@button push, sorry for not replying, not checking here daily. Thank you for your contribution.
You mention Maersk/Star because it is a Danish company operating from Cologne. This is a good starting point for discussion, for is it really THAT simple? Me being affiliated to those two countries and speaking the languages, plus being a "just good enough" pilot earns you a seat? Pardon me for finding that thought connection a bit simplistic - I stand to be corrected.
On the other hand, IF it is really true that non-flying factors like languages will really seriously help, then that would be good to know. Aptitude and effort is for me to come up with. Other considerations, especially those that will help overcome the age problem in my case, are more on the employers side. What are those considerations?