Ask überlin: Itchy feet, cold feet
by James Glazebrook
We answer our readers’ questions about moving to, and living in, Berlin. An English student asks: “Do you think I’m making a mistake moving to Berlin with no support or back up plan?”
Hi guys,
First off, I love your blog! The music you post is amazing. Secondly, I was wondering if you could possibly offer me some advice? I’m planning to move to Berlin next summer from England but I’m terrified at the prospect of “failing” in my attempt to build a life for myself in a foreign country. I have a large sum of savings that I don’t want to blow but will cushion me for the first few months. Ideally, my plan was to find an apartment to rent in either Mitte or X-berg (as these are the two places I know the best) and find myself a job in a bar/restaurant/coffee shop until I’m settled and then look into something in the creative industry. I’m 22 years old and about to complete a degree in Visual Communication. Do you think I’m making a mistake moving to Berlin with no support or back up plan? Is there any advice you can offer me?
Thank you!
Roisin
First off, thanks! We love hearing from people who like what we do, and are thinking of embarking on a Berlin adventure of their own.
The short answer to your question is: no, you’re not making a mistake. As far as we’re concerned, there is no such thing as “failing” to move to a foreign country. Fears like yours kept us in London for five years, and our final decision to move came with the realisation that the worse that could happen is we have to go back home with a little less money, having done a lot more living. Other expats and travellers would agree that trying to change your life is rewarding in itself, and a risk worth taking.
Plus, you seem to be going about things in the right way. Coming cushioned with savings and prepared to work menial jobs is smart, as is coming in summer! And there’s no better time for creatives to move to Berlin. However, we have some advice before you take the leap:
Consider a flat share (WG) rather than renting by yourself. Your savings will stretch further, and you might make friends with some locals who can introduce you to the city’s hidden treasures. Check out WG Gesucht for flat share ads.
If your German isn’t up to much, you might have problems getting work in bars, cafes and other service businesses where the occasional German person pops in from time to time. If this is the case, you might find the quickest route into the creative industry is an internship in one of the city’s many awesome agencies or startups. Sign up to Watson Jobs‘ newsletter for job vacancies and internships. If you already have great Deutsch then well done – you’re more prepared than most of the expats who already live here!
Hope this helps. Let us know if you have any more questions, and when you arrive in the city look us up for a celebratory Berliner Weisse. Good luck!
Cold feet? Or ready to take your first steps towards living in Berlin?
Got a question about life in Berlin or making the move here? Check out our quick guide to Moving to Berlin, or drop us an email and we’ll do our best to help!
Do it. Seriously. You regret it if you don’t.
And take some solace knowing that it only takes 3 months of being registered and working here to get support for at least 6 months in case it would go wrong.
Also, get your freizügigkeitsbescheinigung (document of free movement) when you register yourself, if things would go wrong you need it and will than be more difficult to obtain. It’s free anyway, so just get it.
Hope it will go awesome of course, just know there is legislation to help you survive in case it would go wrong after a while.
It happened to me, but with a bit of help I did get through it and am almost fully back and loving my life in Berlin.
loh.
Thanks for the comment loh, we echo the sentinment… And should probably sort out our freizügigkeitsbescheinigung!
We just received an email from another reader, which was so informative and helpful we just had to share it!
“Hi there!
I just saw your latest post and it tugged at my heartstrings a bit, since I and many of my close friends here have gone through the same situation (for Americans a much more extreme ordeal, since teaching and translating are really the only options to get you legal work here). But I was lucky to find a loophole – the new Bundesfreiwilligendienst, the non-mandatory ‘replacement’ for the Civil Service. It’s open to foreigners of any country, and even non-EU citizens don’t need a work permit (just a volunteer visa, super easy to get). There’s LOTS of positions in the creative industry, at my organisation alone (an environmental organisation with about 90 employees total) we have 4 BFDlers in marketing, press/PR, internet stuff, etc. The only catch is you usually need pretty good German to apply/get a position.
Here’s the site, and there’s a bajillion openings in Berlin: http://www.bundesfreiwilligendienst.de/
Your writer should also keep in mind that most Germans don’t finish their degrees until they are around 25 or 27, so being so young will probably be a disadvantage while looking for anything other than a Praktikum, BFD, or Minijob.
If you think this might help, you can forward this email to the reader who wrote in!
Guten Rutsch!
Keighley”
Hi there! I’m actually looking into BFD and I’m wondering how that experience was for you. I know this post is a bit old, but I’ve yet to find anyone who’s been through it. I’m an American and, like you said, it’s almost impossible to find a job in Germany other than teaching or translating and since my Deutsch is nicht gut, I have no other options.
Would love to get your insight. Thanks!
Great reminder and great encouragement, as I hope to end up in Berlin as a “base of operations” for my three months at the end of 2012. Despite the fact I used to live in one a decade ago, I often forget about the WG as an affordable option. Thanks, and happy 2012!
Thanks Henry, and Guten Rutsch!