What are your thoughts on German cover letters?
Spring is here, the time for Spargel and cherry blossoms. Berlin has one of the coolest streets in the world. Do you write cover letters?
What’s on this week?
Apparently, we should all know the meaning of the German word, Spargeltarzan. 😅 Spring is here and so are the cherry blossoms. Can you guess which Berlin street is considered one of the coolest in the world? Musings on cover letters in Germany.
Personal News & Musings
Sometimes, I'm going to overshare and/or rant a bit.
Many people ask me about whether or not they should write cover letters, as well as if it’s worth the time to customize them. I’m interested to know what you think!
You can view our cover letter guides:
I also offer coaching on the topic. ✨✨✨
Community News
News from The Berlin Life community.
As mentioned last week, we have two community events coming up in April. The first event is now fully booked, but we still have open spots for our women-only dinner on April 24, 2024, @ 7 pm. Meet other female professionals in Berlin, have nice conversations, and enjoy a meal together in an intimate setting.
Last week I asked the community, “How do you feel about the word expat?” 31% said they never thought much about it before, 26% agreed it was offensive and racist, while 43% didn’t think it was a bad word. Read why I don’t use the word.
If you missed it, check out last week’s newsletter: The Never Ending Expat Debate Needs to End Now and if you're new here, check out the archives.
Food For Thought
Interesting articles about the art of looking for work, humourous memes, or other useful gems floating around the web.
I stumbled across this great salary survey from Redsofa for Berlin salaries in 2023. Getting as many data points as possible when negotiating for a new job or getting a raise/promotion at work is always good.
Has Germany’s new dual citizenship been delayed? Rachel Loxton from The Local provides a helpful update.
If you’re wondering which industries are future(ish) proof right now, Anton Waitz, general partner at Berlin-based Project A, shared with Sifted this week:
“Waitz singles out climate and defense tech as two big areas of interest among German entrepreneurs, describing energy as “extremely busy” in Germany. ⚡
There’s been a hot debate on Reddit this week about whether or not Berliners are rude.
Wayfair has been asking candidates illegal questions during the recruitment process. Remember that when applying for jobs in Germany, you’re under no obligation to share your age, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Politely decline to answer the question and consider it a huge red flag - it’s probably not where you’ll want to work. At the same time, another local company is rejecting candidates due to minor typos on their cover letters.
In another disturbing development, Glassdoor compromised user identities by making them public. 🙄
Companies Hiring
German companies that are hiring right now.
Flightright | Berlin
H2 Mobility | Berlin
NWG Power | Hamburg
Mediacharge | Munich
Elia Grid International | Berlin
Freshworks | Berlin
Follow our LinkedIn page for even more job postings (and other good stuff). 💪
German Startup News
German startups that recently received funding, were acquired, built up staff, etc., and could be good places to look for jobs.
Alpine Space Ventures | Munich | Jobs
graswald.ai | Hannover | Jobs
NX Technologies | Cologne | Jobs
News in Germany
All of the news in Germany.
Hit by worker shortage, German city gets students to drive trams - Students in Nuremberg can work part-time by driving trams. A win-win situation for the local transport authority and students alike. 🚆
German words expats should know: Spargeltarzan - I’m not sure if we needed to know this word or not, but it’s definitely another quirky German word for the books.
Berlin in bloom: Where to find beautiful cherry blossoms - It’s a beautiful time of year right now. A guide from Exberliner on where to find cherry blossoms in Berlin.
German opposition asks President to block cannabis law - Of course, the opposition doesn’t want the new cannabis law to pass. An obvious sign they need to start smoking themselves to loosen up a wee bit. Meanwhile, Cannabis: German growers celebrate as hemp is legalized. 🌿
Berlin street named among 30 coolest in the world by TimeOut - Give it a guess before reading to find out which street is considered cooler than cool in Berlin.
Bonfires, raves, brunch: How to spend Easter in Berlin - Many will travel abroad next weekend, but if you’re staying local, check out all of the things to do.
Is Berlin's €29 ticket for public transport coming back? - Um, yes, please. 🤞
Homeless Veggie Dinners: “We use food as an excuse to bring people together” - This event has been happening since 2010 and is a way for you to give back to Berlin.
“Old are much happier than the young”: Germany slips in World Happiness Report 2024 - The world isn’t an easy place these days and those with lots of life ahead of them aren’t feeling so great. Perhaps it’s due to so many young people feeling lonely in Germany, as well as for these reasons.
How We Can Help
The good stuff offered by the Berlin Life.
Connect with 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, as well as free guides to living, working, and moving to Berlin. Some of our more popular guides are:
See you in the next one. 👋
Cheryl Howard
Founder @ The Berlin Life
German cover letters: grovelling.