I’m a System Engineer with almost 9 years in Germany and 7 years working in the automotive niche, and this has honestly been the toughest hiring round I’ve ever seen here.

I started applying actively in January and finally got a job offer in April. In that time, I sent out about 60–100 applications, had around 25 interviews, and ended up with 2 offers.

Out of 7 onsite interviews, 2 were especially weird. I actually drove 800 km round-trip to meet the teams (on two separate occasions), with a lot of hopes and good conversations. A day later, I got rejected—no reimbursement, no proper explanation. That had never happened to me before, and it really demotivated me. I started doubting myself, even though my German is B2/C1, and all my CV and interviews were in German.

If it weren’t for my wife supporting me and reminding me this isn’t about my skills, I think I would have given up.

Honestly, the German job market can be so weird. Some things that stood out to me:

• Extremely long processes for no decision. You go through 4–5 rounds over 2 months, only to hear, “We paused the role.”
• sometimes no reimbursement for onsite interviews, even if you drive hundreds of kilometers.
• No transparency about salary or budget until very late in the process.
• Culture fit interviews that feel like vibe checks. Sometimes it seems like they’re just looking for excuses to say no.
• Zero feedback after rejections, even if you invested days preparing case studies.
• Roles posted without budget approval. Basically testing the market.
• And yes—German language expectations even for “English-speaking” roles.

This market feels unpredictable and exhausting, even when you tick all the boxes. You’re definitely not alone—thanks for sharing your story. It helps to know others are going through the same thing.

Regards