Interviewers often ask about German before they ask about skills. A clear answer helps: state your CEFR level, the last course you finished, and one workplace example of how you communicate today. “I understand safety instructions and can fill shift reports; longer phone calls still need a colleague” is more useful than “my German is okay.”
If the role requires customer-facing German beyond your current level, ask whether a trial period with mixed-language support is possible. Some warehouses, kitchens, logistics hubs, and care assistants already operate with bilingual teams. Other roles, such as reception or regulated counselling, will not bend.
Bring a short vocabulary list for the sector. Knowing the names of tools, forms, and shift terms shows seriousness even when grammar is still developing. During employer introduction briefings we rehearse these phrases so the first meeting does not collapse into apology.
Never invent fluency. German employers notice within minutes, and trust is harder to rebuild than an application that waits until your course finishes.