überlin

Tag: Moving to Berlin

  • How to work at a startup: 1. Finding a job

    by

    Guest Blogger
    Category:

    By Federico Prandi.

    My mother used to put stuff in boxes. Professionally. She did it for 30 years at the same small-sized suburban Italian company and while the boxes were sent everywhere in the world, my mom and her career weren’t exactly going places.

    My dad, the only male among four siblings, had to drop out of middle school to help his father in the fields. Like many of his peers, he learned to think of work as something that is closely related to suffering, sacrifice and blind obedience.

    Whenever I tell my parents about company breakfasts, team building events and gamification, they share a very specific look that I’ve come to interpret as “Our son is lying to us. He doesn’t have a job in Berlin. He’s squatting an abandoned building and carries stolen drugs across countries in order to pay for his groceries.”

    I get that look. I do. Growing up with a blue-collar mindset made me both conscious of my current luck and weirdly aware of the seemingly absurd sides of the startup life.

    This series of posts is the natural consequence of that.

    CHAPTER 1: FINDING A JOB

    This is going to sound obvious, but in order to work at a startup – in Berlin or anywhere else – you need to either found one or be hired by one. I’m going to focus on the latter ’cause I’m a slacker and I’ve made it my life goal to achieve less and less every day.

    If you’re smart you’ve probably created alerts that fire off an email every time a desirable position is available, either through Google Alerts or more specific job hunting platforms like Indeed.de or BerlinStartupJobs.com. What you might not know, though, is that when it comes to job titles startups can be as quirky as the side character of an indie TV series.

    The chances that your alert will be triggered by the keyword “customer relationship manager” are thinner, for example, than the ones for the keyword “Customer Happiness Ninja”. Stop looking for “Sales Manager” and keep your eyes open for stuff like “Customer retention power ranger”, “Office management karate kid”, “Java Sorcerer” and any title that could have easily been invented by a Dungeon Master after his sixth pint of mead. ‘Cause nerdz.

    Startups want their jobs to sound so cool that it’s impossible not to want them. I’m perfectly happy with my own job, but if I ever read an ad for a “fluffer of moral erections”, I’ll drop everything and go, even if it means I end up teaching old ladies how to dance salsa in a holiday resort a la Swayze in Dirty Dancing.

    The exceptions to this rule are the internships. Companies don’t even try to make these “jobs” sound cool, given that the word “intern” is at times already an euphemism for “slave”.

    Centuries ago, before the invention of coconut M&Ms or, like, minimum wage, I was doing an internship. Money was so tight that I felt compelled to rewrite the Wikipedia page for the term to reflect my true real feelings about the matter.

    internship_wiki

    Unfortunately a Wikipedia editor told me I wasn’t being – air quote – objective about the facts. Fine, Mr. Logic. Whatever.

    Anyway, you need to really read those job postings and check off the required skills one by one, even if that’s boring. And when you’re doing so, try to be honest with yourself about your real capabilities. I once thought my brain had no boundaries, but then it turns out that things like the Norwegian language or “Ruby on Rails” (I still think that’s the name of a synthetic drug) cannot be learned overnight.

    Bummer.

    Once you’ve found a position that seems perfect for you, don’t just start shooting off applications like crazy. You need to pick the right startup before even letting them pick you. Of course you wanna be employed by a winner and there’s one basic criteria to discern whether an internet company is gonna take over the world. Mark my words: It’s all in the name.

    Look around: the “General Motors” days are over. Don’t look for class, meaning or authority in a name. The startup world is now calling for “Goojdi”, “Faamp”, “Leerk” and “Huora” (which was gonna be the name of my own startup until someone told me it literally means “whore” in Finnish). In other words, you need to look for a name that sounds like something between the first words of a baby and what your cat may have written while walking on the keyboard.

    The only acceptable alternative to this are Latin words. A lot of startup founders pick these, probably by listening to Harry Potter spells and noting down stuff that sounds nice. Sometimes it works, but other times your web agency ends up being called “ferocity” in Italian.

    Roar.

    In the next episode I’ll teach you how to actually apply for the startup job of your dreams.

    Federico is an Italian in Berlin. He blogs, tweets, infiltrates the German language, and is currently employed at a cool internet company based in Berlin with a million open positions.

    If you liked this, check out our observations on the Berlin startup scene, and get more practical advice about landing a startup job (with more GIFs!).

    Tags: , , , ,

  • How to find a job in Berlin

    by

    Guest Blogger
    Category:

    So you’ve fallen head over heels with the threadbare charm of Berlin and want to move here faster than you can say “Hartz IV”. But while the German capital might traditionally be the home of drifters, dreamers and dropouts, unless you’re burning through your trust fund, or are planning on a career as a punk at Kotbusser Tor, those bills still have to be paid.

    While “real” jobs can seem to be thin on the ground in the Berlin, armed with the right preparation and information, you can snag yourself a position you might actually not hate.

    Here Tia Robinson from Expath.de – a startup helping expats find their feet in Berlin – shares the best way of finding gainful employment in Berlin.

    There are two main challenges you’ll face when looking for a job, which are much the same the world over: finding the right position and actually securing the position once you’ve applied.

    Sites with Berlin-specific job listings such as The Local, Berlin Startup Jobs, Berlin Xpat Jobs and VentureVillage are full of interesting openings in international, creative surroundings and are a great way to start your search. However, to go from reading job ads to signing a job contract, you’ll also want to ask yourself the following…

    Where are you?

    Many companies prefer candidates to have a German address and contact information – that shows HR managers that working in Germany isn’t just a whim and that you’re serious about relocating.

    Being in Berlin also makes it easier to approach companies in person, attend interviews (and start working) at short notice, as well as build up your professional network. If you’re not already living in Berlin but want to be, why not save up money to come for a few months and search for jobs on the ground?

    Who are you talking to?

    Applying for jobs online is only half the battle of effective job-hunting. Many Germans use “Vitamin B” (B for “Beziehung”, or relationship) to help them get a foot in the door. You can get your own dose of Vitamin B by building up your own network of professional and personal contacts who can keep an ear out for job openings and possibilities.

    Meet “your people” by attending lots of events – not just events for your industry, but also gallery openings, international language events, street festivals, flea markets, etc… Good places to find international events include Spätschicht, MeetUp, Art Connect, The Wye – the list goes on. You’ll meet fascinating people from a wide variety of countries, companies and professional backgrounds. You may even make some friends in the process.

    In Berlin you’ll hear English (or Spanish or French, etc) on a daily basis. Take every opportunity to try to talk to interesting strangers – in the train, in a café, in line at the supermarket. Make sure you’ve got a business card with your name and contact information, ask for their contact information – and be sure to follow up.

    berlin_02.06.2010_6859 by Patrick Lauke under licence CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    berlin_02.06.2010_6859 by Patrick Lauke under licence CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    How to present yourself to companies

    We’ve interviewed several German HR managers working in international companies about typical mistakes non-German applicants make. Their answers may surprise you.

    Firstly, all our HR managers agreed that it’s absolutely no problem to have an English CV and covering letter. While this may not be the case for older, more traditional German companies, many international companies, especially startups, care more about the quality of your work than what your native language is.

    Many companies use English as their internal working language. However, even if the internal company language is German, our HR managers said that a B1 German level would be acceptable at first so long as you don’t have to pitch to clients or deal with customer service.

    Our HR managers also confirm that you should put your date of birth, place of birth, and a photo on your CV with the caveat that no photo is better than a bad photo. What’s a bad photo? Germans typically have professional “Bewerbungsfotos” taken at a studio (for about €20) but if you don’t like that option, just make sure the photo is a clear headshot of you dressed professionally and smiling (or at least looking friendly).

    One HR tip we especially love that goes for how to dress in both the CV photo and interview: look at the photos on the website of the company’s founders and match their style and formality.

    The covering letter is an extremely important part of applying for work, and should not be generic but tailored to the particular position and company, and addressed to a specific contact person whenever possible. Your letter needs to state precisely why you’re so excited about the company and what makes you special or distinguishes you from other candidates.

    Germans often submit an “Initiativbewerbung” (unsolicited application) to companies they are interested in, even if no current openings are posted – feel free to do this too, following the rules above and making sure to say which department or role you would want to interview for.

    And no matter what language your CV and cover letter are in, PROOFREAD carefully.

    A Job for Life by Sky. under licence CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    A Job for Life by Sky. under licence CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

    Are you using every available resource?

    The governmental job agency (Agentur für Arbeit) provides free job-seeking services to EU and non-EU citizens alike. Which services you can access depends on your nationality and visa status, but anyone can register for the online Jobbörse (jobs search engine). If you’d like to go in person, it’s a good idea to take a friend who speaks German or book a translator such as Red Tape Translation to go with you.

    Create a great profile on both LinkedIn and Xing, and get previous employers and colleagues to endorse you and write full recommendations. Think about setting up a simple website showing examples of your work, or if that’s too time-consuming try an about.me page or similar as a digital alternative or supplement to your CV.

    You can also register at a temp agency (“Zeitarbeit”) or recruitment agency (“Personalagentur”) where they’ll do some of the work for you. Manpower, Randstadt and Robert Half are popular international choices, among many others.

     

    Don’t take it too personally

    A rejection – or simply not being called back – is not the end of the world. As with everything in Berlin, the successful expats don’t take it personally or become cynical. Determination and patience in the face of adversity, always being proactive and planning carefully are the keys to success. Thousands of others have done it – you can, too… Happy hunting.

    This post was originally published on Venture Village.

    10 Responses to “How to find a job in Berlin”

    1. Ahsoka23 says:
      November 19, 2013 at 8:16 am

      So I have to move to Berlin. I just need to find a nice cheap place to stay while I look for a job. This is good advice.

      Reply

    2. britinberl says:
      October 15, 2013 at 12:25 pm

      Great article!

      I took some time to provide some tips on the boring stuff (i.e. registering, opening a bank account etc.

      I hope they’re useful.

      https://britinberl.com

      Reply

    3. We Are Here To Help You: Relocation @Wooga | Wooga says:
      April 3, 2013 at 1:50 pm

      […] https://uberlin.co.uk/ -> https://uberlin.co.uk/how-to-find-a-job-in-berlin/ […]

      Reply

    4. Surviving Berlin 101: On job hunting… | 1ckbineineberlinerin says:
      February 11, 2013 at 10:00 am

      […] Post originally published on Venture Village and extracted from Überlin. […]

      Reply

    5. Rob says:
      February 10, 2013 at 8:16 pm

      Great, thanks for these tips and links – I just finished up a frustrating Praktikum, so this article is appreciated.

      Reply

    6. Danilo says:
      February 10, 2013 at 3:02 pm

      Also take in mind the fact that you, most likely, will start from the ground level. There are not many corporations around but a huge bunch of super interesting start-ups that will not pay you much, if they do, but will demand you to tickle a lot your entrepreneurial spirit, which gives you a lot of space to start interesting crazy projects under their name.

      You will rarely find a 9-5 job here.

      Sincerely,

      An expat working in Berlin

      Reply

    7. Avant-Hard says:
      February 10, 2013 at 2:32 pm

      great post! I added a link to my blogpost “Berlin survival kit”
      https://avanthard.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/berlin-survival-kit-jobs-free-things/
      thanks!

      Reply

    8. Berlin survival kit « Avant Hard in Berlin says:
      February 10, 2013 at 2:26 pm

      […] A VERY USEFUL LINK: “How to find a job in Berlin” @ uberlin.co.uk […]

      Reply

    leave a comment

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  • Ask überlin: How can I find an apartment in Berlin?

    by

    Guest Blogger
    Category:

    The latest installment in our ask überlin series was written by Stephan Brenner of Expath – a company that helps expats get established in Berlin – and illustrated by Josh Bauman of Caffeinated Toothpaste fame.

    Can anyone recommend a shipping company that caused you medium-to-low trauma (from London to Berlin)?

    I’d be interested to find out what anybody knows about the rough prices or best services for shipping things here from abroad? (London to Berlin, especially!)

    If you’re anything like me, you have a mom in California who is just itching to sell or (gasp!) donate your boxes of assorted trinkets and angsty teenage poetry, so she can use her garage for car-related matters again. But what can pack rats like us do? Shipping is, by all accounts, very expensive (especially since the US Postal Service got rid of international surface mail in 2007). Here are several realistic suggestions  – and an obnoxious one.

    The first option, for those arriving from very faraway places, is to simply bring it along on the plane. Two suitcases, a stuffed carry-on bag, multiple seasonally inappropriate layers of clothing on your person and voilà! In addition, depending on the airline, paying for extra baggage may not be a comparatively bad option, and should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis (see Fare Compare’s Worldwide Baggage Fee Chart).

    Similarly, when coming from European destinations, using a car filled with one’s precious belongings is a popular option. If you can’t drive, negotiating with rideshares to transport your luggage along with yourself for the price of one or two additional passengers is also a possibility (see Mitfahr Gelegenheit and, specifically for rideshares from London to Germany, the Deutsche in London forum).

    For smaller parcels containing important  items (i.e. things you may want to track or insure), and for very quick international shipping, the standard UPS, DHL, FedEX and local post office would be secure options and they usually help take care of customs, but they’re not cheap. With the not-so-standard delivery companies, one would be well-advised to first check online for other people’s experiences. For a comparison tailored to your unique situation, try Shiply.

    Handle with Care by Josh Bauman

    Also consider local moving companies and international freight forwarders (with shared containers) like UPakWeShip and EuroUSA. This is the slowest option and you absolutely must pay attention to customs regulations (especially for new items) and where your shipment can be picked up. For more information, have a look at the forums on ToyTown Germany dealing with this topic.

    Taking a load with you whenever you return to Berlin from a visit home, and having friends and family bring along items when they visit is a great way to increase your cheap-suitcase collection.

    The last, and most obnoxious, advice is for you to simply come to terms with the realization that you don’t actually need all those things. Two suitcases are more than enough for the transition, and almost anything else can be found quite cheaply here in Berlin.

    What are your thoughts on renting houses as opposed to apartments? Is it easy to get garden flats? Do you know of any areas where it might be easier to find them or a house? Or as soon as you hit areas which have houses does it suddenly turn boring?!

    In which area should I stay when I visit? Where should I live when I move here?

    I am really curious to how much an apartment costs. And like any city there is certainly a range, but if you could shed some experiential advice about monthly rent, good areas for english speakers, bad neighborhoods for english speakers, and anything you think might be useful on the topic of a room.

    Berlin real estate is currently a contentious topic, as it is becoming more challenging to find and obtain the perfect set-up – at first glance. Price, size and location are factors that, when varied even slightly, can lead to very different and potentially interesting results. Getting what you want takes time, a strong spirit and the willingness to compromise (at least in the beginning).

    Cozy by Josh Bauman

    The all-important questions here are whether to rent temporarily or long-term, and whether to live in a shared apartment (“Wohngemeinschaft”, or simply “WG”) or alone. Temporary arrangements are sometimes significantly more expensive, but not a bad place to start – especially since there’s less hassle and bureaucracy involved (try Craigslist). This gives you an address to register and some breathing room to get a lay of the land. Shared flats are also not very bureaucratic, but there are interviews! Your potential flatmates will only accept the candidate with their idea of the perfect personality. Listings can be found at WG-Gesucht and Studenten-WG. For those craving independence, privacy and a longer commitment, who can spare some time for the process and are willing to diligently prepare and deal with setbacks, renting one’s own apartment is the way to go.

    When looking for an apartment, as Patrick Wilken points out in his excellent response to the original query, a good price in Berlin is roughly €10 per square meter “warm” (i.e. including costs like heating). In other words, a monthly rent of €500 for a 50sqm apartment is generally not a rip-off and would be considered a bargain in the more desirable areas.

    Very roughly speaking, the two Eastern quadrants within the S-Bahn ring are the most sought-after areas by expats. Apartments here are among the most challenging to find and obtain because demand exceeds supply. However, looking just outside of these areas, a difference of mere minutes with Berlin’s magnificent public transport, may yield excellent value for money, especially in terms of space – and much less of a fight to actually end up signing a contract. The downside here is that the buildings and neighborhoods may not be as pretty or lively. As Patrick mentions, Wedding is very up-and-coming and Moabit is still underrated. Our advice is: to go and explore the different areas yourself. You may just be pleasantly surprised, and if you happen to get a bad vibe, then skip it. To find rental apartments or houses (usually in quieter neighborhoods and on the outskirts of the city) check out Immobilienscout24 , Immowelt and Immonet for listings. As with much else, having a network of friends in the city will expose you more directly to available rooms and flats before they’re on the market.

    Garden Flat by Josh Bauman

    The best advice to actually GET the flat of your dreams is to have all the standard documents prepared before the viewing (!) – which may take more than a week. Have the following in both paper and digital format: a copy of your photo ID (for non-EU: also your residence permit), income statements from the last three months (“Einkommensnachweis”), a letter from your previous landlord confirming that you don’t owe rent (“Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung”), your “Schufa” credit report , a neatly filled-out application form (which you receive at the viewing) and a nicely written (ideally in German) text for the body of your email. For EU citizens, a letter guaranteeing that someone, e.g. a parent, can cover the costs in case you can’t (“Bürgschaft”) may also be possible in lieu of the income statements. Decisions on whose application actually gets processed are based on the completeness and timeliness of the application, which of the applicants is most likely (able) to pay the rent and, all other things being equal, a good impression in person and in writing. An excellent way to ensure that your application makes it to the top of the pile is offering to pay six months’ or even a year’s rent in advance, especially when lacking the income statements.

    Sincere thanks to Berlin real estate agents Aljona Brysch and Michael Rost for their insight and help researching this information.

    Help a Berliner out. Do you have any top tips for finding rental properties in Berlin, or making moving here easier?

    11 Responses to “Ask überlin: How can I find an apartment in Berlin?”

    1. michael charles bulla says:
      February 13, 2015 at 11:39 am

      Hi i have german dual citizanship and in two years time i want to move to berlin or hamberg once i have finnished my college courses here in scotland but i dont speak very much german i have been trying to tap into the german job market and i have been looking at propertys on the internet but it all seems very difficult also i would like to appliy for housing under the state because i have an german pass port and german ID card but i dont know what i would be entitled to in germany from the german state

      Reply

    2. Richard M says:
      July 12, 2013 at 7:27 am

      I found if you mention that your whole family where Jewish and interned in Treblinka you can have the gas cooker exchanged for an electrical oven at owners expense!

      Reply

    3. Finding a Flat in Berlin… an alternative approach – Accommodation Berlin – Blog says:
      July 7, 2013 at 4:38 pm

      […] some handy stuff here – at  Überlin and slowtravel berlin – from my favorite Berlin blog contemporaries about the ups and downs of […]

      Reply

    4. OneCasa says:
      June 10, 2013 at 7:43 am

      An additional tool to search for an apartment to rent in Berlin is the OneCasa Portal (https://www.onecasa.com).

      Reply

    5. Dana Caffrey says:
      November 27, 2012 at 2:13 pm

      HiI I’m glad I’ve found this page. I’m also new here in Berlin, just got here 2 days ago. I’m staying in a hotel downtown. I’m planning to stay here for long, I’d also like to look for an apartment. Thanks!

      Reply

    6. Kathleen Parker says:
      November 14, 2012 at 11:20 pm

      At some rental agencies, newcomers with no credit history in Germany need to pay up to one year’s rent, in advance, in cash (!) before they secure an apartment. Or at least, that’s what I witnessed last week when I took two English speakers to a rental contract signing appointment in German. They were as gobsmacked as I was, but after determining that no alternative method of payment was acceptable, they dutifully showed up and counted the money in multiple lots of 1000 EU on the table, and no-one blinked.

      Reply

    7. Caffeinated Toothpaste – 10/11/2012 says:
      November 11, 2012 at 5:00 pm

      […] you can check out some illustrations of mine over on überlin in their great article about finding a flat in Berlin. ↓ Transcript”Smile” “How do you like your hat?” “I love […]

      Reply

    8. Jenny says:
      November 11, 2012 at 2:42 pm

      Hey,

      great advice on a constant topic. The only thing I would advice is to actually use craigslist. Craigslist is not a site well-known or used by Germans. For Berlin and other German cities, people that post on Craigslist are often targeting tourists and new arrivals with little knowledge of the city. You will likely end up paying way more than you should and also have relatively high chances of being scammed.

      It is a bit more difficult, but I would definitely go for the German sites like WG-Gesucht. Here you can also filter for studio flats etc and most people also post sub-leases here. Try to use Google Chrome when looking at such sites, as the will automatically translate German sites into English for you.

      Good luck to everyone!

      Reply

      • Patrick Wilken says:
        November 12, 2012 at 9:56 am

        My strategy when moving to a new city is to do some research before arrival to narrow down the possible areas I want to live in, and then rent out a sublet for a few months in one of these areas, until I know exactly where I want to live.

        I found Craigslist very helpful this summer in getting sublets in Neukoelln. I rented from Germans, who were paying old rental prices, and asked a reasonable amount for their apartments. Of course, there are also lots of people trying to rip you off, but usually it’s pretty clear who’s who.

        My impression is that Craigslist is used a lot more by Germans now than two years ago, and has become useful (at least in Berlin). Of course, the German sites are very helpful, but can be difficult to access if your German is not more fluent.

        Reply

    9. Keir says:
      November 11, 2012 at 2:30 pm

      Cheesy as it may it sound, on the advice of some German friends, the following two things were also part of my documents…

      A covering sheet with a bit about me complete with colour photo of me being sober. On this sheet I included bullet pints quickly outlining some professional and personal information (nature of my work and company, non-smoker, charity worker, Christian, all round saint).

      I also purchased nice-ish folders and stupid as it may sound decoratively illustrated them with my name. I like drawing and I figured that something nice but not overstated would help catch a prospective landlord’s eye and make my folder stand out from the other 15.

      Another tip is, even though my German is total shit, I try my best to speak it to the guy showing us around, even if it is just to apologise for my shit German and to thank him/her for speaking English. This way you can play the sympathy card and they also see you’re not an arroant foreigner.

      Ultimately I think copies of the last three pay slips was the clincher though.

      Reply

    leave a comment

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  • Ask überlin: How do I find a job in Berlin?

    by

    James Glazebrook
    Category:

    Many of the respondents to our recent Ask überlin… ANYTHING! post have stumbled upon a Berlin paradox. Everyone wants to move here, but they can’t because there aren’t any jobs. However, if there were jobs here, it would no longer be cheap, or thrilling, or otherwise attractive to people like us. In the words of Adam Fletcher, “it’d be Munich.” We anticipated the advice of his You know you’re a Berliner when... post before we moved here:

    Don’t move here unless you already have a way to sustain yourself, even if you will need vastly less money than in other cities. €1k a month is enough to live reasonably well. So work online. Freelance. Do a startup. Take a year out and write that book. Do “projects”.

    Because of nature of our work (creative, online), we’re only really qualified to help people get jobs in startups. If you’re one of these bright sparks, check out Berlin Startup Jobs and, if you speak German, Creative City Berlin and Creative Set. Also sign up to Watson Jobs‘ newsletter for job vacancies and internships, and pester your favourite companies until they give in and give you some work ???? But no matter what you plan to do, you might have to do the Berlin thing and work a subsistence job (or five) until your Berlin dreams take off.

    by Josh Bauman

    by Josh Bauman

    In an attempt to help those interested in real jobs – or what Chris calls “a decent career” – we did a little research on monster.de. From the many thousands of jobs on offer, about 200 were in the education sector (Chris is a trained Careers Advisor) and about 40 in nursing. We can’t answer these related questions…

    Is it true that Germans don’t think much of their nurses?
    Does having an English degree carry any sort of advantage when applying for jobs?

    …but we should repeat Patrick’s word of caution: “If you don’t speak passable German I think your options are pretty limited.” For some thoughts and tips about learning the local language, read Ask überlin: Do I need to learn German?

    Also on the topic of making a living in Berlin, Ryan asks:

    Do you (or anyone else who may be reading) have any tips or recommendations for cheap, relatively hassle-free German health insurance?

    This is a question we’re still trying to find an answer to, nearly two years into our life here. Of course we have health insurance (it’s required by law), but frankly, we’ve been ripped off! We have some leads, and will let you know how they develop, but we’ll leave you with the greatest tip we’ve ever been given on the subject: if you come from an EU country with a public healthcare system, you can transfer onto public insurance here. BUT once you go private, you can’t go back. Here is the NHS information we wished we’d known before we moved…

    Help a Berliner out. Do you have any top tips for finding affordable health insurance in Berlin… or a job?

    4 Responses to “Ask überlin: How do I find a job in Berlin?”

    1. Pan says:
      June 16, 2014 at 11:50 am

      Check also: https://www.onstartupjobs.com/ English speaking jobs & internships, focused on Startups

      Reply

    2. carnz says:
      June 8, 2013 at 12:52 pm

      I also used https://marsjobs.net for that. Formerly it was hascore.com I think. Anyway it has nice searching features but not all the jobs.

      Reply

    3. Tia Robinson says:
      October 28, 2012 at 12:43 pm

      Hi everyone!
      If you have a full-time job, lucky you – you can get insurance through your company – you just choose which company you want to work with.
      For everyone else (freelancers, self-employed, students, etc.) finding a “Versicherungsmakler” (insurance broker) is a great way to inform yourself about public & private insurance because they’ll meet with you for free to present all your options. They represent “all and no” insurance companies so can remain neutral while advising you on the most affordable insurance for your needs. Expath’s preferred broker is Anke Luebben, an English-speaking German who specializes in expats (including the insurance you need to get a work permit if non-EU) Her email is LuebbenAnke@aol.com.
      For very short-term (i.e. for your first year, or just to get a work permit) insurance you might consider an international option, for example through Keith Tanner at: keith.tanner@crcie.com. However, if you’re staying in Germany long-term it definitely pays off to get German insurance. An insurance broker can best explain this to you offiically but you can also read some background here: https://www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/index.php/t238466.html.
      Finally, a word to EU citizens – get your EHIC (European Health Insurance card) before you come, and it’ll cover you for emergencies. Again – it has limited coverage and validity, so be sure to look into long-term German insurance when you arrive.
      I’d also be silly not to mention that Expath does job coaching (especially for freelancers) – we’re quite happy to help you put an individual action plan together. Just write us at info@expath.de.

      Reply

      • Muhamad Hammad says:
        July 29, 2013 at 2:09 pm

        i have all the documants clouding the insurance and all contracts where i was working before am chef cook and beker now am in berlin looking for jop my no 004915147801

        Reply

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  • Ask überlin: Do I need to learn German?

    by

    James Glazebrook
    Category:

    Of all the questions to pop up in response to our recent Ask überlin… ANYTHING! post, the one that really jumped out was Nana’s:

    Is it possible to live in Berlin without knowing a word in German?

    The scary thing is that the short answer is “Yes, quite possible”. We know people here who survive on very little German: they work at international companies where the official language is English, only hang out with other expats, and do the whole nod-and-smile thing at supermarket checkouts. Some of them just haven’t got round to learning the language yet, but some don’t ever plan to.

    The problem with this is, like Patrick comments, “your ability to work and interact with people is going to be much more limited.” What happens if you lose your startup job and can’t find another? Or need to get your sink fixed? Or get sick of socialising with douchebags like me?

    Our advice would be: don’t worry about the language thing before you move to Berlin, and don’t let it put you off coming. But when you’re settled, make steps to learn German. Like Expath’s Tia Robinson writes in this great post for VentureVillage, “you can be one of the thousands of Berlin expats bumbling around… But why not take advantage of being immersed in German language and culture?”

    Scroll down for some top tips to avoid becoming this guy:

    Language schools

    We’ve sampled a few different language schools, and some private tutors, and our favourite is Sprachsalon Berlin in Neukölln. The teachers are great, engaging in German and resorting to English to explain the most difficult concepts, the classes are small (we learned first with a total of four students, then just the two of us) and, above all, the fees are very reasonable.

    If you want some other options, check out this Exberliner article or wait for someone more experienced than us to comment below!

    Online learning tools

    Again, we checked out a bunch of online learning tools and stopped at one that works for us: Duolingo. Read what we wrote about Duolingo when it was still in private beta here, and sign up here.

    VentureVillage included Duolingo in their 7 cool new ways to learn German, along with some other interesting resources worth checking out – including our Daily Deutsch tweets and illustrations! The list also mentions Meetup.com as a way to meet and speak to “real Germans in the real world”, which could be useful for Alex, who asked us:

    any suggestions on how to “fit in” (ie not seem like a typical American/Brit/whatever living in Berlin)? I have a good comprehension of the language, but really want to try to assimilate as much as possible.

    by Josh Bauman

    by Josh Bauman

    Other resources

    We’ve heard great things about tandem learning, one-on-one language exchange with a German who wants to learn English (or another language), but we’ve both been playing email tag with our partners, so we can’t yet recommend the institution that’s connected us. And we’ve only just discovered the following:

    Zattoo – live stream German TV and radio, and watch Spiegel TV on demand, for free.
    Deutsche Welle media centre – get the news and other current affairs programmes as audio and video.
    Learn German for Free – kostenlos audio lessons on the Open Culture website.
    Radiant-Flux – Patrick Wilken’s own blog tackles the issue of “Deutsch lernen”. This epic post is well worth reading for a different approach to language learning and the tactics to go with it.

    We reckon that one of the easiest ways to “open your ears” to the language is to listen to local music (with vocals; German hip hop is actually pretty decent) and watch German TV and films, or English-language stuff dubbed into German.

    On that note, does anyone have an answer for Paula?

    Does anyone know a good website where you can stream German movies with English subtitles? Trying to show my boyfriends some German movies in prep of our big move but it’s hard to find sites that host movies with voiceover / subtitles. Any recommendations?

    Help a Berliner out. Do you have any top tips for ways in which to learn German, or places to do so?

    20 Responses to “Ask überlin: Do I need to learn German?”

    1. Adam says:
      March 30, 2014 at 1:24 pm

      Hallo liebe Leute, wie geht’s? I’m a bit late with regards to this thread but am hoping people are still reading it from time to time. Hoping to move to Berlin myself later this year and in doing so perhaps improve my German-please excuse the pitiful attempt above. However, my fear is that it will be all too easy to sink into my comfort zone and therefore speak English. Is there any worth in seeking to move outside of Berlin to places like Potsdam or even Brandenburg? At the moment, I’m in the midst of planning my accommodation, so it would be good to know what the consensus on this question might be? In my opinion, if you move to another country, you should learn the language but with Berlin being an international city, I am worried that this will discourage me in my efforts. If anyone could shed some light on this, I’d be grateful. Cheers.

      Reply

    2. Learn German on the cheap! Get 10% discount off language courses at Expath : uberlinuberlin says:
      May 29, 2013 at 8:32 am

      […] in Berlin. Ours is a city so international that some expats actually ask themselves (and us!) whether it’s worth learning German at all, and the business ventures they start can spark fierce debate when they are criticised for not […]

      Reply

    3. Veronika says:
      April 15, 2013 at 1:16 pm

      Learning German is essential nowadays and I feel that even though I could survive here with my English only when I first arrived in Berlin, something pushed me to learn the language. My job is basically in English and I rarely use German there, but I feel the necessity to interact with German people. After all I came to live and work in Germany, so I need to understand the way this nation lives and thinks. But one thing I see quite frequently is that many Germans are willing to speak in English and sometimes I notice that they are happy to practice the language, so this might be a good reason for the lazy foreigners to refuse to invest on learning German.
      However, there are many language schools with reasonable prices and flexible hours. One that I attend is Deutschakademie ( https://www.deutschakademie.de/berlin/alexanderplatz ). I started here in November, in my second week in Berlin. I am pleased with my choice, as I improved my German and feel much more confident than before and the language school is in the centre and very near to my place. The classes are not over-crowded as other language schools and the price is good for what it offers. I think that it is easy to organize your time and attend some lessons after work and there are language schools in every area in Berlin… So that means no excuses guys. Learn German!!!

      Reply

      • James Glazebrook says:
        April 15, 2013 at 1:21 pm

        Hi Veronika,
        Thanks for the comment! Who’s your teacher at Deutschakademie? That’s where we did our first lessons…

        Reply

        • Veronika says:
          April 17, 2013 at 12:05 am

          Hello, my teacher now is Corrina. This is in Alexanderplatz. I had some other teachers in Wittenbergplatz as well as Julianne and Janina. All of them are very good but my favourite teacher is Julianne. Which teachers did you have? I might know some of them from the Stammtisch.

          Reply

          • James Glazebrook says:
            April 17, 2013 at 7:03 am

            We had Steffan, who at the time was working at Wittenbergplatz. This was a couple of years ago now…

            Reply

    4. How to improve your German in Berlin : uberlinuberlin says:
      March 31, 2013 at 7:27 am

      […] populous German-speaking country. But you’d be wrong. Berlin is an international city where you can, more or less, get by without speaking the language. Whether or not you’d want to–or […]

      Reply

    5. “Wie, bitte?” Ranting back at Exberlineruberlin says:
      February 22, 2013 at 10:32 am

      […] laurenoyler.com or follow her on Twitter: @laurenoyler. For tips on learning German, read “Ask überlin – Do I need to learn German?” Published: February 22, 2013 Filed Under: Expat Life leave a comment Name: […]

      Reply

    6. Study German in Berlin says:
      November 23, 2012 at 11:49 am

      Continue the wonderful good article, I just read couple of articles about this web page.

      Reply

    7. Isa says:
      November 21, 2012 at 1:57 pm

      Insist on talking German to your German friends. No matter how tedious it might be or how silly you feel, ie. along the same lines as Clairikine

      Reply

    8. Ask überlin: How do I find a job in Berlin? : uberlin says:
      October 28, 2012 at 12:33 pm

      […] …but we should repeat Patrick’s word of caution: “If you don’t speak passable German I think your options are pretty limited.” For some thoughts and tips about learning the local language, read Ask überlin: Do I need to learn German? […]

      Reply

    9. Alice says:
      October 22, 2012 at 9:40 pm

      There is also a slow aproach to learning german: https://www.slowgerman.com/ ????

      Greetings from DasBogenfenster and SlowLifeLab

      Reply

    10. Heather says:
      October 22, 2012 at 9:17 am

      I also highly recommend tandem learning, more than anything it just gave me the confidence to get started and I met a few nice people who work in other fields (as hard as I found to discuss my own field with a near-stranger, discussing law or chemistry was a great challenge!).

      And as an alternative to TV in a foreign language (which I never really enjoy anyway), I also suggest podcasts! I’m quite into the Kastenfisch and Einschlafen podcasts (available on iTunes store), very easy to have on the go and two very friendly and nice sounding German voices to hear regularly! :)

      Reply

    11. Workingberlinmum says:
      October 21, 2012 at 9:15 pm

      It amazes me how many people live here for so many years without any interest in learning the language. Even now, when I can pass a C1 level German test, I still feel frustrated at my struggle to find certain words mid conversation. I hated not being able to understand the postman when he came to the door, or to not be able to argue with DHL when they failed to bring a parcel in the alloted hours once more. People need to be realistic about how hard it is to learn a language but give it a go and it will open up a lot more opportunities for you!

      Reply

    12. patrick wilken says:
      October 21, 2012 at 4:40 pm

      Thanks for the shout-out to my own blog post. In my own post, which was written a few months ago, I was down on German courses, but since then I to have discovered the wonders of Sprachsalon Berlin. I am currently in a semi-intensive course, which for three-half-days a week, for a month, is an absolute bargin at 200 Euros. Strongly recommended.

      Reply

    13. Tia Robinson says:
      October 21, 2012 at 1:24 pm

      Thank you for the mention, Zoe & James! For finding a tandem partner, I can recommend Lingo Bongo: https://www.lingobongo.com/berlin/en/. You can put your own ads up to find a tandem partner or read others’ ads. There are also tandems for other languages, plus job offers and offers for private (paid) courses.

      Reply

    14. Josie says:
      October 21, 2012 at 12:42 pm

      Agree that Duolingo.com is amazing! I am a complete beginner, moving to Berlin in two weeks and it’s got me fairly far already.

      The Deutsch warum nicht? podcasts (on iTunes) are also pretty good I found. Although I’m someone who picks up languages fairly quickly – I think this might be a bit challenging if you weren’t used to grammatical concepts etc.

      Reply

    15. basti says:
      October 21, 2012 at 11:28 am

      It’s definitely a huge help and motivation to find some local who’s willing to cooperate with you as a German-learner and is interested in explaining the details and correct misunderstandings. I’m currently helping a great person to learn German and it’s really fun!

      Reply

    16. Marta says:
      October 21, 2012 at 11:24 am

      https://memrise.com/home/
      !!!
      It’s AMAZING

      Reply

    17. Clairikine says:
      October 21, 2012 at 11:12 am

      My advice: if you already have a basic grasp of German, and you’re looking for a flat share, live with German housemates. If you make the conscious decision to not speak English with them, you’ll be forced to speak and hear German on a regular basis, which is really the only way to improve your German in my opinion.

      Reply

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