German companies have spent a lot of time and money in recent years reducing their staffs and handing less key jobs to outsiders. This is often true in hiring.

Anyone not at the top echelon of the workforce is unlikely to find a job through a recruitment agency. German companies are notoriously frugal and don’t want to spend on external agencies when the country has a well-established system of advertising and applying for jobs. But headhunters are popular for executives or any high-level position that might report directly to the board.

Still, there are many recruitment agencies for computer-related, executive and scientific jobs. Providing temporary workers is supposedly one of the fastest-growing industries. If you find a recruitment company offering the kinds of jobs you’re qualified for, they can also help you with the transition and paperwork, and let you know what your services are worth on the German market.