Hi all,

I would like to know if it is a normal practice in Germany for companies to invite candidates over for interview without bearing the cost of travel and accomodation?. I had this interview invitation where I was told travel arrangements is to be made by the candidate. I am from Asia.

Please advice?

Thank you
Regards

You're from Asia and where are you now, in Germany or still in Asia?

D.

Hi Npbody,

It would require me to travel from Asia to Germany.
SO I think it would be a normal that the company bear the cost of flight expenses and accomodation for the few days. There was no mentioned of flight expenses but was only told that the travel arrangements are to be made by the candidate. Is it a normal practice for big companies not to fly candidate over??

Pls advise.

Thank you
Regards

Hi lisi,

I think it happens sometimes like that, it's also a way for them to see how much you are willing to give for this position. But I think you can ask them to share the cost of the travel, but if it was already stated as you've written that "travel arrangements are to be made by the candidate", then they supposed that applying for such a position, you were already aware of that and that you are ready to bear the all cost.
But according to the place where you gonna have to have this interview, I can say that if it's easily reachable from where I live, then you can spare the money for the accomodation, I will be happy to have you in my humble family appartment (if you will survive living with 2 head-in-heaven little girls) for the time it should take.

D.

As far as I know, the employee MUST pay for the traveling costs when they ask a person to come for an interview. This is something I heard from my lawyer.

Atreides, I dunno if it's a MUST but when it's clearly written in an advert that they won't, then you can't force them to, 'coz as I said, you're supposed to know they won't.

That's why when I had to travel for an interview, I always had to ask (if it's not written), who gonna pay the travel. If they said, it was them, then ok, if it was me, then I just sit and calculate if I can bear it, if not, then I dropped the invitation (it happened to me, 3 or 4 times).

D.

Hi Lisi

Another option.

We are now in 2004. You don´t live 100 miles away, so you can ask for a telephon interview or even for a webcam interview.

If they mentioned anywhere anything about you and the expenses, they won´t pay the tickets. And personally find a good idea to give you and your experience/resume a little bit of importance and refuse to pay the costs for your interview.

We are in Germany. Here you can speak frankly and explicitely because your counterparts will do so. You can explain your situation and surely you will arrive to an agreement.

I don´t think is a "general" rule to pay all the expenses to all the candidates. I think they only pay expenses/travels to the candidates who seems to be good prospects for the companies.

So, try to arrange anything and don´t pay your tickets unless it could be extremely needed.

Regards

YO

Better go for a phone one, as YO said, then you could spare yourself the cost of travel and will already have a view of the all thing.

Just tell them you can't bear the cost of travel for X reasons but that you will be able to travel if the job is secure.

And if it's ok, don't forget to be in quiet place for this interview, and don't sound too sleepy, I once was, most because the guy woke me up at 9 AM after I had a very bad trip the nite before, it was one of my worse phone interview. But I work for that company now :-)

D.

Hi,

There was no mentioned of travelling cost at all. In fact I assumed that it would be a norm for company to fly candidate over, it is a usual practice in the US, as I have friends who had company to fly them from Asia to US just for a day interview. So not sure if the same practice applies in Germany MNCs.

In fact over the telephone interview, the company only mentioned about arranging a date to meet in Germany. My invitation will consist of Personal Interview+Medical Examination+Orientation Trip.

In the invitation by email, they will book a hotel for me as soon as they know how long I will be staying in Germany. They also mentioned that "the travel arrangements are your own responsibility."

How should I evaluate?

Regards
Lisi

Further to that, I already had my first tele-conversation with the HR and the manager in charge. So I am not sure if the job is secured or not else not point paying for the trip.

Rgds

Can't you just ask them if they are willing to pay or share the expenses of the ticket?
"Travel arrangements" can mean a lot of things in fact (flight booking, visa process, ...) and not only ticket.

D.

Hello Lisi,

As far as I know it is always expected that the companies bear such expenses, as they can deduct this expenses from their tax payments but you not. I have had 3 Job interviews in germany, and all have beared the expenses for flight accomodation etc.

Just ask them kindly if you need to book and pay your flight yourself and bring the invoices to them or would they arrange the flights an accommodation for you.

Best Regards
Fazly

Hi again

As far as I understand, they stated you have to pay your own flight.

The things are " a little bit difficult" here, the economy is not in the best times, so I don´t think here is like America. In addition to that, American companies likes to give theirself this "big" image to impress the candidates.

To end positively, I think you have passed 2 of three steps. They didn´t invite you to a medical examination if they were not SO interested in you. I thing (personally) if anything absolutely out of order in you, you are in the company.

Regards and congratulations

YO

HI,
If I were u, Directly I would ask them all my doubts.
It is Germany not an Asian country to fear of boss.Ofcourse this is nothing todo Knowledge they are looking for.

Just be frank with them.
Ofcourse even if they were in your situation I bet they(I mean Germans) do so ..

Hope you didn't misundestood my language..

Anyway I wish you all the best,

Jelda

Further to Yo1 comments on the company's interest in me, I can only say that I cannot confirmed the great interest in me as the medical center is located within the company facilities since it is a big MNC in Germany.

No Lisi, you get me wrong.

Doesn´t matter if the hospital is in the Firma or you have to go to John Hopkins hospital in America. In Germany, most valuable property is time. They didn´t waste your/their time in medical examinations if you don´t worth.

But, please follow the wise Jelda´s advice and ask. Don´t be afraid, be frank and tell your future boss about your fears. Communication and initiative are always welcome here.

Please, don´t waste more time, pick up the phone or mail and ask directly.

Good luck

YO

The problem here is i am liaising with a middleman as the another company is engaged by this MNC to take charge of the coordination of the personnel matters. Moreover, I am only given about slight more than a week notice to make the travel arrangements and it is very likely that I would defer the date if I commit to meet them.

May I know to take 3 weeks to coordinate an interview is a normal process in germany?

Regards