According to a Survey, the Ausländerbehörde is the Würst
There's still time to get early bird pricing for my CV workshop. Europe has its first femtech unicorn. Germany's bureaucracy is bad for all. The Ausländerbehörde is the most hated government office.
Personal News & Musings
🫣 Sometimes, I’ll overshare and/or rant a bit.
Sorry, not sorry for this week’s pun filled subject line. I know it’s an obvious “German dad” joke. 👨
Well, that was embarrassing. The link I shared in the newsletter about my upcoming workshop was broken. If you haven’t signed up yet, please do. Early bird pricing of €25 ends next Sunday.
I’m excited to share news about an intensive CV workshop I’m hosting in August. In this workshop, I’ll teach you how to write a CV for the German market. Have you been looking for a job in Berlin and found you’re not getting responses from employers? Let’s change that by working together.
The two-hour session will include:
An intro about the main purpose of a CV and how that informs your approach to job applications.
Step-by-step guidance about designing and structuring the various aspects of a German CV, including the Professional Profile statement, Experience, Skills, and more. Learn how to customize your CV for individual applications, as well as methods on how to
Suggestions on what to do and, more importantly, what not to do with German CVs.
1<>1 time together - I’ll review your CV and give you actionable on the spot feedback.
Community News
🤝 News from our community.
A couple of week’s back, I asked: What German government office gives you the biggest headache? The Ausländerbehörde overwhelmingly came out on top - with 54% of the 80 people surveyed saying they were the würst. 🌭
This week’s featured Berlin Life guides are: FAQ: Unsolicited (or Cold) Applications In Germany and Why Knowing Salary Ranges In Germany Is Essential.
If you missed it, read last week’s newsletter: Get Help With Your German CV and Attend Our Workshop in Berlin. To see our past newsletter blasts, head to our archives.
Take part in this week’s poll and tell if you moved or will move to Germany alone, with a partner, or with family. I moved here alone and am eager to know if this is a common experience.
Food For Thought
💡 Interesting articles about the world of work and other random things.
I’ve seen (and experienced) it time and time again and you probably have too - learn how to navigate micro-agressions in engineering teams.
Despite it being none of their business, research shows that CV gaps still matter to employers.
The EU AI act is now in force and has also funded 15 startups to fight disinformation.
AI advances may mean knowledge becomes less important (who else finds this terrifying?!), but wisdom will sorely be needed.
Europe can now boast its first fem-tech unicorn. 🦄
Companies Hiring
🇩🇪 Companies in Germany hiring right now.
expondo (Berlin, 4 jobs, EN required & DE a bonus)
Granny (Berlin, 3 jobs, EN & DE required)
Hubject (Berlin, 5 jobs, EN required)
simplesurance (Berlin, 2 jobs, EN required)
SoSafe (Berlin, 7 jobs, EN required & DE a bonus)
Xena (Berlin, 1 job, EN required)
🇩🇪 German startups that recently raised new funding.
Amperecloud (€3.3 M) | Berlin | Jobs
That was €198 M added to the German economy over the past week!
ℹ️ We post new jobs daily on LinkedIn. Follow us to learn about new employment opportunities in Germany (and other bonus content). 💪
News in Germany
🗞️ All of the news in Germany.
As always, changes are affecting those of us living in Germany. This month includes the end of summer for kids across 14 German states, the deadline for submitting your 2023 return, and more.
In June, over 500 citizenship applications were deleted in Berlin after an IT failure. Unfortunately, they can’t blame CrowdStrike.
Foreigners share their frustration with the citizenship bureaucracy in Germany. Surely, the deletion of those applications did nothing to help the situation.
One German politician wants to raise the minimum wage from €12.41 per hour to €15.
Because Berlin is so functional, the S-Bahn service between the city and the airport will be closed during peak tourist season. Several trains will also be affected after a recent arson attack, so expect delays when traveling in the Hauptstadt.
Potsdam has decriminalized riding public transit without a ticket. We’re all waiting for Berlin to do the same, as many people in local prisons are there for failing to pay their fines.
Remember when we reported that an asteroid exploded over Berlin in January? Turns out that it was around 4.5 billion years old!
The right to protest is fundamental to democracy, but some protests are so utterly useless.
The self-described “Lateral Thinkers” apparently have nothing better to do than to keep protesting about Covid.
Police, thankfully, intercepted and stopped a group of cyclists who planned to disrupt air traffic at the Hamburg airport.
Minor delays were experienced at the airport in Leipzig due to Last Generation folks gluing themselves to the tarmac.
In demonstrations that absolutely make sense, hundreds of thousands came out for Pride celebrations last weekend in Berlin. See my photos from a fun CSD in 2015.
A group of thugs - and, more importantly, Nazis - tried to ruin the party, but the police were able to stop them.
Beer drinking continues to decline in Germany, and even EuroCup didn’t make a difference.
Speaking of sports, Germany put in a bid to host the 2040 Olympics. Perhaps we can compete with Paris and force the athletes to swim in the Spree.
In the most German thing ever, construction was halted in Erfurt due to hamsters.
UNESCO recently added Schwerin Castle to its list, officially making it a World Heritage Site. Read my guide for information about what to do there.
Did you know that Brandenburg has a small wine scene? The region has three wineries that demand you take a day trip from Berlin.
Berlin now boasts Europe’s highest swing. Would you take a go?
Ardent Swifties can now buy renamed street signs from Gelsenkirchen at auction.
The Berliner magazine advises on the best concerts to attend this month and profiles the best events to attend. It also rounded up the best open-air clubs to visit before summer leaves us and museums you can see after work.
The Local shares how to enjoy summer like a German and swim safely.
Berliners should visit before it’s over—this temporary outdoor bar at Museum Island is hosting various cultural events until the end of the month.
Do you know you can watch movies at the open-air cinema located at the former Stasi headquarters? Another underrated cinema location is the Strandbad Wendenschloss.
How We Can Help You
😇 Good stuff from the Berlin Life.
Connect with local professionals through our LinkedIn Connect & Exchange list.
Save money with our partners to help you settle into your new life in Germany.
Benefit from our career coaching and up your job application game.
Read our 50+ free guides to living, working, and moving to Germany.