BERLIN HAS A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE
What’s on this week?
Berlin comes out on top for quality of life. Or does it? A revamped salary negotiation guide. Unbridled racism in hiring. Avoid unnecessary travel to America. The German economy en route to recovery?!
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Authentic Stories: Enjoy a personal touch from me with stories, rants, and reflections that make the newsletter informative and enjoyable.
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Personal News & Musings
🫣 Sometimes, I’ll overshare and/or rant a bit.
While I’m sick with a cold again, I still had a good week. I went with some colleagues for a team building event at Lane 7 near Potsdamer Platz, where I rediscovered I suck at bowling but I’m not bad at mini-golf.
We headed to Manifesto Market afterwards, and omg, I sampled tacos from Xola. Seriously, I’m still dreaming about them. 🌮
Community News
🤝 News from our community.
⭐ Our last poll asked: Which German city has the best quality of life? 419 people voted (across Threads, LinkedIn, and Substack) and Berlin came out on top with 37%. Some commenters mentioned Leipzig was missing from our list.
🌟 Disclaimer: Don’t take this poll too seriously. It was meant to be fun! 🙃
⭐ Take part in this week’s poll: What do you think of Germany lifting the debt brake?
⭐ Recent podcast episodes: There were no new episodes again this week. 👉 If you’re new here, you can listen to past episodes and subscribe via YouTube or Spotify.
⭐ This week’s featured Berlin Life guides: I updated two of our existing guides –A Practical Guide To Negotiating Salary In Germany & Companies In Berlin Hiring Right Now. 👉 Read all our 50+ free guides to living and working in Germany.
⭐ ICYMI: Last week’s edition – Job Searches in Germany Are Lasting Longer. 👉 For more, browse our archives.
⭐ Our events: I set a date for a community mixer in April. 👉 Subscribe to our events calendar to avoid missing out on future happenings.
⭐ Germany Life Hacks: Migrapreneur is offering a new AI training program. Cherry Ventures has an exclusive job board featuring nearly 400 opportunities at German startups.
Food For Thought
💡 Interesting articles about the world of work and other random things.
The World of Work
⭐ About AI and the future uncertainty of work.
⭐ A fake LinkedIn profile exposed blatant racism in hiring.
⭐ 56% of women have experienced mansplaining on the job. 🤔
⭐ Home services is the fastest growing sector for female entrepreneurs.
⭐ There’s a growing trend of job seekers being asked to take personality tests.
All Things Tech
⭐ Bluesky’s CEO, Jay Graber, wore a t-shirt at SXSW this week to troll Mark Zuckerberg, and it quickly sold out. I’m happy to say I nabbed one!
⭐ Meanwhile, Meta has been found out for blacklisting former employees despite good performance, as well as blocking a former employee’s tell-all book from release. Somehow, it’s still available for purchase.
Random Life Things
⭐ How language shapes our thinking.
⭐ Poland is said to be the third best country for young adults, and Europeans are living longer.
⭐ The world’s biggest underground lake has been recently discovered in Albania.
⭐ Central Europe has a new hop off/hop on train with the new Baltic Express line.
Companies Hiring
🇩🇪 Companies in Germany hiring right now.
⭐ Doctorflix – Berlin | Jobs (2 openings)
⭐ knoell – Remote/Mannheim, Berlin, or Leverkusen | Jobs (2 openings)
⭐ More in Common – Berlin | Jobs (1 opening)
⭐ Navan – Berlin | Jobs (12 openings)
⭐ Urban Sports Club – Berlin & Cologne | Jobs (12 openings)
⭐ Verve – Berlin | Jobs (3 openings)
🇩🇪 German startups that recently raised new funding also have vacancies.
⭐ Dance – €12 M | Berlin | Jobs
⭐ Elea – €4 M | Hamburg | Jobs
⭐ LipoCheck – €2.5 M | Leipzig | Jobs
⭐ Reshape Energy – €5 M | Munich | Jobs
⭐ Rex – €5 M | Berlin | Jobs
⭐ Senior Connect – Undisclosed | Schrozberg | Jobs
⭐ TastyUrban – €6.5 M | Berlin | Jobs
⭐ Ucaneo – Undisclosed | Berlin | Jobs
⭐ Vantis – Undisclosed | Munich | Jobs
⭐ Vytal – €14.2 M | Cologne | Jobs
General News
⭐ Deutsche Bahn shelled out €197 M in compensation for delays in 2024. Emissions in Germany also fell by 3.4% last year.
⭐ Germany is again free from foot and mouth disease, but measles are at an all-time high in Europe. Get vaccinated! 💉
⭐ Avoid unnecessary travel to America. German tourists who have committed no crimes continue to be illegally incarcerated in the US. Even worse, is the cruel torture inflicted on a German with permanent residency status in the US.
⭐ Repeat offenders who ride public transit in Berlin without a ticket often end up in jail. Fundraising efforts recently helped liberate 15 people.
Politics & Economy
⭐ In biggggg news, Germany is finally releasing the “debt brake” and plans unprecedented spending on building the military and repairing aging infrastructure.
⭐ A new military homeland security division has been created. While expansion progresses, a massive recruitment drive is also needed.
⭐ Despite the rollercoaster like threat of US tariffs, these efforts are expected to boost GDP by 2026. Germany could actually spend almost €2 T without harming economic growth.
⭐ Karma is a bitch. Berliners have been setting Teslas on fire and 94% of Germans say they’d never buy one of their cars. The Berliner takes a deep dive into Elon’s failed backing of the AfD. 💀
⭐ Tesla is attempting illegal af DOGE-like tactics at the Berlin plant. Management is forcing employees who had been on sick leave to disclose their medical diagnoses and in some cases, have withheld pay and forced resignations.
Immigration & Labor Market
⭐ Knowing your rights and obligations is crucial if you work remotely in Germany.
⭐ 6000 Syrians comprise the biggest group of foreign doctors in Germany and now that Assad has been removed, they’re mulling over returning home.
⭐ Immigration officials in Munich’s foreigners’ office have been accused of bribery, taking cash to dole out visas and resident permits.
⭐ Due to the new SPD/CDU coalition, it’s now assured that the newly minted dual citizenship laws will remain in place.
Fun, Interesting, and/or Useful
⭐ From bagels to Chinese takeout and thin-crust pizza, these are the best spots in Berlin for New York-style food.
⭐ The British aren’t the only champion tea drinkers; Germany’s tea-loving East Frisians give them a run for their money. 🍵
⭐ You can buy this German castle along the Baltic coast for a mere $201 M.
⭐ Pictures from Germany in the final days of WWII, taken by an American combat photographer.
How We Can Help
😇 Good stuff from the Berlin Life.
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Do you think Berlin has a high quality of life? Would you argue for another city? Tell us more in the comments below.
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Cheryl Howard, Founder @ The Berlin Life
Hi, I’m Cheryl. My mission is to help you move to Berlin and find work.
A Canadian in Berlin for 10+ years, I have the unique experience of moving to Berlin – not once, but twice. During my time in Berlin, I’ve had five different visas and worked as both a freelancer and a permanent employee for numerous Berlin companies. I even managed to find a new job during the pandemic and again in 2023, during Germany’s recession and massive layoffs in tech.
My day job has involved work as a hiring manager, overseeing the recruitment of countless people, as well as a team coach helping teams and individuals work better and find happiness in their careers. Through my side projects, I’ve also shared my personal experiences by publishing a series of helpful blog posts, creating a thriving community of job seekers, and hosting events to help people find work in Berlin. In 2021, I decided to put my coaching and recruiting talents to use by creating The Berlin Life, bringing my existing content and community together in one spot.
The combination of my personal and professional experience means I know exactly what it takes to move to Berlin and find work.