Is Germany Embracing the ‘996’ Work Culture?

A “Dark Wages” State of Pay report for Berlin. Daily startup funding updates. The push for 996 American like work hustle. German companies behaving badly. A strawberry hotel. Do you have a €1M idea?!

Personal News & Musings

🫣 Sometimes I’ll overshare and/or rant a bit.

Are you ready for the looooong weekend? It’s the last public holiday in Berlin until October, so enjoy it friends. Shops will be closed on Mondays, much like a typical Sunday. See our list of what’s still open.

💕 Aww! We reached 4,000 followers on LinkedIn! Follow us, as we share new job postings daily.

Also follow me: Threads / Instagram / Bluesky

Community News

🤝 News from our community.

📩 Our Last Newsletter

• ICYMI: We asked if Eisenhüttenstadt could be the next Berlin?!

• Last week’s top post was about Germany’s Camino alternative.

• See our archives for past editions.

⚡ Featured Germany Life Guide

Want to make the move to Germany? Our guide breaks down all the costs you need to budget for, plus it includes a handy expense tracker to keep your finances in check.

📖 See our 60+ free life and career guides.

Events

🍹 Events from The Berlin Life. And sometimes, events from others.

Our Events

• We have open spots! ➡️ Meet fellow professional women in Berlin for dinner and indulge in classic German food at one of the city’s best Schnitzel spots. Register.

• Subscribe to our calendar.

Events from Others

• Join the LGBTQ+ community at STICKS & STONES on June 15 and speak with Arden University Berlin about future job opportunities.

• Connect with Berlin’s Black in Tech community at BITES25 on September 19 & 20. Join the conversation on tech innovation and diversity.

• Don't miss GGG Career Fair. It’s your chance to network and explore career opportunities across Germany.

🤙🏻 Want to see your event featured here? Get in touch.

Polling Vibes

📊 Results of our weekly polls.

Our last poll asked: Would you move to Eisenhüttenstadt? 42% of you gave it a hard no, while 34% said they'd at least give it a two-week trial. If you want to take part, applications are open until July 5.

Take part in this week’s poll. ⬇️

Germany Life Hacks

🥨 Things to make life in Deutschland (a little bit) better.

• Salary Secrets: REDSOFA published their “Dark Wages” State of Pay report for Berlin. They dive into salaries and hot topics like cancel culture, DEI, remote work, and more.

• Berlin newsletters: Berlin’s most OG newsletter, CeeCee, features carefully curated recommendations on where to eat, drink, and shop, as well as highlights cultural events.

• We also recommend: 20% Berlin & Smart Living in Germany.

💵 Save money with our partners: Need insurance in Germany but don’t speak perfect German? Save €15 by choosing Getsafe. They offer health, pet, dental, liability insurance, and more - all with English support.

Companies Hiring Right Now

🇩🇪 Companies in Germany that are hiring right now.

1. Choco - Berlin & Munich | Jobs (12 jobs)

2. Good Healthcare Group - Berlin & Potsdam | Jobs (11 openings)

3. LEGO - Various German cities | Jobs (25 openings)

4. Moonfare - Berlin | Jobs (15 openings)

5. Neugelb Studios - Berlin & Frankfurt | Jobs (7 openings)

6. Orbem AI - Munich & remote | Jobs (10 openings)

📢 Job of the Week: Engineering Manager @ HelloBetter

🏢 For even more companies hiring in Berlin right now, see our list.

🤙🏻 Want to see your company featured here? Get in touch.

Recently Funded Startups

🤑 German startups that recently raised new funding may also have vacancies.

✨ TL;DR - 14 startups scored fresh funding across four German cities. This week’s big winner was Scalable Capital in Munich, with €155 M.

1. Banxware - €10 M | Berlin | Jobs

2. Baobab Insurance - €12 M | Berlin | Jobs

3. fulfillmenttools - $17 M | Cologne | Jobs

4. Manex AI - €8 M | Munich | Jobs

5. Scalable Capital - €155 M | Munich | Jobs

To see the other 9 funded startups this week, check our list of startups funded in Germany so far this year.

🥳 Bookmark it, as we’re now updating it daily. This means you don’t have to wait until the next newsletter to look for jobs at hot startups.

Job Search Tip

🙌 A weekly tip to help you crack that job search.

😬 Starting a new job in Germany? Probation periods can be tricky, especially if you’re unfamiliar with German employment practices.

Our guide gives you the lowdown on what to expect, so you don’t get caught off guard.

⭐ If you’re job hunting in Germany, I can help. See our career coaching services.

Food For Thought

💡 Articles about tech, the world of work, & other random things.

🧑‍💼 The World of Work

• Amazon’s taking aim at Europe’s job market. Will their plan for struggling regions pay off?

• Europe’s slow pace of work is under fire, sparking debate if we should we embrace the “996 work culture.”

• At Zapier, showing off your AI skills is non-negotiable. Future hires, consider yourselves warned.

👸 All About Women

• A first person account about an American woman fired for bleeding at work.

• The growth of female CEOs has not solved the pay gap. Gen Z women with MBAs are earning 25% less than men in their first jobs.

• When you want to think the kids are alright. Younger generations are less supportive of gender equality than their elders.

🤖 Everything Tech

• The hype cycle around developer replacement, align’s with SparkToro’s take that AI replacing all jobs is more a tech exec marketing ploy than a reality.

• Political tension aside, why is North America still the top spot for AI investment?

• Wired’s dropping truth bombs on why we’re not ready for AI’s takeover.

🪄 Random

• A game-changer for oceans: Japan’s new plastic melts away in seawater in hours.

News in Germany

🗞️ The scoop on what’s going on in Germany.

ℹ️ General

• Get them while they’re hot. Deutsche Bahn is offering discounted tickets this month. Also, it’s the last call for Berlin’s beloved dumpling express.

• 🤣 Ever wondered how fast German drivers can panic? Google Maps accidentally shut down the autobahns and drivers lost their minds.

• Berlin’s hit by a rough flu season that’s leaving everyone sick. What’s driving the spike?

• Cologne’s bomb evacuation reminds us that WWII still lingers under our feet.

• Berlin’s lack of funding means we can’t have nice things, like heated public pools and publicly funded ride sharing.

📈 Politics & Economy

• German companies behaving badly. Delivery Hero was slapped with a €223 million EU fine and Vodafone has been rewarded with a €45 million fine.

• Amazon’s prices might get regulated, while Aldi North and South are considering a merge.

• Rheinmetall is making EV power-ups easier with sidewalk chargers that replace curbs.

• Germany’s central bank says that a period of economic recovery is slowly getting started. Tax cuts are helping.

• Germany’s steel industry might help revive the economy thanks to green tech and big investment plans.

• Just 13 companies drive 65% of Germany’s productivity growth.

• New rules for electricity tariffs could hit your wallet. 👉 Helpful: Our guide on how to save on electricity.

• People are yapping about Munich being Europe’s start-up capital again. Think your idea could make Munich better? €1 million awaits.

• Rising discrimination in Germany is raising alarm bells.

👩‍⚕️ Immigration & Labour Market

• Berlin is desperately seeking doctors.

• Ford workers went on strike for the first time in Germany.

• The German population is enthusiastic about raising the minimum wage to €15.

• The government wants to make working hours more flexible.

• Young people in Germany are snapping up jobs in defence. Also, we “need” to lose at least one public holiday to help contribute more to defence?!

• Our dear chancellor wants us to work harder. 🙄

💃🏻 Fun, Interesting, and/or Useful

• 11 beautiful oasis’s in Berlin.

• An American in Germany speaks about the life-changing effects of cheap post-secondary education.

• Sleep among the berries. Karls Erdbeerhof launches its first-ever hotel for fans.

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