USA or Germany for a Finance Career and Settle Down? ( pls give me an advice)
Good day to all, I need your advice on what feels like the biggest decision of my life right now. Here’s the situation:
I won a green card to the US through the DV Lottery (0.5% chance) and decided to give it a shot. At the same time, I’m pursuing a Master’s in Finance in Germany. Right now, I’m juggling both—spending at least 180 days a year in the US to maintain my green card while traveling to Germany for exams (3–4 months a year). So far, it’s manageable, but I’ll need to decide where to start my career and settle down after my studies. Here’s where I’m stuck:
USA • Pros: • Higher pay in finance jobs • A more dynamic job market • People are super friendly, and I feel a sense of belonging here • Cons: • High costs (healthcare, insurance, etc.) • No strong safety net—one mistake could lead to serious financial trouble • Feels risky compared to Europe
Germany • Pros: • Strong social security system (job loss, accidents, etc.) • Stable and predictable environment • I’m already pursuing a degree here • Cons: • Lower salaries in finance compared to the US • High taxes • My German skills aren’t great yet (but I’m open to intensive learning)
I’m in my early 20s and know this decision will impact the next 50 years of my life. I have limited work experience, so I need to break into the job market. What would you recommend: 1. Should I bet on the US for high growth and opportunity despite the risks? 2. Or stay in Germany for stability and long-term security, even if it means lower pay and slower career growth? I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar position or has insights into both job markets. I want to make the right decision and not regret it down the line. Thanks for your advice, I have got very bad anxiety because of thinking about this decision all day ;(
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USA USA USA
This is more about you and your career goals and less about Germany vs the US.
Here's an anecdote for you. My friend is a US passport holder, but grew up and studied outside of the US. Went to a respectable school (top 100 globally) and got like a 3.7 GPA, internships at Big 4 etc. Pretty strong profile right? Well, when he tried recruiting for graduate roles in the US he got one callback, to an LA stockbroker. At a graduate level all the recruitment was at target schools (either T20s or local ones to the job basically) and nobody had even heard of his.
So if you show up in the US I'm sure you'll eventually find something, but unless you have an absolute superstar background (maybe internships at BB IB, MBB consulting, etc combined with a top GPA, language skills etc) I think you'll be at a massive disadvantage to all the local grads for anything decent. There's just not enough (anything) differentiating your average grad except school, and I guarantee you no college in Germany is going to be on a recruiter's list. You sound ambitious, and I think you could end up getting something very mediocre and starting your career on the total wrong foot. I did that myself (to be in a specific place as well, actually) and it's a very very hard hole to climb out of.
Here's another scenario. You smash your degree and recruit for something in Germany/Netherlands/Belgium/UK. Or maybe you go back to your home country and recruit for something prestigious. Work for a few years. Recruit into the local office of an American firm, a good one, doing something you actually enjoy and has a good trajectory. After 1-2 years ask to transfer on an L-1A visa. Stay long enough to apply for a green card. At that point nobody will care about where you're from. IMO a much easier position to realise the American dream.
Maybe I'm being dramatic, but something for you to consider. Good luck.
A lot of comments from the US perspective, wouldn’t necessarily agree with most as someone who lived in Germany and other countries while working in IB for an EB.
The problem in Continental Europe is that most markets require you to speak the local language fluently, especially the larger domestic markets like Germany / France / Italy, since a huge number of entrepreneurs is surprisingly bad in English or simply prefers the local language — even in tech…
The chances of you landing that top gig referenced above are not that high unless you recruit into internship roles while already(!) speaking the local language fluently — if that’s the case, then I think the assessment is correct. Placing into NY as some form of rotation/secondment etc. is quite easy these days, West Coast the opposite. Some firms stopped offering these rotations, however, since a lot of people tend to stay abroad.
The US route makes a lot of sense, but you would probably need to start intense networking and perhaps start with an MM or similar (nothing wrong with staying there also) to then perhaps work towards what you want to do in the longer run.
Another option would be the UK… much easier to transition to the US later and the market is getting better, but difficult to get visa sponsorship as well. It is worth considering though, since they are aware of good B schools in Germany and frequently recruit people from other European countries.
Hope that helps — don’t underestimate language as a factor… fingers crossed!
All your points are correct - it's not going to be at all easy for OP in the EU either and language will definitely be a limiting factor. But I feel like OP will struggle even more recruiting into the US without having gone to a US school, at least at this stage in his career. I was able to get a job at a decent EU shop back in the day and I know of English speaking students from say India etc who were able to recruit into decent roles in BENELUX etc. UK too of course but will need additional sponsorship which is hard straight out of the gate.
I say this as someone whose parents are both part German and still have family there. Germany is heading down the tubes and anyone who says otherwise is either ignorant or kidding themselves. It'll be hilarious to see where they've fallen to in the next 10-15 years at the rate they're going. USA and it's not even close.
Interesting, from vociferous comment somewhere else, one would have been forgiven for conceding/guessing you might be part-African (if I didn't know better)
No strong safety net? The beauty of the US is that you can make money, and that money is your safety net. After only a few years in IB, I saved enough to sustain me through several years of unemployment
Lol you are quite literally in a position many others would love to be in. A big decision, perhaps, but you should be filled with excitement, rather than anxiety. First and foremost, this is not a decision you make for life, it is a decision for a few years, at most. Assuming you keep the green card, you will always have the opportunity to come over, and, assuming you gain some great experience in Europe/UK/Germany, you should also be attractive to firms/banks in the US the future. It practically is a non-brainer. As OP advised above, try to recruit for the best bank/position in Europe/UK/Germany/Netherlands, do two years there, work as hard as you can, and then ask for a transfer over. The beautiful thing is you won't even need an L-1 visa because you have the green card! Hence you won't even be tied down to one firm once you make your move over, but can move freely were you to be wanting to change course and/or switch firms. An amazing opportunity. Best of luck!
USA any day of the week and twice on Sunday. And I say that as someone that lived in the US, UK and continental Europe..
May be "happier" or more content in Germany but you'll always be dreaming about having a chance to make it big in the US
How are you gonna have a career in Germany if you are not a native speaker? Europeans are cliquey af you will never be able to mix into the local circles.
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