of intensive care patients. His tasks are diverse and he has a high degree of responsibility for the severely ill patients. Are there any differences between the German and Indonesian working world? “Independence plays an important role in Germany,” Putu Budha says, adding: “You only ask for support if you need help. In Indonesia colleagues are more likely to ask if they can help you.” Putu Budha points out that his colleagues in Germany are still generally happy to help and friendly.

If he can, Putu Budha flies to Indonesia once a year to see his family and friends. For the time being, he is not thinking about returning to his home country: “Germany has become my second home.” He has meanwhile applied for German citizenship. Most of his friends in Augsburg are from Indonesia. “I met some of my friends who also have dogs while taking my dog for walks.”

A successful career in Germany

The fact that he often spends his free time with people from Indonesia has had no negative impact on his German skills. “I am frequently praised for my good language skills. That motivates me a lot,” says Putu Budha. He is also proud of his professional career: “I started out as a waiter in Indonesia. Now I am a nursing professional in Germany.” When did he realise he had truly arrived in Germany? “At some point my parents started to speak German in my dreams, even though they obviously can’t.”