Career change as a customer advisor

Career change paths

• Senior sales assistant (Erstverkäufer)

  Also: Team leader sales, Shift leader in retail

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As team leader you plan shifts, guide new colleagues, and make sure goods and cash desk are in order.

  What you bring:

  You know the product range, the flow of goods and the customers of your branch, and you know where things get stuck in daily business.

  How to get there:

  This is an internal promotion with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung), usually after a few years in sales. Some retailers offer their own management training for this.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people
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• Field sales employee

  Also: Customer care employee in field sales

  With on-the-job training

  In field sales you visit business customers such as retailers or craft businesses, advise them, and take orders.

  What you bring:

  You recognize in conversation what customers need, and you know your products exactly.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at the manufacturer or wholesaler, usually a few weeks to a few months of product training. A class B driving license is almost always required, and specialist knowledge from your industry makes entry easier. Look for a permanent position: as a self-employed commercial agent you usually work on commission only and bear the risk yourself.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Car rental employee

  Also: Rental assistant

  With on-the-job training

  In car rental you conclude rental contracts, hand over vehicles, and take them back.

  What you bring:

  You already sell, advise and take payments, and you know how to offer extras in an appropriate way.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at the rental station, usually lasting a few weeks. A class B driving license is almost always required, and at airports and train stations English too.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Lots of contact with people

  €3,237gross per monthMedian salary

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• Nursing assistant

  Also: Nursing specialist assistant (Pflegefachassistent)

  With on-the-job training

  In nursing assistance you support people with personal care, meals and mobility; you learn the nursing skills on the job.

  What you bring:

  You deal every day with very different people, stay friendly even under stress, and like helping.

  How to get there:

  You can start as a nursing assistant after a basic nursing course (Pflegebasiskurs) of a few weeks. You can earn a qualification through the training as nursing specialist assistant (Pflegefachassistent): it will be uniform nationwide from 2027 and takes 18 months full-time. With work experience in nursing it can be shortened.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workPhysically demandingLots of contact with people

  €3,296gross per monthMedian salary

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• Team leader in customer service

  Also: Call center trainer, Quality coach in customer service

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As team leader or trainer you coach colleagues, listen in on calls, plan shifts and train new people.

  What you bring:

  You know conversation skills, systems, key figures and difficult customer conversations from your own experience.

  How to get there:

  This is an internal promotion after some time in customer service, often starting as team coordinator or mentor for new colleagues, with management training in the company. You can earn a recognized qualification through vocational training (Ausbildung) as dialog marketing clerk (Kaufmann für Dialogmarketing), which takes three years. After four and a half years of work experience, you can also take the exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) without training under § 45 para. 2 BBiG.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,604gross per monthMedian salary

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• First-level IT support specialist

  Also: IT specialist for system integration

  With on-the-job training

  In IT support you help users with access, software and devices, at first on the phone and in the ticket system.

  What you bring:

  You take in requests in a structured way, ask targeted questions and explain patiently, step by step.

  How to get there:

  You start in first-level support at a company or IT service provider, with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) that usually lasts a few weeks. Basic IT knowledge makes the switch easier. For more advanced tasks, retraining (Umschulung) as IT specialist for system integration (Fachinformatiker für Systemintegration) is the usual route. It mostly takes two years and can often be funded through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,400gross per monthMedian salary

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• Clerk in insurance inside service

  Also: Customer service employee in an insurer's inside service

  With on-the-job training

  In the inside service of an insurer you process contracts, changes and claim reports, and clarify questions with customers and intermediaries.

  What you bring:

  You explain contracts, rates and processes clearly on the phone and work confidently with customer databases.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at an insurer, often starting in telephone customer service and then moving to casework, usually lasting several months. For a recognized qualification there is vocational training (Ausbildung) as insurance and financial investments clerk (Kaufmann für Versicherungen und Finanzanlagen), which takes three years, also as retraining (Umschulung).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,797gross per monthMedian salary

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• Customer adviser at a health insurance fund

  Also: Social insurance specialist (Sozialversicherungsfachangestellte)

  With on-the-job training

  At a health insurance fund or pension insurance provider you advise insured people, take in applications and process benefits such as sick pay or medical aids.

  What you bring:

  You stay friendly even with upset callers and explain rules clearly.

  How to get there:

  Health insurance funds also hire career changers for service centers and customer advice and train them in-house, often for several months. Completed commercial training is usually expected. The recognized qualification is vocational training (Ausbildung) as social insurance specialist (Sozialversicherungsfachangestellte), which takes three years.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €3,964gross per monthMedian salary

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• Staffing coordinator

  Also: Temporary staffing recruiter

  With on-the-job training

  In staffing coordination you look for candidates, talk to them and plan their assignments at client companies.

  What you bring:

  You make many calls, quickly build rapport with people and work cleanly in the system under time pressure.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at a temporary staffing or personnel services provider, usually lasting a few weeks to a few months. Switching in from sales and customer service is possible. The recognized qualification is vocational training (Ausbildung) as personnel services clerk (Personaldienstleistungskaufmann), which takes three years.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,046gross per monthMedian salary

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• Travel consultant

  Also: Tourism clerk (Tourismuskaufmann)

  With on-the-job training

  In a travel agency or in the customer service of a tour operator you put trips together, book flights and hotels, and look after customers before and during the trip.

  What you bring:

  You advise on the phone, book in systems and stay calm with complaints.

  How to get there:

  Tour operators and online portals also hire career changers for telephone travel advice and train them on booking systems, usually for a few weeks. For travel agencies, a qualification as tourism clerk for private and business travel (Tourismuskaufmann für Privat- und Geschäftsreisen) is usual, which is a three-year vocational training (Ausbildung).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €3,291gross per monthMedian salary

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• Receivables management clerk

  Also: Debt collection clerk

  With on-the-job training

  In receivables management you clarify open invoices, agree on installment payments and process objections.

  What you bring:

  You can also lead unpleasant conversations objectively, listen, and find solutions both sides can live with.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at a debt collection company or in the receivables department of a company, usually lasting a few weeks, with training in dunning procedures and legal basics.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,278gross per monthMedian salary

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• Auditor in the internal audit department of a bank

  Also: Staff member in risk controlling

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  In internal audit, you check whether the lending business and other areas work in compliance with the rules; in risk controlling, you monitor credit risks and prepare reports for the board and the supervisory authority.

  What you bring:

  You know lending processes, collateral, credit checks and the regulatory minimum requirements for risk management from daily work.

  How to get there:

  Banks like to fill positions in audit and risk controlling with experienced lending specialists, often after an upgrading course to become a bank specialist (Bankfachwirt). You learn the job through audits in the team. Bank academies and associations offer courses on auditing and banking supervision, and for management positions, a degree is often expected.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €7,072gross per monthMedian salary

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• Construction financing adviser at a credit broker

  Also: Real estate loan broker

  With on-the-job training

  At a credit broker, you compare offers from many banks, advise customers on their financing and accompany the application through to payout.

  What you bring:

  You know construction financing, mortgage lending, household calculation and the lending guidelines of the banks from processing.

  How to get there:

  For brokerage, you need expertise under § 34i GewO. Training as a bank clerk (Bankkaufmann/Bankkauffrau) is treated as equivalent to the proof of expertise under the Real Estate Loan Brokerage Ordinance (Immobiliardarlehensvermittlungsverordnung). Without it, you take the expertise exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Brokers hire lending specialists on a permanent basis or work with self-employed advisers whose income mostly consists of commission.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an officeHome office possible
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• Specialist consultant for banking applications at an IT service provider

  Also: IT business analyst for lending processes

  With on-the-job training

  At an IT service provider for banks or a software vendor, you describe business requirements for lending software, test new versions, train banks and support them with rollouts.

  What you bring:

  You know lending processes, banking applications and the requirements of the supervisory authority from the user's point of view.

  How to get there:

  The IT service providers of the savings banks and cooperative banks as well as software companies hire experienced banking specialists and train them in methods and systems over a few months. You add basics in project management and agile methods through courses of a few days.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €5,568gross per monthMedian salary

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• Branch manager

  Also: Deputy branch manager, Store manager

  With further trainingPromotion

  As branch manager you also bear responsibility for staff, revenue planning and costs.

  What you bring:

  You know ordering goods, inventory, customer service and cash desk processes from everyday life in a branch.

  How to get there:

  You usually get there through the deputy branch manager role, as a rule with a qualification in retail. Alongside your job, you can take the further training course for certified senior retail specialist (Handelsfachwirt) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), which can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are admitted, for example, with a salesperson qualification and two years of work experience, or, without a qualification, after five years of work experience in retail.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsPhysically light
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• Purchasing planner in retail

  Also: Buyer

  With further trainingPromotion

  In planning and purchasing you plan order quantities, negotiate with suppliers, and steer the supply of goods to the branches.

  What you bring:

  Every day you see which goods sell, where gaps appear on the shelf and how stock develops.

  How to get there:

  A commercial qualification is usually expected, for example as retail clerk (Kaufmann im Einzelhandel) or in wholesale and foreign trade management, along with experience in retail. Part-time further training in purchasing at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) prepares you specifically for it.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,200gross per monthMedian salary

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• Pharmaceutical commercial assistant (PKA)

  With retraining

  In the pharmacy, PKAs take care of orders, storage and prices, and advise customers when selling care and cosmetic products.

  What you bring:

  You know goods receipt, stock control and selling at the counter.

  How to get there:

  You do vocational training (Ausbildung), which takes three years and is often shortened with work experience in retail. It is partly also offered as retraining (Umschulung).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Lots of contact with people

  €3,155gross per monthMedian salary

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• Department store detective

  Also: Store detective

  With further training

  Store detectives observe inconspicuously, approach suspects, and document incidents for retailers and the police.

  What you bring:

  You know the sales floor, typical theft methods and the weak points in merchandise protection.

  How to get there:

  To protect stores against shoplifters on behalf of a security or detective service, you must pass the expertise exam under § 34a GewO (Sachkundeprüfung) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Preparation courses usually take a few weeks and can partly be funded through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein).*Regulated by law (§ 34a Trade Regulation Act (GewO), Security Services Ordinance (BewachV)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsShift workLots of contact with people

  €3,283gross per monthMedian salary

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• Visual marketing designer (Gestalter für visuelles Marketing)

  Also: Visual merchandiser

  With vocational training

  In visual marketing you plan shop windows, sales areas and decorations for whole branches.

  What you bring:

  You set up goods, design tables and shelves, and notice which presentation appeals to customers.

  How to get there:

  You can do vocational training (Ausbildung) as visual marketing designer (Gestalter für visuelles Marketing), which takes three years and is often shortened with work experience. At large fashion retailers, an internal switch into visual merchandising with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) is also possible.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Little customer contact

  €3,117gross per monthMedian salary

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• Insurance agent

  Also: Customer adviser in insurance

  With further training

  In insurance intermediation you advise private and business customers on protection and planning ahead.

  What you bring:

  You recognize needs in conversation, explain offers clearly, and look after customers over a longer time.

  How to get there:

  As an employee of an insurer you need no permit and no expertise exam (Sachkundeprüfung) of your own. Your employer must make sure you are suitably qualified. Some employers still expect you to pass the exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) to become an insurance intermediation specialist (Fachmann für Versicherungsvermittlung), and preparation usually takes a few weeks to a few months. Anyone who takes part in advising must prove 15 hours of further training every year. For self-employed intermediation you need a permit under § 34d GewO with proof of expertise. Some offers are self-employed agent work on commission, while employed positions are more likely to be found directly at insurers.*Regulated by law (§ 34d Trade Regulation Act (GewO), Insurance Intermediary Ordinance (VersVermV)).

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €4,797gross per monthMedian salary

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• Office management clerk (Kaufmann für Büromanagement)

  Also: Office clerk

  With retraining

  In the office you also handle correspondence, invoices, filing and appointment planning, usually at fixed office hours instead of store opening hours.

  What you bring:

  You work with merchandise management, orders, delivery notes and the cash desk, and you deal confidently with customers.

  How to get there:

  You can do retraining (Umschulung) as office management clerk (Kaufmann für Büromanagement), which usually takes two years and can often be funded through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). The regular vocational training (Ausbildung) takes three years. With completed commercial training in retail, a direct switch into casework is often possible as well.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €3,810gross per monthMedian salary

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• Warehouse specialist (Fachlagerist)

  Also: Warehouse logistics specialist (Fachkraft für Lagerlogistik)

  With retraining

  In the warehouse you take care of goods receipt, storage, order picking, and shipping to branches or customers.

  What you bring:

  You know goods receipt, inventory, the merchandise management system and putting goods away from the store.

  How to get there:

  You can do retraining (Umschulung) as warehouse specialist (Fachlagerist), which usually takes about 16 months, or as warehouse logistics specialist (Fachkraft für Lagerlogistik), which usually takes two years. It can often be funded through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein). Large retail chains also fill jobs in their central warehouses internally, with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Shift workPhysically demandingLittle customer contact

  €3,235gross per monthMedian salary

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• Corporate client adviser

  Also: Certified bank specialist (Geprüfter Bankfachwirt)

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a corporate client adviser, you look after medium-sized companies and self-employed people, structure financing, negotiate terms and accompany customers over years.

  What you bring:

  You analyze annual financial statements, collateral and debt service capacity and know your bank's lending processes.

  How to get there:

  You usually get there internally through credit processing and an upgrading course, for example certified bank specialist (Geprüfter Bankfachwirt, IHK) with a focus on corporate banking, which you take alongside work and which is eligible for funding through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). At savings banks, the usual route is the savings bank specialist (Sparkassenfachwirt). You are admitted to the exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) as a bank clerk (Bankkaufmann/Bankkauffrau) after 2 years of work practice, with another commercial qualification after 3 years, and without a qualification after 6 years in banking.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €5,690gross per monthMedian salary

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• Branch manager of a bank

  Also: Branch office manager of a savings bank

  With further trainingPromotion

  As branch manager, you lead the team of a branch office, are responsible for sales targets and customer care on site and decide on loans within your authority.

  What you bring:

  You know lending decisions, risks and customer advice and have an overview of your bank's products and internal rules.

  How to get there:

  You usually get there after years in advice or lending, through internal leadership programs and an upgrading course such as bank specialist (Bankfachwirt) or savings bank specialist (Sparkassenfachwirt). For larger branches, the bank business manager (Bankbetriebswirt) qualification is often added. Branch closures mean fewer such positions, but larger units with more staff.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €8,030gross per monthMedian salary

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• Real estate valuer

  Also: Expert for real estate valuation

  With further trainingPromotion

  As a real estate valuer, you inspect houses, apartments and commercial properties, determine market and mortgage lending values and write expert reports for banks, courts or private customers.

  What you bring:

  From construction financing, you know mortgage lending values, land registers, purchase contracts and the valuation of real estate as loan collateral.

  How to get there:

  Certification courses in real estate valuation at academies, chambers or certification bodies usually take several months to two years alongside work, and for the certification you also need experience in valuation. Banks often first use experienced lending specialists internally to determine mortgage lending values. The title expert is only protected with public appointment.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people
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• Certified balance sheet accountant (Geprüfter Bilanzbuchhalter)

  Also: Financial accountant

  With further training

  In the accounting department of a company, you prepare monthly and annual financial statements, handle taxes and liquidity planning and work together with tax advisers and auditors.

  What you bring:

  You read and analyze balance sheets, profit and loss statements and business evaluations and quickly spot irregularities.

  How to get there:

  You take the upgrading course for certified balance sheet accountant (Geprüfter Bilanzbuchhalter, IHK), usually 1.5 to 2 years alongside work and eligible for funding through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). With a three-year commercial training occupation such as bank clerk (Bankkaufmann/Bankkauffrau), you are admitted, otherwise after 5 years of work practice mainly in accounting. Because you lack bookkeeping practice at first, you can start in a position in financial accounting.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,333gross 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.