What’s on this week? I’ve been living in Berlin for a long time. It’s our last newsletter of the year. European tech companies are cutting back on money for new and existing talent. It’s Christmas market time. Citizenship laws are back in discussions. And a meme with Ben Affleck.

We cover all this and more in our 26/11/2023 edition of The Berlin Life newsletter.

Personal News

Sometimes, I’m going to overshare.

⭐ I tried indoor skydiving this week and I’m happy to say I overcame my fears and went through with it. Dare I even say, it was even fun!? Check out Windobona if you want to try it yourself. 🪂

⭐ I’m heading home to Canada next weekend, spending two weeks in Toronto. I’m flying through Iceland which offers a nice break in the middle, spares you a super long flight, and avoids a transfer in the US (which is always a nightmare due to long security lines). Highly recommend Iceland Air as they often have sales when you can save big on long-haul flights. My round-trip flight was just over €400. ✈️

⭐ Yesterday also marked my 9-year “back in Berlin” anniversary. I don’t care much about numbers or celebrating such milestones, but it feels good to know I’ve found my home, which is something I didn’t always feel before moving here.

General Community News

News from The Berlin Life community.

⭐ This is the last newsletter of the year! We’ll pop up in your mailboxes again around Jan 8, 2024. Thank you for being part of our community. Whether or not you celebrate, I wish you all a great holiday season and a good start to the new year. 🥳

⭐ If you want to get caught up, read last week’s newsletter: Foreigners in Berlin and Hamburg Are Among the World’s Most Unhappy People 😱. Foreigners in Berlin and Hamburg are among the world’s most unhappy people. Data science and machine learning skills will score you a pretty high salary. Not all companies want you to put a photo on your CV. And a round-up of Berlin’s most beautiful pools.

⭐ Read our most classic Berlin Life Guides and the one that inspired me to start The Berlin Life: How To Find A Job In Berlin: An Honest & Detailed Guide. An honest and detailed guide with job-hunting tips from a local career coach advising you on how to find a job in Berlin in 2023.

Food For Thought

Interesting articles about the art of looking for work, humourous memes, or other useful gems floating around the web.

⭐ All About Berlin recently updated its guide on how to get a Blue Card. The latest updates include all the recent changes to the immigration law, so be sure to give it a read.

⭐ If you work in Berlin’s tech scene, which has been hit hard by layoffs over the past two years, you may already know it’s caused a lot of employees to form their own work councils. If you’re interested in showing solidarity, attend some of these events hosted by the Berlin Tech Workers Coalition Events.

⭐ Reno Perry, a top talent expert and hiring manager, shares what’s most important to him when looking at a candidate’s CV. While you’re at it, give him a follow on LinkedIn.

⭐ European tech companies aren’t budgeting much for hiring, nor are they planning to dole much cash in the form of raises to their existing employees. With the costs of pretty much everything rising and the ability of tech workers to find new jobs easier than most, these companies’ retention rates are likely to go into the toilet.

⭐ I made this meme after not receiving my package twice this week, even though I was home.

Companies Hiring

German companies hiring right now.​​

⭐ Saventic Health | Remote

⭐ ePages | Hamburg & Jena

⭐ Nabio | Berlin

⭐ Polarstern Energie | Munich

⭐ Bitpanda | Berlin

⭐ valantic | Jobs available across Germany

⭐ Atlantic Labs | Berlin

Be sure to check out our complete list of Berlin companies hiring.

 German Startup News

German startups that recently received funding, were acquired, built up staff, etc., and could be good places to look for jobs.

⭐ ​Aleph Alpha | Heidelberg | Jobs​

⭐ Merantix | Berlin | Jobs​

⭐ Quazy Foods | Berlin | Jobs

News in Germany

All of the news in Germany.

⭐ Christmas markets in Berlin: The ultimate guide – It’s time for Glühwein and festive cheer! Celebrate this beautiful time of year at some of Berlin’s best Christmas markets. Also, be sure to check out, Ten unmissable events around Germany in December 2023. 🎅

⭐ Berlin named one of the world’s top food destinations – I’m skeptical about this claim, as I feel like there are much better foodie destinations than Berlin, but I do admit that the gourmet scene here has improved a lot in recent years.

⭐ Germans work fewer hours over their lifetime than their European neighbours – Hmm, who would have thought? I would have thought the award would go to one of our Southern neighbors.

⭐ German economy contracts in 3rd quarter – Not entirely unexpected, as Germany grapples with its ‘debt brake’. Meanwhile, the labor market remains solid, as Germany records highest employment figures since reunification.

⭐ How to use Germany’s 2024 Feiertage wisely and double your days off – How to maximize your public holidays next year. I already booked a long weekend in London for International Women’s Day.

⭐ People of the startup world are excited, as the German startup community rejoices over passage of new reforms to employee stock ownership programmes and Germany announces close of €1bn fund of funds to invest in German and European VC.

⭐ Cost of clubbing crisis: When did Berlin parties get so expensive? – Even though I’m no longer a patron of the club scene (and I used to go hard!), when and why did it start getting so expensive?

⭐ The best ramen in Berlin: Where to eat Japanese noodle soup – Forgive me if I shared this already, but after recently sampling Cocolo Ramen again, I felt the need to reshare this goodness. 🍜

⭐ German discount supermarkets cut prices of meat-free products – German supermarkets are trying to motivate people to eat less meat. Not the worst thing?!

⭐ German citizenship reform back on parliamentary agenda – In a never-ending-bleeping story (insert curse words here), citizenship reform is back on the table. Let’s see if they’ll make any progress …

⭐ EU governments agree on rules for how non-EU citizens could move around Europe – The new rules aren’t final, but the good news is that it’s in the works.

How We Can Help

Some of the good stuff offered by the Berlin Life.

⭐ Get connected with other like-minded professionals in our community by adding yourself to our LinkedIn Connect and Exchange list.

⭐ Chat with others in our Facebook and Slack community spaces. 🗣️

We also offer career coaching and other services, as well as free guides to living, working, and moving to Berlin. Be sure to check us out!