AfricaWorksShaping Collaboration

What does AfricaWorks do?

We are an agency for recruiting and employability, connecting African professionals with international and local companies in Europe and Africa. Our two mainstays are the HR strategies as well as the finding and brokering of qualified staff for clients (recruiting) and coachings, university projects and workshops for students and graduates (employability). This way we create networks between our continents and beyond borders.

Who is eligible to apply at AfricaWorks?

Generally, everybody is welcome to sign up and create a candidate profile with us if they wish to be considered for a job. In any case, the specific criteria for each vacancy will depend on our clients’ needs. Alumni, graduates and students are equally welcome to join. In case you have finished your vocational training in Germany (Berufsschulabschluss) or received your certificate from the local chamber of commerce (IHK-Abschlusszeugnis), you can sign up as well.

Is your service free of charge?

The service we provide for our candidates is free of charge. In case of specific events it may happen that participation comes with a small price tag. if so, we will make sure to notify you beforehand.

Can I also apply as a non-African citizen?

Absolutely. We do not exclude anyone because of their nationality and invite you to sign up as well if you are interested in our services. That said, we ask for your understanding that some countries have strict working regulations for foreigners and that due to our focus we do primarily take care of candidates with an African background.

How do I find a job through AfricaWorks?

Your chances are best if you register with us as a job candidate and create a profile. We work mandate-related. That means if we receive an inquiry from a company we will consider everyone who has a profile with us. If there is a possible match, we will reach out to you. Sometimes, we may even reach out to some of you if there is an external vacancy that will not be filled through us. Moreover, and depending on our strategy, we issue separate calls for applications at times. In any case, everybody with a profile will be taken into consideration even for these jobs. We therefore recommend each and every candidate to always have their recent CV ready and uploaded in their profile as well as to regularly check their spam folders.

How can I change my account settings or the answers I gave in the questionnaire?

You can edit your profile in your own account at any time. In order to change or add answers in your personal questionnaire you need to click on the General Application with AfricaWorks or on a specific call for applications respectively. You will then see the questionnaire in second place on the right side of your screen. Changing the settings is especially important when your personal status will change or has changed, e.g. after graduation.

What companies do you work with as employers?

AfricaWorks collaborates with international as well as local companies in Europe and Africa. Most do, but some do not have a relation with African markets. Many of our clients are startups or SMEs with strong or growing activities in Africa. In Germany we prefer working with Mittelstand companies, i.e. highly specialized and often family-run SMEs with long standing records and traditions. However, we generally do not disclose any company names and locations of our clients until the interview rounds.

Is it also possible to become an independent business partner for a foreign company?

Yes, there are companies that are specifically looking for business partners who import and sell their products. You can confirm your interest in such a position by clicking on “Business / Sales Partnership (Self-employment)” in the respective section of the questionnaire.

How long does it approximately take to find a job through AfricaWorks?

The period of time depends on several factors, such as a candidate’s work experience, professional focus, industry, nationality and existing labour market competition. Also, please do note that we are not an employment agency. That first of all means we are not going to (be able to) provide each candidate with a job. Second, it means that everybody shall keep applying actively with companies. The reason is that many of the positions we fill are tailored to the needs of our clients. In most cases relevant professional experience is a must-have. From a candidate’s perspective this often ends up being like a highly selective process, which however, we must stick to as professionals.

How long does it take until I am being invited for a job interview after you forwarded my profile to a company?

At AfricaWorks we always try to get the show on the road as quickly as possible. However, please be aware that we are always operating in a “communication triangle” between us, you as the candidate and the company. Especially on the companies’ sides there are often several stakeholders who need to be involved in making the decision on whether you are going to be invited or hired. It is often the case that the departments of Human Resources, Sales, Business Development Management and the Board need to first give a green light. This may take time, especially during holiday season or in case of joint meetings. In any case, we will keep you updated on any newest developments.

Does AfricaWorks also broker internship positions?

At times, it happens that we design internship programmes together with our client companies. In such a case we will also consider everyone who has a profile with us, whose professional area fits the company’s criteria and who indicates in their profile that they are still or currently enrolled at a university.