BERLIN RENTS ARE RISING FASTER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN GERMANY
What’s on this week?
Are you enthusiastic about work? Americans resent European work/life balance. A unique opportunity to work for the United Nations. Berlin rents are rising faster than any other German city.
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Personal News & Musings
🫣 Sometimes, I’ll overshare and/or rant a bit.
I don’t have too much to share this week. I had fewer meetings than usual (aka less stress), attended a fabulous women’s networking event (see Community News), and finished watching Ted Lasso (stoked there will be a Season 4).
Community News
🤝 News from our community.
⭐ Our last poll asked: What makes you feel most “integrated” in Germany? It was a silly poll, but 155 people seemed to have fun answering, with 49% feeling proud of their recycling prowess. I honestly expected higher numbers for the socks and sandals category. 😅
⭐ Take part in this week’s poll: In general, how enthusiastic do you feel about your job and/or professional prospects?
⭐ Recent podcast episodes: There were no new episodes this week, but we’re now on YouTube. Listen to past episodes.
⭐ This week’s featured Berlin Life guides:
🌟 An FAQ: Mail Forwarding In Germany – Called Nachsendeservice or Nachsendeauftrag, you can opt to have your post forwarded from your old address to your new mailing address in Germany.
🌟 Sentiments of Foreigners Living in Germany: Insights & Trends – Explore the sentiments of foreigners living in Germany 2024: A look at optimism, uncertainty, & the evolving experiences of internationals.
⭐ ICYMI: Last week’s newsletter, The Fastest Growing Jobs in Berlin. For past editions, browse our archives.
⭐ Our events: We’ve revved up our community events for 2025. Be sure to subscribe to our events calendar to get alerts about new events.
🌟 Our monthly professional women’s networking dinner is on Feb 19 – sign-up. It’s at capacity, but you can join the waiting list.
🌟 Our community mixer (everyone is welcome!) is scheduled for Mar 6 – sign-up.
⭐Other events and communities: We always love giving a shoutout to support others doing good in Germany.
🌟 Women Techmakers Berlin is hosting an online International Women’s Day event called Redefine Possible.
🌟 Creative Circle – A series of monthly female networking events hosted in Berlin and Hamburg. I attended this past week and met some really incredible and inspiring women. See my IG snaps.
Food For Thought
💡 Interesting articles about the world of work and other random things.
⭐ Dwarkesh Patel waxes poetic about how companies could become fully automated using AI agents and how this could shape the future. He fails to address how this would affect humanity at large. 🤔
⭐ Americans upset the French startup scene after suggesting that the EU is falling behind in tech because we like work-life balance and don’t strive to emulate the toxic Silicon Valley hustle culture.
⭐ If you are looking for a career in Salesforce tech, you may want to reconsider – the company is leaning into AI and won’t be hiring any new software engineers this year.
⭐ Three common traits that inspiring leaders possess include leading by example, mentoring others, and being a visionary.
⭐ 10 tips to become the most likable person at work. And how overachievers can sabotage themselves and burn out at work if they don’t set boundaries.
⭐ China’s building a solar space station, and if it works, “… it could collect more energy in a year than all the oil on Earth.”
⭐ In all things cute, you can buy a tiny robot cat that will blow on your coffee or tea to cool it down. I won’t lie; I reeeeally want one. 😻
Companies Hiring
🇩🇪 Companies in Germany hiring right now.
⭐ Common Goal – Berlin | Jobs (3 openings)
⭐ Conceptboard – Stuttgart | Jobs (8 openings)
⭐ Crisis 24 – Konstanz | Jobs (78 openings)
⭐ DW – Berlin & Bonn | Jobs (11 openings)
⭐ sustainable natives – Berlin | Jobs (1 opening)
⭐ Workist – Berlin | Jobs (3 openings)
🇩🇪 German startups that recently raised new funding also have vacancies.
⭐ Akribion Therapeutics – €8 M | Zwingenberg | Jobs (0 openings atm)
⭐ Assemblean – €1.8 M | Paderborn | Jobs (0 openings atm)
⭐ Avelios Medical – €30 M | Munich | Jobs (28 openings)
⭐ Hallo Theo – €10 M | Berlin | Jobs (9 openings)
⭐ octonomy – €5 M | Cologne | Jobs (0 openings atm)
⭐ PartsCloud – €5 M | Stuttgart | Jobs (4 openings)
⭐ Prior Labs – €9 M | Freiburg im Breisgau | Jobs (10 openings)
⭐ Solaris – €140 M | Berlin | Jobs (13 openings)
ℹ️ Follow us on LinkedIn, where we share new job postings daily.
General News
⭐ Berliners take note, as there will be another transit strike on Monday. The S-Bahn will remain unaffected.
⭐ Four German cities saw record use of public transit in 2024. Can you guess which ones?
⭐ Frankfurt airport security waits are set to decline with the rollout of walk-through body scanners.
Politics & Economy
⭐ Recent acts of climate activism point to Russian election interference to incite hatred against the Greens. AI influencers are also generating content for the far-right. As such, 88% of Germans rightfully fear voter manipulation.
⭐ After Merz disastrously flirted with the AfD, he double-downed on his rhetoric. The consequences included a drop in polling and another public scolding by Angela Merkel.
⭐ See my recent pics of how Berliners talk politics through stickers.
⭐ Another example of Germans being behind the times is the government using Tinder to encourage people to vote. No one is using the app anymore.
⭐ Rents are rising faster in Berlin than anywhere else in Germany, and here’s how the various German political parties plan to tackle the rent crisis. One of the leading causes of the rent problem is holiday flats and loopholes in German laws. #fckairbnb
⭐ Data that will make the American Cheeto in Chief throw tariffs on us ASAP – Germany’s trade surplus was €250 B in 2024.
⭐ There’s hope for Germany’s automobile industry. A historic train factory in Germany will be used to build new tanks.
Immigration & Labor Market
⭐ How much do software engineers earn in Germany? According to the State of Developer Ecosystem Survey 2024, the median income is €75,000 annually.
Fun, Interesting, and/or Useful
⭐ Quedlinburg, Germany, was named the eighth most welcoming city on earth.
⭐ Seeking a fun weekend day trip within Berlin? Check out Teufelsberg in winter.
⭐ An American who moved to Germany talks about the happiness she found in Berlin. 💖
How We Can Help
😇 Good stuff from the Berlin Life.
⭐ Get help preparing for job interviews and creating standout job applications through our career coaching and review services.
⭐ Connect with other professionals in Germany with our LinkedIn Connect & Exchange list.
⭐ Settle into your new life in Germany and save money with our partners on insurance, banking, and more.
⭐ Read our 50+ free guides to living, working, and moving to Germany.
⭐ Recommended reading: 20% Berlin – Berlin news in English
⭐ Ask questions about living and working in Germany, and join our chat. 💬
❤️ Thanks for being part of our community. Support us by buying us a beer.
Stay tuned to our newsletter for similar content, such as finding out that Berlin rents are rising faster than anywhere else in Germany.
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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.