What’s on this week?

Trends and insights into how foreigners living in Germany are feeling right now. Germany does not have a Digital Nomad visa. Berlin’s culture scene is being threatened. Women in the EU earn 13% less than male counterparts.

Personal News & Musings

🫣 Sometimes, I’ll overshare and/or rant a bit.

A major expat publication has extensively advertised an online how-to session about getting a Digital Nomad visa in Germany. It’s important to be clear and understand that Germany does not offer digital nomad visas.

Yet, if you Google “Digital nomad visa Germany,” you’ll see several pages of results indicating otherwise. Someone somewhere decided the freelance visa was similar to a digital nomad visa, and the misinformation spread like internet wildfire.

Germany is experiencing a massive labor shortage and stands to gain nothing from people who only stay for a few months. They need those who remain in the country long-term and work for German companies contributing to the economy. Having German clients is even a mandatory requirement for a freelance visa.

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to immigrate to Germany. Check out this official government website to see what visa options are available.

If you need help navigating the visa process, consult a relocation company (employing actual experts) who can make your transition much smoother.

Community News

🤝 News from our community.

⭐ Our last poll asked: “As a foreigner in Germany, how good do you feel about living here right now?” I ran this poll twice, once in June and once in November. Unfortunately, sentiments have not improved, and our community members feel less sure about whether they want to remain in Germany. I wrote an in-depth piece about the changing feelings of foreigners living in Germany over on The Berlin Life. Read it here.

⭐ Take part in this week’s poll: What makes you feel unsure about your life as a foreigner in Germany and could potentially make you leave for good?

⭐ This week’s featured Berlin Life guides: How To Write A German CV That Will Get You Interviews and How To Write A German Cover Letter – A Step By Step Guide.

⭐ Read last week’s newsletter: Germans Are Among the World’s Best English Speakers. For more, browse our archives.

⭐ Save money with our partners: Find a place to live in Berlin with Spotahome. Use code TBL15 to get 15% off your first booking. 

Food For Thought

💡 Interesting articles about the world of work and other random things.

⭐ “ … imagine if you stopped getting paid for the year today? Instead of getting paid for a full year, you only get paid for 10 and a half months. For women in the EU, who earn on average 13% less than their male counterparts, this gender pay gap represents their reality.”

⭐ We’re experiencing a white-collar recession, with tech jobs especially impacted. The good news is that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

⭐ To grow in their careers, tech workers can’t just rely on their technical skills; they also need good people skills. This becomes increasingly important the more senior you get, even if you don’t plan for the management track.

⭐ Not getting callbacks or offers after a job interview? Be sure you’re not making one of these mistakes.

⭐ Another reason to love Bluesky (aside from the fact that they promise the platform will be billionaire-proof) is that they have confirmed they will not use your data to train AI.

⭐ A 7-year-old child prodigy in Russia has been offered a coding job.

Companies Hiring 

🇩🇪 Companies in Germany hiring right now.

⭐ AUTO1 Group (Various locations, 255 jobs, EN &/or DE required)

⭐ Back Market (Berlin, 2 jobs, EN required)

⭐ DEPT (Berlin, Cologne, & Hamburg, 19 jobs, DE &/or EN required)

⭐ Netconomy (Berlin & Dortmund, 7 jobs, DE & EN required)

⭐ Ratiodata (Various locations, 57 jobs, DE required)

🇩🇪 German startups that recently raised new funding also have vacancies.

⭐ Apaleo (€20 M) | Munich | Jobs

⭐ Eye-Able (€20 M) | Margetshöchheim | Jobs

⭐ Foodji (€25 M) | Munich | Jobs

⭐ Gemesys (€8.6 M) | Bochum | Jobs

⭐ IonKraft (€3.5 M) | Aachen | Jobs

⭐ Juna.ai (€7.5 M) | Berlin | Jobs

⭐ Koro (€35 M) | Berlin | Jobs

⭐ Pruna AI (€6.5 M) | Munich | Jobs

⭐ Qplix (€25 M) | Munich | Jobs

⭐ The Exploration Company (€150 M) | Munich | Jobs

⭐ Ubitium (€3.7 M) | Düsseldorf | Jobs

ℹ️ Good to Know

⭐ Some startups may only be at the beginning of their journey and might not yet be hiring. If you believe in their mission, follow them on LinkedIn for future hiring updates.

⭐ Follow us on LinkedIn, where we share new job postings daily.

News in Germany

🗞️ All of the news in Germany.

General Happenings

⭐ Germany’s birthrate has reached a new low, and the government wants you to get busy having babies.

⭐ The healthcare sector has just launched the largest hospital reform in the country’s history.

Politics & Economy

⭐ Berlin now has their first memorial to anti-colonial resistance.

⭐ The German Startup Association has issued a new report (auf Deutsch). Among the highlights are the number of people employed by startups is now at 522,000 people and startups say finding talent is a significant challenge.

⭐ Germany’s bureaucracy costs the country €146 B annually.

⭐ Berlin’s beloved €29 ticket has been cut due to austerity measures. We also lost Museum Sundays. More and more clubs are facing demise.

⭐ Bosch plans to cut hours for 10,000 employees and slash jobs for 5,000 others. Ford will be cutting 3,000 jobs as well.

Immigration & Labor Market

⭐ InterNations recently ranked the 10 worst cities for foreigners, and five German cities appeared on the list.

⭐ Plans to open several new Foreigner Offices nationwide hope to speed up visa applications and other related issues.

⭐ Germany is on target to approve 200,000 professional visas by year-end, up 10% from last year.

⭐ People have finally woken up to the fact that Germany’s 20-year integration courses need an update.

Fun, Interesting, and/or Useful

⭐ Nan Goldin has somehow not gotten canceled despite having opinions that have seen countless others silenced in Germany.

⭐ The top 14 passwords used in Germany can be guessed in less than one second.

⭐ Remember the viral taco place we mentioned last week? Locals are now leaving poopy presents for visitors.

⭐ We also mentioned that Germany has the worst cheese, but we still recommend visiting these raclette and fondue places in Berlin.

⭐ CNN named two of Germany’s Christmas markets the best in the world.

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.

❤️ Thanks for being part of our community. Support us by ​buying us a beer.

There you have it – the changing sentiments of foreigners living in Germany and lots of other news. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more content just like this.