How a trades career transition is sequenced

Employment consulting for skilled trades is not a single pep talk. Moves that stick usually follow a sequence: evidence, constraints, options, paperwork, then conversations with employers. Below is the pathway we walk with clients in Germany.

1. Gather the craft evidence

   Certificates, Arbeitszeugnisse, safety cards, and a plain list of machines or systems you have owned. Without this, advice floats.

2. Name non-negotiable constraints

   Region, Schicht, physical limits, language for customer sites, family care windows. These cut the option set before we talk ambition.

3. Shortlist viable pathways

   Stay-and-adjust, neighbouring Beruf, Umschulung, or Anerkennung-led entry. We keep two or three — not a brainstorm wall.

4. Sequence paperwork and timing

   Notice periods, recognition filings, funding conversations, and Lehrjahr calendars get ordered so you do not resign into a gap.

5. Prepare employer conversations

   Application materials and interview rehearsal when a real vacancy or Betrieb visit appears. Optional coaching sits here.

Ready to walk this pathway with a consultant? Start with the flagship consultation or write to us with your trade background.