I’m starting to feel like a consultant! Read on…

Dallas,
In most cases an employer will have to prove that you are somehow beneficial to their operation, and that you have some special skills which aren’t available in the local work force. That’s why translation is usually the safest bet, or teaching English, since native speakers are, well, North American or British. You can always try anyways…
I worked for Switzerland for close to 8 months under the table as a carpenter years ago. Getting a permit is damned near impossible- you will need SERIOUS connections in Swiss, if you plan on being legit. Switzerland has a system which is designed to keep foreigners out, unless they want to drop in and give them money… It’s a lot easier in Germany, and in Germany it’s already difficult enough. I sympathise with you not wanting to go back over the Atlantic- Europe rules.
Cheers,
Matthew

The following is an email I just wrote to someone asking me how I managed to begin the immigration process in Berlin…

Hello Dallas,
Who is Joachim?
Anyways, I’ll list some questions I have for you:
A) Do you have an EU passport?
B) Where do you want to live?
C) What are you trained to do?
D) What languages do you speak?
E) Do you have any post-secondary?
Depending on your answers, this will determine the likelihood of your being able to stay in Europe. I’m afraid to say that I only have experience in Germany, so I can’t really give you too much advice about other countries, so we’ll just use Germany as an example. Now I’ll tell you the extraordinarily fantastic story of how I came to be a Berliner…
I moved here after I finished my university degree back home in Canada. I was lucky enough to have spent a summer participating in a work exchange program in Germany two years before, and my employer liked me enough that he sponsored another work permit for me. That enabled me to get my foot in the door the second time around, but since the position was only a seasonal one, I was forced to leave the company. I have always thought that Berlin is more or less a cultural nexus, so I decided it would probably be easiest for me to make it in the capital. I moved here (all I had was a backpack and a suitcase- both very, very small), found a place to live for a reasonable rent, and started looking for work. I speak fluent German, and this is of course VERY important if you are going to function properly here. Plenty of people will speak English with you in bars, or on the street, but to integrate legally with the system, you are going to need to express yourself and make sense of what is being said to you at official offices in German. Fine, okay, so I made it past that stage. I registered myself and started the process of getting my work permits and looking for work. The fact is, you are going to be very limited in the sort of work you can do here legally. What I mean is, the government will only allow you to do work as long as it can be proven that it will not interfere with the domestic labour policy, i.e. take any work away from a native citizen. That means you will have to do IT (in Germany they are screaming for these people), translation, or teach English. I work as a translator- I have the whole time I’ve been here, and it’s a great job, but other than these basic three things, I can’t do too much. I’m lucky enough too that I produce electronic music, and this is starting to become more and more of a revenue source for me…
So, bottom line is this: You will need to be able to function with whatever language is local, have some skills you can offer to the work force, probably private health insurance (if you work as a freelancer), and some bank statements showing you aren’t totally broke. This will all be key when you want those coveted work and residency permits. Oh yeah- and you’ll need a can-do attitude and some serious balls, since it won’t be easy and NOBODY is going to really try to help you.
Let me know if this was helpful and if I can tell you anything else.
Matthew

Whew! All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy - or a psychopathic killer, depending on which Kubrick movies you’re watching. Rather than satisfying my inner drives with bloodthirsty rampages, I opt to go out into the city and take advantage of the myriad clubs, museums, theaters and other cultural jewels right outside my door here.

Museums: If you’re a fan of old stuff, then I recommend the Museum Island or Museumsinsel. This is one of Frederick the Great’s most amazing legacies, and is comprised of a cluster of galleries and museums showcasing international modern and antique works of art. In particular, I love the Pergamon Altar and the Bode-Museum. The Pergamon Altar includes a breathtaking reconstruction of the altar of the same name, and the Bode-Museum has a massive collection of coins and medals.

Theaters: The German Theater in Berlin is numero uno in my opinion, but there is also the Volksbühne and a lot of other great places to see acting. The last piece I saw was a modern/abstract interpretation of Medea in the Deutches Theater, and it was great. Just get ready to do a lot of clapping at the end…

Clubs: My real specialty. I love electronic music and dancing, and I’ve been to some really amazing venues. For starters, I recommend checking out Watergate at the Oberbaumbrücke. Once you get the hang of how crazy these places really can get, head on over to Panorama at Ostbahnhof for a taste of real hedonism- not for the faint of heart. Disclaimer: This is very electronic music, so if you aren’t into minimal, techno, or electro, then you should probably stay away from this.

Have fun!

Friends, this has nothing to do with the theme of my blog, but it is so funny…

Enjoy!

Thanks to Sylvie at Fuel my Blog! Hooray!

Back this week with more exciting Berlin news…

So, you’re working as a Freiberufler (independent)? I don’t blame you. Usually, that’s the best way to do it. You’ll have to make sure you watch your income so that you can do your taxes properly, get decent health insurance and basically watch your own neck, but in the end you’ll have a tighter grip on your own destiny and be able to take care of yourself better. In my opinion, the social system in Germany is great- if you’re German. If you’re not (and I’m not), then you can’t take part in the system, and that means a lot of wasted taxes. Of course, with the right forms you can contribute your taxes to your native country’s old age pension, etc., but who needs it? Make your own money, save it wisely and invest it.

Currently, I’m working as a freier Mitarbeiter at a great software company downtown. This company does things the way they should be done. For example, we have kicker in the staff lounge, a deluxe kitchen, gymnastic balls to sit on when our backs get tired of the normal chairs, and on and on. Great place. An the best part is that I’m basically responsible for my own hours and projects. I just send them an invoice at the end of the month, the money gets deposited WITH Mehrwertsteuer (VAT) on top to my business account, and then I transfer the part less tax owed over to my personal account. That’s easy!

One of the advantages to working as an independent at an office for a company or on your own at home is the ability you have to write-off certain things which are required for your job/home office. Just like in Canada or the States, you can claim certain things as tax deductions required for running your business. I’ll be claiming a certain amount of my home as office space, my monthly ticket for getting to work, and all kinds of other stuff (Internet, etc.). This is fully legitimate, and I encourage you to exploit it. Tax in Germany (Europe on the whole) is a little exaggerated in my opinion, so if there’s a way around it, I’m going to go for it.

Check out Freiberufler.net (German) for some tips on managing your independent status…

Depending on the resources available to you, I suggest you have a look at these handy maps from Stadtplandienst for your Windows Mobile powered PDA or Nokia mobile phone (see sidebar). They’re cheap and great for locating yourself in Berlin or any other German city. I can imagine the Munich and Hamburg versions (among others) are just as effective as the Berlin version, and something else that’s attractive is the aerial photograph overlay. I can see all the junk in my backyard from space!

More readers than ever are visiting Berlin, Mein Schatz, and I want you to help it grow! Please add a link to your website (where appropriate) and use the bookmarking button to increase its presence on the web.

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The aim of this blog is to share my experiences with all of you to make your time in Germany easier. If you have had similar experiences and would like to contribute, correct, or otherwise improve upon what I’m doing, then please don’t hesitate to contact me, and I’ll set you up with an account!

Since I’ve described a lot of the job hunting game in Germany, I figured I’d take it a step further by providing you with a little more information on the application process. In particular, I’ll describe what’s hot and what’s not when writing/submitting your application package.

In Germany, employers want to read more about the things you did at your former place of employment, and not just that you’re great because you were there. They want to know the sort of thing you were actually doing- projects you completed, duties your were responsible for, and so on. Be specific about the special touch you brought to your last job.

It’s also important to provide a nice picture of yourself for employer. I think this is really weird considering all kinds of prejudice issues, but in Germany that’s how they do it. Dress up and get a nice black and white picture of yourself showing off your pearly whites and it will only be to your advantage.

Another thing that’s important is to develop an easy to read resumé. In Germany it’s standard practice to drop off an Excel-style tabulated sort of form which clearly indicates all of your vitals in a logical manner. Try to keep this a straight to the point and uncluttered as you can by including the essentials like your highest level of education, last employer, academic projects you’ve completed, hobbies/interests, and so on. My resumé is done that way and so far it’s been really successful in getting me great interviews with some amazing companies (Audi anyone?), but I’ve also had some criticism from some German friends that I leave out a lot of things (things which I deem as irrelevant). Leaving things out creates ‘holes’ in your past which you may have to answer for at an interview, and that can be uncomfortable. E.g. you were a fry cook at McDonald’s or something…

When you write your cover letter (and I strongly recommend you do this in English AND German to display your competency), write it with a friend who can help you with the subtleties of the German language. One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that people think in language and language is culture, so you are going to want to fine tune your language to mesh with the culture. This will maximise your chances at getting your foot in the door, and if you make it that far, then you’re doing well. Most employers are already impressed with your credentials and already want to hire you if you make it into their office to chat with them.

Once you’ve got this stuff all written out in a concise, factual and to-the-point manner, buy a little folder to present it all. This makes it look serious and professional, and it shows that you give a damn about the company and the job you’re applying for. For most of the jobs you want you’ll need to do more than bombard them with an email containing an attached resumé.zip file, but some employers go for that now that we’re in the 21st century.

Later on I’ll post some tips on the interview process…