HHL Alumnus Aneesh Bhardwaj

Why your career prospects benefit from German language skills

by Ellen Schönfelder | July 04, 2022
HHL alumnus Aneesh Bhardwaj shares advice based on his experience of successfully entering the German job market, with a special emphasis on learning the language: Speaking the native language helps you build trust and show respect.

Career update: Since October 2022 Aneesh Bhardwaj is working as Office of the CEO at Siemens AG

Advice from HHL alumnus on how to enter the German job market

Arriving in Germany with basic German language skills, Aneesh Bhardwaj understood the importance of speaking the local language to succeed in the German job market. He, therefore, took advantage of the German courses offered within the HHL MBA program and made his learning of German an important part of his studies. He eventually moved on to work at Siemens Management Consulting in Munich. While his work at Siemens is mainly in English, he stresses that business also takes place during dinners, lunches, and outside of the office.

Speaking the native language builds trust

Speaking the native language helps you build trust with your clients. His experience has taught him: that if people can connect with you, they will be more reliable. Additionally, learning the language shows that you have respect for their culture. In this interview, he talks about why your career prospects benefit from German language skills.

Having a good command of German will help you make the best of your time in Germany and find lifelong friends.

Aneesh Bhardwaj, full-time MBA alumnus

How important were your German language skills when looking for a job in Germany?

Most of the employers in Germany who target MBA graduates at HHL are in fact doing business in English as the primary language. However, the number of purely English-speaking companies in Germany is limited. Having said that, I believe that it is very valuable to learn German as a language to get the most out of your stay in Germany. A master’s degree in Germany should not be limited to an intellectual but also a cultural experience where you get to know the very rich German culture.

In addition to this, the work-life is not limited to the time spent in the office as a lot of interactions take place outside the working hours. Having a good command of German will help you make the best of your time in Germany, make lifelong friends and give you an experience beyond what you were expecting.

The German language course is planned carefully so as not to conflict with the regular course load, and I recommend taking the opportunity to take advantage of this offer.

Aneesh Bhardwaj, Director of IoT Strategy & Partnerships at Siemens AG

Since my skills in the German language were very limited, I started with the A1 course at HHL. By the time I graduated, I had reached B2/C1 level through the course offered at HHL. The German language course is planned carefully so as not to conflict with the regular course load, and I recommend taking the opportunity to take advantage of this offer.

In addition to this, I had made it a rule with all my German-speaking colleagues that they had to speak German to me in my leisure time. That really helped re-wire my brain and quickly pick up the language. Leipzig is a great place to study because, in addition to HHL, there is the University of Leipzig which is very well known for courses in science and arts with many students ready to teach you German in exchange for lessons in your mother tongue.

Like learning to walk, learning a language is about constant practice and learning from your mistakes.

Martina Beermann, Psychologist and Director of Career Development and Employer Relations at HHL

HHL prepares students for the German job market

At HHL we want to support our students to make the most out of their experience with us, also by offering German courses at all levels, including pre-program German course for beginners.

The course is offered in a blocked 3-week format which allows you to concentrate solely on studying German without having the pressure to attend regular courses as part of your MBA or M.Sc. Program. In a flexible response to this year’s circumstances, this course was held virtually to ensure access for our international students. If you already have German knowledge, you can skip the intensive course and continue with the optional German courses during your studies at HHL.

German language courses throughout full-time MBA

Once you have completed our pre-program course, HHL offers you an easy transition to the next levels of German language courses (from A1 to B2/C1 level), offered as for-credit courses throughout your studies at HHL.

If you would like some assistance in finding out if HHL has the right full-time MBA program for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with program consultant Stefanie Sanches for additional information. Just click on the little envelope below her name.

All views expressed in this article are personal opinions of Aneesh Bhardwaj and do not represent the view of SIEMENS AG or any of its affiliates.

This interview was first published in October 2020.

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