Most small jobs in Germany are settled on one phone call. The call lasts a minute and usually turns on the same ten questions. Each one is below in German, with what it means, a short reply, and how to say it. At the end there is one sentence to use when you cannot follow — that sentence is what saves the call.
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
Do you speak German?
SHPRE-khen zee DOYTCH?
You say:
Ein bisschen. Langsam, bitte.
A little. Slowly, please.
ine BIS-khen. LANG-zam, BIT-uh.
Wie heißen Sie?
What is your name?
vee HY-sen zee?
You say:
Ich heiße …
My name is …
ikh HY-suh …
Haben Sie eine Arbeitserlaubnis?
Do you have permission to work?
HAH-ben zee INE-uh AR-bites-er-LOWB-nis?
You say — and say only what is true:
Ja, ich habe eine Arbeitserlaubnis. / Ich bringe meine Papiere mit.
Yes, I have permission to work. / I will bring my documents with me.
yah, ikh HAH-buh INE-uh AR-bites-er-LOWB-nis. / ikh BRING-uh MY-nuh pa-PEER-uh mit.
Haben Sie Erfahrung?
Do you have experience?
HAH-ben zee er-FAH-roong?
You say:
Ja, zwei Jahre Erfahrung.
Yes, two years of experience. (Say your own number.)
yah, tsvy YAH-ruh er-FAH-roong.
Wann können Sie anfangen?
When can you start?
van KUR-nen zee AN-fang-en?
You say:
Ich kann sofort anfangen.
I can start immediately.
ikh kan zo-FORT AN-fang-en.
Wo wohnen Sie?
Where do you live?
voh VOH-nen zee?
You say:
Ich wohne in … Ich komme mit dem Bus.
I live in … I will come by bus.
ikh VOH-nuh in … ikh KOM-uh mit dem boos.
Wie viele Stunden pro Woche?
How many hours per week?
vee FEE-luh SHTOON-den pro VOKH-uh?
You ask back:
Wie viele Stunden bieten Sie an?
How many hours are you offering?
vee FEE-luh SHTOON-den BEE-ten zee an?
Wie hoch ist der Stundenlohn?
What is the hourly wage? — ask this every time, before you agree to anything.
vee hokh ist dair SHTOON-den-lone?
And then:
Bekomme ich einen Arbeitsvertrag?
Will I get an employment contract?
be-KOM-uh ikh INE-en AR-bites-fer-trahk?
Können Sie morgen kommen?
Can you come tomorrow?
KUR-nen zee MOR-gen KOM-en?
You say:
Ja. Um wie viel Uhr? Wo genau?
Yes. At what time? Where exactly?
yah. oom vee feel oor? voh ge-NOW?
Können Sie mir die Adresse per WhatsApp schicken?
Can you send me the address by WhatsApp? — always ask. It puts the address, the time and the rate in writing.
KUR-nen zee meer dee a-DRESS-uh pair WOTS-app SHIK-en?
The one sentence that saves the call
When you lose the thread, do not hang up and do not guess. Say this:
Entschuldigung, ich habe das nicht verstanden. Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
Sorry, I did not understand that. Could you please repeat it?
ent-SHOOL-di-goong, ikh HAH-buh das nikht fer-SHTAN-den. KUR-nen zee das BIT-uh vee-der-HOH-len?
Asking someone to repeat themselves does not lose you the job. Agreeing to something you did not understand does.
Common mistakes
- Not asking the hourly rate on the call. It is much harder to ask on day three.
- Saying yes to a time and place you did not write down.
- Not getting anything in writing. One WhatsApp message with the address, the time and the rate is worth more than a long conversation.
- Claiming experience you do not have. A trial shift finds out within an hour.
