The Tech Jobs Fair is finally happening and I’ll be there repping The Berlin Life! 🙌 More positive changes with Blue Cards are coming in November. An old German man conned his con artists who received an unexpected gift. German people save a lot of money. And Berlin can’t successfully implement a simple stoplight countdown system. 🚦

We cover all this and more in our 29/10/2023 edition of The Berlin Life newsletter.

Personal News

🙋‍♀️ Sometimes, I’m going to overshare.

⭐ After getting a flu shot on Friday morning from the most friendly doctor ever (seriously we had a long conversation about Canadians and how they say sorry too much and words like awesome a lot), I decided to treat myself. As I joked on X, I then became Berlin’s most basic bitch that day. 🤡

⭐ I’ll be moderating at the Tech Jobs Fair this week! Over 4,000 people have signed up and I am nervous AF about speaking in front of so many people. 😨 I’ll also have a booth where you can come and talk to me about The Berlin Life and how we can help you find work.

⭐ I just enrolled in an intensive product management course at work that will award me with a certification sometime next year. As I coach techie types, it makes sense and I’m pretty excited. To be honest, I personally don’t care about titles or certifications but it seems important to demonstrate continuous learning when you’re looking for a new job and/or being considered for a promotion. Aside from that, I’m also taking a career coaching course in my off time. I basically have no life …

⭐ Another Germany post from my travel blog, check out Five of the Most Photographed Landmarks in Berlin. 📷

Community News

🗣️ News from The Berlin Life community.

⭐ If you missed last week’s newsletter, give it a read: Wow. You Can Now Submit Blue Card Applications Online! You can now submit applications for a Blue Card online. We had a successful Ladies Networking Dinner event and have plans to do more. Engineering managers are one of the highest-paid tech jobs. Last but not least, inflation is expected to drop significantly in 2024.

⭐ We just updated one of our 50+ Berlin Life Guides: Practical Ways To Save Money In Germany. As a newcomer, you may not know about how to save money in Germany. Follow our practical tips to find out how to keep your hard-earned cash. 💰

⭐ As mentioned last week, we had our first “Ladies’ networking dinner”. As it went so well, we’ll be repeating the event series. If you want to get notified of future events and other related developments, get on our mailing list.

⭐ We’re trying hard to build up our presence on LinkedIn. Give us a follow there to get exciting updates between newsletters. Hint – we repost a lot of jobs! 🚀​​

⭐ Get connected with our community by adding yourself to our LinkedIn Connect and Exchange list. I’ve heard from many readers who’ve mentioned that they’ve made some solid professional connections through the list. 🤝

Food For Thought

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

⭐ Ecosia is one of those companies you can’t help but love. Not only do they use their profits to plant trees, but they are also committed to transparency when it comes to their finances. Check out their post on LinkedIn, as well as check for job openings in their Berlin office. 💛

⭐ Not only can you now submit your Blue Card applications online, but there are all sorts of positive changes coming out to make getting the Blue Card easier. Check out this X thread from the ever-lovely, All About Berlin.

⭐ Seasoned talent specialist Richard Miller offers helpful tips about how to reduce anxiety when you’re searching for a new job.

⭐ Good news for small German businesses led by women and gender-diverse teams, as KfW Capital has launched a new program to provide up to 12.5 million Euros in funding for such companies. If you know of anyone, tell them to apply!

⭐ Another timeless one from Adam Grant. Something to keep in mind in both our professional and personal lives.

Companies Hiring

🇩🇪 German companies hiring right now. ​​

⭐ ctrl QS | Berlin

⭐ vilisto | Hamburg

⭐ Ogulo | Cologne

⭐ Westwing | Munich

⭐ Kolibri Games | Berlin

⭐ CTS EVENTIM | Several DE locations

⭐ Fugro | Several DE locations

⭐ krisenchat | Berlin & remote

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.

⭐ Lillian Care | Berlin |Careers​

⭐ Quantum Systems| Munich | Careers​

⭐ Oxolo| Hamburg |Careers

⭐ GoodBytz| Hamburg | Careers​

⭐ VisionAI| Bielefeld | Careers​

⭐ Landbanking Group | Munich | Careers

⭐ Likeminded| Berlin | Careers

News in Germany

🗞️  All of the news in Germany. ​

⭐ 78-year-old Berliner outsmarts con man by replacing cash with bible – When a German senior sensed he was about to be scammed, he worked with the police to arrange for a cash hand-over and also the gift of a bible(!) to the would-be thieves. May God be with YOU!

⭐ In stats: Germans among the biggest money savers in the world – Some Germans are putting away 11.3% of their disposable income each month. Not only are Germans saving money right now, Germans are also ‘more confident’ about the economy even as the Mideast crisis casts a shadow. At the same time, Germany’s economy ministry plans a 50 bln euro boost for the country’s industry.

⭐ Mercedes says the electric car market is ‘brutal’ for manufacturers – The competition is fierce and the costs of production are high. Meanwhile, our car-loving government is in denial about climate change. Berlin authorities posted on X this week, where they hailed making Friedrichstr. full of cars again as some kind of stunning “achievement”.

⭐ How appointments at the Ausländerbehörde are resold on the black market – Some dude figured out how to book appointments at the Foreigner’s Office before anyone else could grab them. He then sold them to desperate newcomers in need of an appointment and earned himself between €800 – €1000 a month in cash. 🤑

⭐ Germany ranks worst in EU study on discrimination against black people– In a study conducted by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights, “76 percent of respondents said they had been discriminated against in the past five years because of their skin colour, origin or religion”.

⭐ Berlin’s Neukölln crowned among world’s coolest neighbourhoods yet again – Will the world ever get over its obsession with Neukölln? 🥱

⭐ Berlin to introduce new traffic light countdown system – The city is in the middle of introducing a new traffic light countdown system and in the usual Berlin style, the implementation has been a failure as people are struggling to understand how it works. Just as we can’t figure out how to implement a system that is used elsewhere around the world without issue, we can’t seem to solve criminal cases either, as prosecutors close investigation of Berlin aquarium collapse as the cause remains unclear.

⭐ Europe’s newest AI hub is being built in a German city no one’s heard of – Lookout Berlin, Heilbronn wants to become Germany’s superstar tech hub.

⭐ Whatever happened to the EU plan to ditch the changing of the clocks? – We’ll be switching the clocks back for 1 hour each fall for the foreseeable future. ⏰

⭐ Germany trip: What makes the East tick – A fun video from DW highlighting travels in the former East Germany.

How We Can Help

😎 All the good stuff offered by the Berlin Life.

⭐ Get help creating a job application that will get you noticed by German employers. Work with me to develop a CV or cover letter that showcases your profile and makes people want to hire you.

⭐ If you are nervous about an upcoming job interview with a German employer, I am here to help you figure out how to answer the typical questions, practice mock interviews, give you actionable feedback, and more.

We offer even more services, as well as free guides to living, working, and moving to Berlin on our website, so be sure to check us out!