TAKE TIME OFF WORK AND GET ADDITIONAL TRAINING PAID FOR BY THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT
What’s on this week? With the Qualifizierungsgeld, you and your employer can apply for additional training that the state will pay in part for. Life in Germany isn’t for the weak—energy costs are high, employers say they can’t find qualified people, and foreigners struggle with racism, bureaucracy, and more. TikTok might be on the way out. A new(ish) vegan supermarket is set to open and Germans are eating more Döner. 🥙
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Personal News
Sometimes, I’m going to overshare and/or rant a bit.
⭐ You may have noticed I didn’t send a newsletter on Monday. It was a long weekend, and I enjoyed it! Consider this, a special “in-between” edition.
⭐ I went on another rant; you can read more about it here. 😆
General Community News
News from The Berlin Life community.
⭐ Our next community event is a women’s only networking dinner on Apr 24. Join us. 🥂
⭐ Last time, we talked about cover letters, and I asked people if they customize them for each job application – more than 70% say they do!
⭐ Now, let’s discover what’s important when accepting a new job in Germany. Take the poll.
⭐ If you missed it, check out last week’s blast: What are your thoughts on German cover letters? If you’re new here, see the archives.
Food For Thought
Interesting articles about the world of work.
⭐ Worldwide, tech workers are struggling to secure work after being laid off, and those who aren’t laid off also find difficulties.
⭐ Dell told remote employees who don’t want to come back to the office they won’t be promoted. Perhaps this is partly due to the executive hubris driving five-day in-office mandates.
⭐ Airbnb has made a massive step towards pay transparency. 💸
Companies Hiring
German companies that are hiring right now.
⭐ Duolingo | Berlin
⭐ Elucid Social | Berlin
⭐ Montblanc | Hamburg
⭐ Octopus Energy | Berlin & Munich
⭐ SoSafe | Germany wide
⭐ Zenjob | Berlin
Follow our LinkedIn page for even more job postings (and other good stuff). 💪
German Startup News
German startups that recently received funding or were acquired, built up staff, etc., and could be good places to look for jobs.
⭐ Adon Health | Munich | Jobs
⭐ Gunzilla Games | Frankfurt | Jobs
⭐ Stackfield | Munich | Jobs
⭐ World Fund | Berlin | Jobs
News in Germany
All of the news in Germany.
⭐ ‘We can’t find a single German or European applicant’: Deeptech startups feel bite of talent shortage – According to a recent Reuters article, racism is a big part of it, as are German companies’ failure to pay employees well enough.
⭐ Meet Josef Foos: The man behind Berlin’s beloved little ‘Street Yogis’ – Foos makes life in Berlin just lovely through his ongoing art project. Have you spotted one of his pieces in the wild?
⭐ German unemployment rises less than expected in March – Despite economic woes, the labor market remained strong and unemployment was 5.9%.
⭐ A marketing victory for Nike is a business win for Adidas – When the German football team ended its longstanding relationship with Adidas, some people were devastated.
⭐ Vegan-only REWE supermarket to open in Germany – It’s not really new, just rebranded under new ownership, but Berlin vegans are welcoming this. Meanwhile, meat consumption fell to an all-time low in 2023.
⭐ German mail service stops using domestic flights to transport letters after nearly 63 years – The move will help them reduce their carbon emissions by 80%.
⭐ Could Germany be the first in Europe to ban TikTok? Lawmakers call for debate following US vote – I first scoffed at the idea of a ban, but there are some legitimate reasons for considering such a move.
⭐ Berlin to install 20 new bike repair stations – You can pump air into your tires and make other repairs for free.
⭐ Germany: Bahn, train drivers agree to 35-hour week in deal – The strikes are finally over and everyone’s hopes the new 35-hour work week will set a new precedent.
⭐ Northvolt launches electric car battery plant in Germany – The new plant in Germany will create 3,000 new jobs. They are also going all in chips in Dresden.
⭐ Germany’s Döner and Asia-Imbisse see boom as restaurants suffer – Despite lower inflation, food costs remain high, and Germans are opting for fast food.
⭐ Dual citizenship law effective from June after German President signs bill – Finally, we’re almost there!
⭐ Germany’s €23 Billion Green Experiment to Save Its Industrial Economy – This is a surprisingly bold undertaking for Germany, which is usually risk-averse.
⭐ What to do in April: Berlin’s best events this month – As usual, Berliner brings us a host of cool events to attend this month.
⭐ These 17,000 unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers are a ticking time bomb – If you heard about how Russia recently hacked the German military’s top-secret video conferencing, you might not be surprised that the government hasn’t updated some of its IT infrastructure since 2010.
⭐ April 2024: 10 changes affecting expats in Germany – Heating costs are set to go up again, weed is legal, and workers can now apply for Qualifizierungsgeld where the government will pay you to receive further training.
⭐ What can we expect now that cannabis is legal in Germany? – Wrap your head around the peculiarities of the new law.
German living standards plummeted after Russia invaded Ukraine, say economists – High energy costs have companies struggling and real wages fell further in 2022 than any year since 1950. Germany’s prosperity can be partially attributed to relationships with China, the US, and Russia; so the country is struggling with one of the sources cutoff. Other reasons have contributed to stagnant economic growth as well.
CeeCee recommends that Berliners visit the Spreewald, and there’s also a new initiative to get people to visit Berlin outside of the Ring. I recommend these day trips from Berlin for more inspiration, as well as the beautiful pink-hued palace in Biesdorf.
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 offer career coaching and other services and free guides to living, working, and moving to Berlin. Some of our most-read guides include:
⭐ How To Make Friends In Berlin
⭐ Top Relocation Companies In Berlin, Germany
⭐ Is Changing Employers In Germany A Good Idea?
RELATED CONTENT
A Roundup of Germany’s Fastest Growing Startups
Germany’s most promising startups. All the changes happening in Germany this month. We’re partnering with SPICED Academy for a fun event.
What Do You Like Most About Working in Germany?
Foreigners rank Germany as the fifth best country in the world to work. What do you like most about working in Germany? Lots of startup funding this week. German trains to get ‘smooch cabins’.
LinkedIn Rates Germany’s 10 Best Employers in 2024
What’s on this week? The top 10 German companies to work for. Have you ever lied on a job application? Berlin’s rents keep going up. Are Germans really that hardworking?
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.