Career change as a croupier

Career change paths

• Receptionist

  Also: Night auditor at a hotel

  With on-the-job training

  At the hotel reception you check guests in and out, manage bookings, handle billing, and are the first contact for requests and complaints.

  What you bring:

  You are used to evening and night shifts, handle money and statements confidently, and stay friendly but firm with guests.

  How to get there:

  Hotels give career changers with service experience a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in the booking system and processes. Good English is almost always expected. If you want a qualification of your own, you can do vocational training (Ausbildung) or retraining (Umschulung) as hotel specialist (Hotelfachmann).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €3,034gross per monthMedian salary

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• Customer adviser in customer service

  Also: Customer service employee in online retail

  With on-the-job training

  In customer service you answer inquiries by phone, chat and email, clarify complaints and billing questions, and maintain customer data.

  What you bring:

  You deal patiently with customers, explain rules clearly and stay objective even when people are angry.

  How to get there:

  Customer service centers and companies give new employees a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in products and systems. Foreign languages are an advantage, and there are also jobs that offer part-time work, shift models or working from home.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an officeHome office possible

  €2,819gross per monthMedian salary

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• Flight attendant

  With further training

  As a flight attendant you look after passengers, ensure safety on board, help in emergencies, and sell goods and meals.

  What you bring:

  You like working with guests from all over the world, stay calm in hectic situations and often speak several languages.

  How to get there:

  Airlines train people in their own courses, which usually take a few weeks and end with the exam for the cabin crew attestation (Flugbegleiterbescheinigung). You need good English, the ability to swim and an aviation medical examination. Irregular shifts and nights away from home are part of the job.*Regulated by law (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Annex V (Part-CC)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,307gross per monthMedian salary

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• Financial accountant

  Also: Accounts payable clerk

  With retraining

  In accounting you record and check invoices, post payments, reconcile accounts and help with monthly and annual closings.

  What you bring:

  You calculate quickly and precisely, handle cash and statements confidently, and work with concentration according to fixed rules.

  How to get there:

  Courses in financial accounting at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or at training providers usually take a few months alongside a job and can often be funded through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). You can earn a full vocational qualification through retraining (Umschulung) as office management clerk (Kaufmann für Büromanagement), which usually takes about two years.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,010gross per monthMedian salary

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• Office management clerk (Kaufmann für Büromanagement)

  Also: Office clerk

  With retraining

  In the office you process mail and emails, maintain data, write quotes and invoices, and organize appointments and processes.

  What you bring:

  You work reliably, keep figures and processes in view and deal with customers professionally.

  How to get there:

  You can do retraining (Umschulung) as office management clerk (Kaufmann für Büromanagement), which usually takes about two years and can often be funded through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein) from the Federal Employment Agency (Arbeitsagentur). With experience in customer contact, you can sometimes also get in through on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) as office staff.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office

  €3,810gross per monthMedian salary

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• Security employee in reception and property protection

  Also: Event security employee

  With further training

  In the security service you check access, look after reception areas, monitor buildings and events, and report incidents.

  What you bring:

  You have experience enforcing rules in a friendly way, recognizing attempts at fraud and staying calm in tricky situations.

  How to get there:

  As a rule, you need the briefing course (Unterrichtung) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). For tasks such as door checks at nightclubs, store detective work or patrols in public space, you need the expertise exam under § 34a GewO (Sachkundeprüfung). The briefing and preparation courses take a few days to a few weeks, and the authority also checks your reliability.*Regulated by law (§ 34a Trade Regulation Act (GewO), Security Services Ordinance (BewachV)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workLots of contact with people

  €3,200gross per monthMedian salary

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• Shift leader in retail

  Also: Deputy store manager

  With retrainingPromotion

  As shift leader or deputy store manager in retail you plan staff, check the cash desk and stock, and lead the team on the sales floor.

  What you bring:

  You know cash register accounting, shift work and customer contact, and you have carried responsibility for money and processes.

  How to get there:

  Retail chains also take career changers into on-the-job training programs (Einarbeitung) for management trainees. You can earn a recognized qualification through the external exam (Externenprüfung) or retraining (Umschulung) as retail clerk (Kaufmann im Einzelhandel) and later through the further training course for certified senior retail specialist (Handelsfachwirt). The Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) decides on admission to the external exam based on your work experience.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people
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• Registered nurse (Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann)

  With vocational training

  As a registered nurse you care for patients in a hospital, nursing home or outpatient service, plan care, and work closely with doctors.

  What you bring:

  You are used to shift work and weekend duty, keep your nerve under pressure, and treat very different people with respect.

  How to get there:

  You do generalist nursing training (Ausbildung), which takes three years full-time and longer part-time, and you receive a training allowance. You usually need an intermediate school-leaving certificate (mittlerer Schulabschluss).*Regulated by law (Nursing Professions Act (PflBG) §§ 1, 6, 11).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €4,421gross per monthMedian salary

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Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.