Starting Over In Germany
My Newsletter: benjaminantoine.substack.com
This is a little bit of a life update Video. I hope it helps someone who might be going through the process of getting a new job. I know it can be frustrating and disheartening at times but new beginnings are in many ways usually a mix of excitement, worry about future uncertainty. I'm interested to see if I can keep this going.
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About Me:
I am a Brit (from England) who lives in Germany. After completing University in the UK I moved to China where I taught English for two years. I’ve learned a thing or two about cultural integration, language learning and everything else that goes with upping sticks and moving to a foreign country. I make videos about cultural, language and life and tend to pose a lot of questions. Join me on my exploration of life abroad.
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#britingermany #careerchange #jobsearch
Good morning all! Thank all so much for your help with this one, it was great to get your feedback. Have a great Sunday ❤
What is the job you got?! And what ind of company?
@@thekaiser4333 it’s a role in sales in a fairly small but established German company
@@britingermany Thank you but thats very vague. What do you actually do? Call consumers on the phone and ask them if they want to buy a product?
PS: Why don't you teach English in a German school? German English teachers are absolutely abysmal.
Tbh...i found a new job with Deutschwe Bahn...good support and benefits...payment is okay, but you get more time off. They have a job site.
I worked in Germany for 7 years at an EU Agency but we worked in English. My next-door neighbour was French and worked for a Europe-wide insurance company in Köln but was never trusted to do a decent job by his German colleagues and in the end he gave up and moved back to France. You have the great advantage of being a fluent German speaker...essential in a German company. Respect!
Thanks Roger. Yes I’m excited to see how things develop 👍🏻
" but was never trusted to do a decent job by his German colleagues and in the end he gave up and moved back to France. " I thought it was just me. But you know what, it isn't that they don't trust you to do a decent job, they don't trust anyone. The german work environment is inherently, mistrusting. Taking initiative is not a thing. The only way to avoid criticism is to do literally whatever was done before, down to the font, and to check with someone and get approval from someone in authority, if in any doubt... I liken it to being in school again.
But if you stay for years it is important to learn decent german. It is a lot of bureaucracy and a lot has to be in german if it is with officials. If s.o. want to do only the „fun“ part and leave the part with the officials to the natives it is difficult. If you stay and suppose to stay less than a year it is ok or if the job in general is only within the own microcosmos it is ok. But if you are part of the team you have also to do the boring stuff in the long term. Edit: As far as I see it is not about trust, but to keep a process for continuation.
Being fluent in the language of the country you work in, i thought, was essential anywhere in the world if it is a long term thing.
Insurance companies are traditionally more conservative even in the finance services field. Then in Germany insurance business is extremely regulated. Knowing of the German language is already a big plus but working in insurance in Germany could be mandatory to understand the regulatory behind it. There are different business, especially in Berlin, where your mother tongue is an asset since most of the time you have to deal with clients, companies etc. from countries that speak your language.
During the 90s, I worked for an international construction company, also in Frankfurt. I sat down one day for lunch in the rather nice canteen we had with other collegues. We were a mixed bunch - a Russian, a Frenchman, an Irishman, a Chinese, an Englishman and two other nationalities I now forget. I think it was the Chinese bloke who noticed that here we were seven of us at lunch all talking in German to one another and not one of us was a native speaker. Lingua Franca indeed!
Wow cool😉. It most sounded like the start of a non pc joke…🤣
@@britingermany there may have been a joke there somewhere.......but on the job interview front I worked for a company in Ba-Wü for many years on a free-lance basis. One day my "boss" rang me up and told me the company were advertising for the task I was doing - would I like to apply? I did of course and went down the 300km for the interview with the "boss" and a young girl from HR. It was the only only interview I have ever had where we "duzen" with one another - very strange. The HR lady I did not know but she asked me why I wanted the job? I told her I did not - I just wanted that no-one else got it. The did hire a Canadian for this job - a very competant lady with whom we later worked well together. The "boss" gave me a separate free lance contract, "same procedure as every year".............you did ask for a joke????
My experience is that if there is a table with 10 Germans and one English-speaker (who might or might not speak German), the whole table switches to English...
@@Eunegin23 mine too - until especially in a business meeting, one person gets annoyed with another and a heated exchange of viewpoints takes place in German.
Why do you see yourself as not being 'entirely honest' in this case? There is no obligation on you to share with the rest of the internet _everything_ (or even everything important) that goes on in your life; there is a difference between dishonesty and setting boundaries. Huge congratulations on your new job, and wishing you all the best!
Just that people have asked and I’ve been a bit evasive. But you’re right and I only share what I feel comfortable sharing. Thanks for the support 🙏
@@val-schaeffer1117 Whereas you are never enthusiastic about anything? Let's stick to the discussion of _this_ video.
@@val-schaeffer1117 The video makes no such claim. It's simply the first time that BritinGermany speaks about his search for a new job, and how this may impact the future of his channel, which is something people have asked him about, but he hasn't covered in previous videos. He isn't expressing any opinions about Germany (or the UK) here, nor is he trying to correct or change any opinions he has expressed previously, be they "effusive hagiography" or "hard cold truth" or anywhere in between. Total side question: what does "hyphenated truth" mean? A hyphen is this "-"; do you mean "in inverted commas" (i.e. «“ ”»), meaning "not quite" (in this case "not quite the truth")?
@@val-schaeffer1117 Yes, and? He isn't saying he wasn't honest about those videos...
@@val-schaeffer1117 Your logic and writing skills - as well as your reading and listening comprehension - do not make the cut. Try again. You still haven't answered my question about "hyphenated truth".
Here in England, it's not what you know but who you know!
There is some of that here. But I think there are many companies which are desperate for staff and that#s why it went to so quick with this one in the end
@@britingermany das ist aber grossartig!
Depends on the field. If you are in a over saturated bullshit job field, you need to know people
@@SH-ly1uy You are correct but I wish people would look at your qualifications rather rely on what others think!
@@SH-ly1uyDefinitely. I've long resigned myself to the fact that there are certain jobs which are magnets for bullshitters. This is because the job allows a suit, a phone, lots of chances to make minor decisions, easy to learn, constantly and being round people so you can listen to your own voice. Bullshitter jobs - Estate Agent, Digital Marketing, Human Resources, Retail Team Leader, and being a P.A are good examples.
Moin dear Brit in Germany, and greetings from Cairo, Egypt! Im a little shocked that this video popped on my feed as I'm sipping my coffee and contemplating my last day of unemployment after 4 painful months of job search, submitting applications and undergoing numerous interviews in no vain... I finally accepted an offer that is way below my aspirations, but I know it could open a door for better opportunities in the coming period. Thank you for sharing your experience and best of luck with this new endeavour !
Well hello to Cairo and congratulations. I couldn't agree more. Sometimes we have to take a step back or a step to the side in oder to continue forwards. You never know what this new job could bring in terms of zopportuinues down the road. Good luck 👍🏻
You are very detail oriented and your social IQ is definitely way above average, any company should consider themselves lucky to have you on board. All the best wishes going forward!
Well that is very kind of you to say. Thanks a lot 😀🙏
And very creative and lots of tenacity, too - also 100% agreement from me!
@@britingermany Alles Gute - hoffentlich wirst Du dich im neuen Job sehr wohl fühlen - die ersten Wochen können immer wirklich erschöpfend sein. Ruh' Dich zu tiefst aus, wir bleiben hier! 🙂
@@DNA350ppm vielen dank
@@DNA350ppm aww we’ll thank you. That is very kind
Congrats on the new job.🎉 It's frustrating to look for a new job. I came to Munich 4-years ago from Canada to work for a startup. The company was small but recruited from all over the world. The business language was English. I lasted almost 3-years there, a long time at a crazy startup. And it was wild. 😅 I have moved on to a big German company that you would know, and again, the language of business is English because they do business internationally and recruit from all over the world. It's more formal than my last job, but also more professional. I am lucky career-wise, but it has not been great for my German as I speak English most of my day. I need to put more effort into my German.
I'm also from Canada, work in Munich and for an international company. I face the same issues as you not enough day to day practice of my German. I've been here 8 years and at best I'm B2. Far from fluent.
Hey David. I considered a start up as well but decided my free time is too important for that 😉. Well done on lasting three years. That must have been seriously intense
I have a feeling that it happens to a lot of expats in Germany working for bigger companies. Also in the big cities you are fine just speaking English as most people understand and speak it. However, if you want to move outside of the cities the lack of German spoken word could be a big hinderance in daily life.
@davonnicode There is a much more convincing reason to learn the language than just being able to communicate on everyday matters. And that is that you'll never be able to touch the soul of a country or people if the use of "soul" in this context seems at all applicable.
@@rainerm.8168 yeah, use of "soul" for germany is questionable. 😉
Thank you for this I'm 57 so no way a millennial and you have, very eloquently, described my own experience with job hunting
Well I wish you all the best. It doesn’t necessarily get any easier with age but I think “older” experienced workers are getting rarer so more valuable. I wish you the best of luck 🍀
I am happy for you that you found a new job and that you like it. You are so right, the last 8 months I went threw the same, applying for jobs, rejected, over and over … until last month, I finally found a new position. So now that I am 60 and did not give up on applying, I can confirm. Consistency and not giving up, will bring something up. Wish you all the best. Regards. A happy German in the Netherlands
Wow that is very inspiring. Good luck to you your new job 🍀😀
Do you think you got the job because the Netherlands are more willing to employ elders?
I love this kind of experience sharing. I used to audition for work and it’s not dissimilar. I remember having a few meanies on the other side. One was so bad that I was actually traumatised from the experience. Some people abuse the power they are lucky enough to have. Hearing you talk about your search certainly made me feel better. Congratulations on the new job. They’re lucky to have you, with your mindset. I wish you the very best of luck.
Thanks so much Lauren🙏. We’ll see how it goes 😉
❤
Is it too late for me to go and 'setz die Person auf den Topf' who was nasty to you?
@@sisuguillam5109 unsere Frauen sind raus aus der WM! Ich will auf den Arm!😞😣😖😢
@@tasminoben686 Ich nehm Dich auf den Arm! Ich schaff das! Echt schade, oder? Hätte es Ihnen gewünscht, daß sie weiterkommen.
I lived and worked in Germany for 13 years and although I spoke well the language “with an accent” I must say … I didn’t stand a chance in the job market. My experience was awful, having to choose any job to survive and too much waste of my skill set. Decided to move to the UK and my career rocketed as I couldn’t have ever dreamt. Opposed to some comments I read in here, in the UK is exactly about what you can do combined with your commitment to succeed, nothing else. Is a country of opportunities and is my home. From Germany I took beautiful memories such as friends, places, great organisation and exceptional health service but never, even after so many years, I was able to feel at home. I personally am grateful to the UK, I fell in love with the UK, it’s people and it’s culture. I am proud to call it my home.
Very interesting to hear that :) I have been scrabbling to get out of the country of my birth for ten years now, every turn being blocked by the migration barriers that other countries have and my sense of depression growing stronger as I see the England that I loved vanishing before my eyes. Sometimes you need an outside perspective to remind you of what you have.
So, now that you‘re working for a german company in Germany for mainly german clients, I‘m having to switch to german… just for expanding your skills in german of course 😉😉😉: Herzlichen Glückwunsch zur neuen Stelle. Ich hoffe, Du fühlst Dich dort wohl und erreichst Deine Ziele! Und nimm Dir die Zeit, die Du brauchst… keiner sollte von Dir erwarten, dass Du im Moment Deinen Fokus auf KZhead hast. Ich freue mich wieder von Dir zu hören/zu sehen! 😃
Vielen herzlichen Dank🙏🎉. Ich werde berichten 😉
Congratulations on getting the job. I am currently learning German (4 months in), almost from no knowledge, and to me, you are an inspiration. Truly, I am beyond impressed. I hope to follow in your footsteps one day.
Well first of all well done on getting started the beginning is so hard...it requires so much brain juice and can be very energy draining so keep at it there's comes a time when it gets a lot easier and you start to pick up things without too much effort 😀
He’s been an inspiration and help to me too as I’m learning German. Really admire his bravery in these situations.
Viel Glück und viel Spaß beim Lernen!
First of all dear brit, congratulation to your new job. 👏 How exciting! Will you move away from Frankfurt to another city? I wish you all the best for your new career and hopefully nice collegues and a good team. Take your time and concentrate for now on the new job. I totally understand that. Good luck 🤗
Thanks so much. No I am staying out in Frankfurt for the time being 😀
Congratulations 😃👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼!!! I’m so happy for you. And yes, I wish you a healthy schedule so that you can fit in enough rest and time for yourself - and videos like this :)
Thanks so much. I'll do my best
All the best wishes going your way that this new place is a great match and that you get all you deserve! Post as you can, with topics you like and all will be well.
Thanks so much Connie. Greetings to Austria 😀
In the mid 90s I moved to Spain, not long after graduation from university, to teach English. I eventually learnt the language, met my partner and became established in my job. Now, I honestly couldn't imagine moving back to the UK. You name the minimum wage job, I did it. In the UK the brakes always went against me. I don't know why. Thinking back, the UK was always so profoundly unfree and restrictive. In Spain I have a good diet, work-life balance and my asthma vanished years ago. I totally get where you're coming from. You've made the right decision 👍
Kudos for your efforts! I experienced myself applying for jobs in a foreign Country, as immigrant, and boy, it takes a lot out of you. 😅 I wish you the best on luck in your continuing journey, and I as German must say you are brave to take on interviews like that in Germany, at German Companies! 👍
Thanks a lot. It certainly can be draining and it can be hard to not take things personally
Think of it as you are interviewing THEM.
Great to hear from your success, while sharing your experiences on your job search in this video. "May the gras be greener on the other side of the fence."
Thanks a lot. I do hope so 🍀
glad to hear that things worked out for you and i wish you best of luck in your new job :)
Thanks so much. That means a lot🙏
@@britingermany no biggie as soon as my mooving chaos and all here right now gets back to normal we should meet for a beer somewhere its sadly been quiet a while since i last spend some puptime with an english ;)
Congrats on your new job. Good luck for the future!
Thank you so much!
Congratulations !! Another step forward.. that is really great 🎉 and even if we will see less videos, it will be a pleasure to hear and see from you.. have a very nice weekend
Thank you so much! Happy Sunday 😀
Good luck with the new job, and I'm looking forward to finding out how it all works out for you.
You and me both! 😉
Congrats on working through this phase!
Thanks so much 🙏
What a fresh dose of honesty. You have probably divulged much deeper than many dare to in a public domain Thank you for all your uploads.
Thanks a lot 🙏
Thanks ever so much for such a Frank and personal insight into ur experiences whilst job hunting. Im just starting down that path myself 😮
Well I wish you all the best. The hardest part is the battle with yourself. To stay positive and motivated. The main thing is don’t beat yourself up when things don’t work out
Thank you! Very useful an informative piece, please do try to keep it going.
Thanks, I'll do my best!
I am so happy for you 🤩💕!! I sincerely hope that this works out for you 🤞🙏❤
Thank you so much! I hope so too😊
@@britingermany 🥰😻
Thanks for the Update. Put your energy into your new job, thats where its needed. Once its Not that challanging anymore and you feel you have more time, i will be more than happy to watch your Videos. I myself startet in November 2022 a new job in a new field i never worked in before, it was very exhausting but now like 8 month later i dont feel that way anymore. Ich bin quasi angekommen in meiner neuen Position 😊
Wow super. That’s great. And you’re in Germany? Respect! Not easy to start something new here 👍🏻
@@britingermany yes here in Germany, i was lucky because i changed Positiones i my company which is huge we employ 30000 people. This Position was open only for one year as a replacement for a mother on maternity leave. I took a risk, it payed off. Because they hired me full time now with no timely ristrictions anymore.
@@pinkhope84 perfect👍🏻. No risk no fun 🤣
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as the saying goes. ❤ I'm sure we will appreciate whatever you do upload, when you upload it. Good luck.
Thanks so much 🙏
Can't deny it, I really love listening to you. No matter what you speak about, it's thought out and relatable. I also just like to listen to your voice. On a content note, it's interesting to hear how the application process was for you and how it is going these days. I will have to start writing what we call "Initiativbewerbungen" and so this is helping my thought process. Thank you for that.
I appreciate that! and good luck with the iniativbewerbungen get in he reps 😉💪🏻
Best wishes for your new job. If it is a good opportunity take it. However, don't worry about "unfair" advantages. Being native English is an advantage you should avail yourself of. It is not only an advantage for you, but also for your employer. Tall people don't ride horses competitively, and short guys don't play basket ball -- for a reason.
Thanks a lot 🙏
So glad I'm retired, and my many employable skills are no longer being used. I'd hate to have to go through all that again. All the best in your new job!
Oh wow! Love this channel making memories of job hunting in DE. As you rightfully said - at times, brutal. Viel Glück noch! 😊
Thanks a lot
All the very best and success in the new job.
Thank you🙏
Congrats on the new job! 🎉
Thanks a lot 🙏
Good luck Britta, i think the world is getting pretty intensive no matter where one is on the merry-go-round of work, hope you find your stride. As they say as one calls into the forest, is often what you get back.
I think it is the reality of job hunting. It’s just one of those things which Is tough mentally and I was pretty lucky with the search.
Congrats legend! Hope you’ll like the new job. Greetings from London, back to Germany tomorrow.
Thanks a lot! Enjoy the big city 👍🏻
Congratulations on your new job! 👍 Yeah, job applications and interviews are never easy, especially not here in Germany. I always says that we Germans "stehen uns selbst im Weg" when it comes to ... well, anything, really. We're making everything super-complicated and inefficient through too much bureaucracy. But I'm glad it all worked out for you in the end. 😉
Thanks a so much. We'll see how it goes 😀
Good luck for the new job..and don't forget the work - life - balance..extremely important for being healthy!
Definitely! I learned that the hard way at my last job.
Congratulations!! Looking for a new job is absolutely horrible for me,so I fully understand you. I wish you all the best. Greetings from the Odenwald (about 80 km south of Frankfurt).
Thanks a lot. Love Odenwald 🌳
hey all the best for you in germany, success for all your plans and private life and health. myself planing on moving to the north of England (chorley area, maybe south of SCO). was delayed due to corona and now at the moment the time isn't right coz I'll work for the NHS, which seems to be on its knees at the moment, so i will wait for another year or two. but already looking forward.
Thanks so much. I wish you all the best with your move as well. 😀🍀
Congratulations on your new job. I am a German living in Canada ( although I have lived here forever), very much enjoy your channel and your perspective. Do keep up your good work if you can.
Thank you so much! I'l do my best 😀
Congrats on the new job. Well done 🍻
Thank you! Cheers!🙏
Thank you for making this. I felt for you. It reminded me of the jobs I applied for over my working life, and the powerlessness of being the applicant. Also, of the many times I was on the other side of the table, making the appointments, and having a sense of the vulnerability of the other. Some people with the power to appoint handle that well, others - I often thought - don't. People should not underestimate the existential anxiety, even despair, that can be unleashed by the process of applying for job after job. Hard though it is to believe (and at times it seems impossible to believe), we have a value beyond the job we have or the pay we get. (I am now in what I call post-work liberation (aka retired). Make the right preparations in the form of money to live on, and I can report that it has brought a brilliant sense of freedom from all those hoops and games). Good luck to you. And thanks again for sharing your experiences.
Thank you for the encouragement 😀
Congratulations!🥂 Happy Sunday everyone!
Thank you dear Arno. Same to you 🙏
❤
@@tasminoben686 Hi Ben, alles gut bei dir? 🙋♂️
Congrats!! I just moved to Germany, have been applying for jobs for a couple of months with no joy and therefore really appreciate this video. Thanks!!
Keep at it and Best of luck!
@@britingermany thanks! and thanks for the ChatGPT top tip!
Wish you all the best!
Thank you🙏
Interesting insight! All the best with the knew job! I once read about someone whose hobby was applying for jobs rather than sitting back on his laurels, as he said it was his way of staying on top of his market value. When you don't need a job, we are more relaxed in the interview! I agree with what you said about recruiters, just like estate agents, who coincidentally also have their own sales jargon.
I agree that that is a good strategy...I just don't have the energy for it 🤣
We too have noticed that similarity with recruiters and realtors: As we are trying to help Ukranians who fled and now need to find more permanent places to live, they are so disappointed when they don't get the flat/apt they had hoped for, or at a price they can afford...and then the search starts anew.
Congrats on new job. Love form 🇬🇧.
Thanks a lot 😀
Job searching is a pain! So glad you found something. I truly enjoy you channel and hope you can keep at it. You seem to be a very interesting and knowledgeable person and your colleagues will soon find out what a great guy you are. Please keep us posted. What type of business are you in now? You don’t have to reveal the company name.
Thanks a lot vee. I will do my best to keep it up. I’m in sales/investment fun fun fun 😉
Good luck in your new job!
Cheers🙏🎉
Good luck with the new job!
Thank you very much
Gratulation to and good luck with the new job. (Now I could write an essay, but in the end I wouldn't say more...)
Thanks so much🙏. And thanks for your support 😀
It’s so validating hearing about your experience. I was a lecturer at a top American university before I moved to Germany. In the states finding a job was easy. I often had multiple job offers to choose from. In Germany, it was a completely demoralizing experience. I had the Geschäftsführer at one company throw his pencil at me and yelled at me demanding I get out when I told him what my salary requirements were. I cried in public for the first time as I walked to the Bahnhof after that interview. I refuse to work with recruiters, all of whom have no idea about the specifics of my industry. I was explicitly clear about my skill set, specialty, experience level, and still ended up in interviews where both the firm and I agreed immediately to end the meeting. The firm was equally as annoyed as I was. It is not easy. Also the custom here is to have multiple interviews and sometimes they demand immigrants work a free day to see if you have the skills that you claim to have. I felt a lot of discrimination as a female foreigner, and was shocked by the amount of aggression and sexism I experienced. In the states it’s illegal to ask about marriage status, if you have children, about family planning… etc. in Germany this was completely normal. To sum it up, it’s more difficult than you would ever imagine, but it gets easier as your German improves and you are able to demonstrate German experience. I am finally able to work at my expected career level - though the process took 7 years.
Best of Luck,watching from Puerto Rico.
Thanks so much. Greetings to Puerto Rico 😀
Congratulations und guten Start im neuen Job.
Vielen dank
Good luck at your new job! I‘ve been through the same process many times in Scotland and Germany and can vividly remember how draining it was! It would be interesting to hear your thoughts about the differences between working for a British company versus working for a German one. In my experience, the working cultures are quite different.
Very true. Yes I'm interested to see that myself. The companies themselves are quite different so it might be hard to make that comparison but I think in a few month time I'd like to do a video on that.
Wish you the best!
Thanks so much
As someone who's currently applying to German companies from abroad, I felt that. Good luck with your new job!
Oh man...good luck with it. It can be tough but I do think this is as good a time as any...a lot of companies are really desperate for employees.
@@britingermany I've been going at it since April and have had just 1 interview so far, and even that was just a list of questions I had to answer on video. Another one is lined up for tomorrow though, and it's with a real human, as far as I know. We'll see how it goes. Honestly, I'm not so sure German companies are desperate for employees, or even that the IT sector has a shortage. All of them want a C1 in German and for the candidate to have a work permit before applying. Either the companies that actually need immigrant employees don't post anything online, even on their own sites (I did a few sweeps of company sites listed on Kununu), or the shortages are very exaggerated, imo.
@@kaworunagisa4009 I think they have to employ people in the country first and have to be able to prove that there are no locals before hiring someone from abroad (although I’m not entirely sure haven’t looked into it much). I do think there is a certain amount of luck involved. The interviewer has to like you or find you interesting in some way. Keep at it and your luck will change at some point. Wish you all the best for the interview tomorrow 🤞
@@britingermany You are correct, they have to present evidence that they couldn't hire a local for the position. What I'm annoyed at is that companies who claim they're hiring prospective immigrants don't bother to do their homework on how immigration processes work, or what they can expect from a non-German in terms of language proficiency. Not to mention the initial automatic screening has mucked it up for all of us because humans with a set of professional skills are more than a set of keywords in their CV. And thank you!
I'm a longtime resident in Germany and my experience with employment is that employers and colleagues can be rather skeptical, so you very much have to prove yourself, which can be quite frustrating but don't let it put you off, once you've gained their respect they very much value your professional opinion.
Congratulations on the new job.
Thank you very much. I hope Bavaria is treating you well.
Well done. Yes, job hunting is a full-time job and certainly takes longer per day than doing a full-time job! Interviewsers have a job, so they don't understand what people go through, and no replies or replies of rejection just drag you down, making the whole experience even harder. I was out of work 6 years ago and sent off over 100 applications!! Exactly!
Thanks you Alice. Wow over 100 is a lot. It's definitely not much fun
Congratulations on your new job. It's very brave of you to push your boundaries in terms of your linguistic and social comfort zone, and it's very inspiring for others like us. I'm Indian but had studied and lived in the UK for 4-5 years to the extent that I started feeling at home there. Then, due to visa expiry, I had to move countries for the next job: to Ireland, then the Netherlands and finally to Germany. It's emotionally very difficult to stay afloat with such changing background conditions. I'm a scientist so I mostly work in an English speaking environment but have no social connections with co-workers or others and feel vulnerable about not fitting into other organizations when circumstances demand. I'm learning German slowly and your example provides me some strength - thank you!
Yes it can be really tough moving around so much. I hope you manage to put some roots down and find some stability. Germany is a good place for that
I'm an immigrant to France. I'm in a position where I don't need to work to survive unlike most other immigrants here. I have some savings from previous jobs and I'm married to a French person that has a fairly decent CDI contract (a permanent contract) that for our current living situation and spending habits covers both of us pretty comfortably (I put in my fair share, don't worry, even if I'm not bringing in income). Anyways, I started working when I was either 16 or 17 years old, I'm originally from California, and I've been working full time since then for survival, I was never able to save, basically all my money went to bills and basic living expenses, even while in university where I some how managed to get all my tuition covered by grants, I still had to work full time to survive which took a toll on my studies, and even after uni I could never find stable work that paid enough for me to put anything aside. When I was 34 I managed to get a job in Korea, it wasn't ideal, but healthcare was cheep and much better than in California, my rent was taken care of, I didn't need a car and the cost of using transit was very reasonable, so I put a lot of money away in the 5 years I was there. I met my partner there and we got married and moved to France, but it was during the pandemic where there wasn't much work anyways let alone for English speakers, and also France is weird in where even if your work may be done completely in your native language, for me English, you never do an interview in that language, everything here in conducted in French , I mean everything, and if you don't have a Master's degree as your lowest level of education you may also be screwed, I only have a bachelor's because again, I'm from California and I couldn't do a Master's unless I took out a loan and I didn't want to do that. My French level wasn't non-existent but it was so low when we first got to France and we were in 2 really strict lockdowns our first year and couldn't go anywhere anyways, I told my partner that I just wanted to take a break for a while, we weren't struggling with money, and I was fine taking care of the apartment and just trying to study French. That was 3 years ago, and I still am in this same spot, I have too much anxiety now to even try to find a part-time job that they would laugh at me for even trying, even if my French is much better now. And now that I have a 3 year blank spot on my CV I feel like no one would even look at me here, which has made my anxiety worse. My partner is ok with my situation, they aren't pushing me to stay in it or exploiting me for it, it's not one of those situations, actually they would prefer if I was more financially independent but they know I'm the one that has to take that leap. But I'm also super tired or working, I worked for a very very long time doing work that was mostly physical, and I'm just so tired. I'm lucky to be in this position for the first time in my life not to have to work for survival, but I feel a little guilty about it. When French people ask why I'm not working, I tell them I'm taking an extended sabbatical after working so hard for so long, I never tell them that I'm scared to start over in a new country with a new language, lol
Wow thanks for sharing and being so open about your situation. I can understand that. If you can try starting something part time. Something that is not too challenging and that gives you more than just money. I have found that work is not necessarily about money or survival. It can be about community, and a sense of achievement and progress...of course it can just be to pay the bills it really depends on personal circumstances
Remember goung on a school trip once to cologne lovely place. Everywhere is so clean in the towns and cities opposite to the uk.
When was that? It might just be me but I don’t really see much difference when it comes to cleanliness these days.
@@britingermany really that surprises me this was back around 2004.
@@britingermanyI live so many month's in nuremberg per year ,so so clean and beautiful compared to Yorkshire!
Congratulations!
Thanks so much!
Congratulations on your new job!! And big thanks for your honesty! Job search really is a draining process, especially if one is not and cannot be what is deemed "a standard" candidate. What I am not sure of is using the chat GPT merely for a reason that if the written application is perfect but my real skill in the language doesn't really match it, what does it say about me? All the best in your new endeavour!
Thanks a lot. It’s been almost 7 months now. I can hardly believe it
I hope you enjoy your new job, and honestly: don't worry to much about speaking german. My biggest customers are a german insurance company, a german pharmacy company and a german phone company, and I do speak english in about 60% of the meetings (as a native german) - because the makeup of most teams in IT is pretty international today. I honestly always appreciate it if somebody is fluent in english and does not have to much of an accent (so that it is at least understandable).
Thanks a lot
So you weren‘t being dishonest after all! Good luck in the new job, I‘m sure the long hours will regulate themselves once you‘ve settled in.
I hope so. Just a matter of getting used to things👍🏻
Good luck in your new job! Fortunately, I am now retired... looking back to these kind of situations, able to tell the stories abd episodes to "grandchildren" 🙂
Well I hope you can make your grand children laugh😀
Concrats for your new job. Seems to be the time to change job. I'll switching jobs in September, leaving academia after 13 years.
Well congrats on the change. Changing fields is really not easy but if your skills are related it can be a great way to develop. Good luck with everything 🍀
OMG you nailed it with recruiters-can't agree more
Yes I’ll be avoiding them in the future
This exact same process applies to London. I am a woman and took time off for my children. In London they were very nasty trying to dig. They didn’t care about my experience and qualifications bu only on “possible” gaps. I got a job but only after 2 years of search. Here in Germany it is not the case. Yes, they are tough but they never dig your private life. I am Spanish. Now my problem is that I am in my late 50s…. there is almost no chance for me to get a job…. anywhere in Europe…. they prefer to get young people from India! Such is life.
I think it really depends on which sector you are in. Some people have already commented here who are in their 50s or 60s that they managed to get jobs after a few months which is very inspiring
Best regards for new job.
Thank you
Best of luck for the future. I am German with many international contacts and in large corporation (now finally). My wife is a non-EU citizen with excellent German, but not a full degree in her field before. That was incredibly hard to find a decent job, even though she had my full support as a native. It got better when she got another degree in the field besides working full time (3rd degree now…), but even then actually with some help from my network. Really happy that it worked out for you! Unfortunately, the challenges and emotional toughness is normal…It is very tough to find it in Germany, but once you got something good, you‘re often settled for life in a comfortable place.
Thanks a lot. All the best for you and your wife
Glückwunsch zum neuen Job!
Vielen Dank 🙏
@@britingermany Ich drück ganz fest die Daumen! Schönes Wochenende!
@@sisuguillam5109 vielen Dank 😀. Schönes WE
@@britingermany 🍹 Werde mich bemühen! :)
Alles Gute zum neuen Start, viel Erfolg! Hast du Arbeitsbedingt auch umziehen müssen oder bleibst du in Frankfurt?
Thanks for the update. Was a little bit worried and thought you might have stayed in the UK. Are you still in FfM? Wish you all the best in your new job, that the workload will not increase and the honeymoon phase becomes permanent 😉
No I am staying well and truly put in FFM for the time being at least. Thank you. I will cling on to the honeymoon phase for as long as I can 🤣
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zur neuen Stelle. 💐 Ich wollte vor 4 Jahren auch wechseln. Dann stellte ich fest, das ich in meiner "alten" Stelle bereits soviele Vergünstigungen erarbeitet habe, das ein Wechsel mich nicht weitergebracht hätte. So bin ich geblieben. Ich bereue es etwas, aber der "Käs ist gegessen". Alles alles Gute für die neue Stelle und ein gutes Vollenden der Probezeit.
Vielen Dank. And as we say in English! No regrets! Schau nach vorne 😀
Congratulations ! …your German is fantastic…from a German in Australia. Love 😊your programme
Thank you so much!
My husband is Italian and has been living in Germany for thirty- three years and speaks German quite well. It helped him a lot that his German work colleagues in the company gave him a lot of support and he was able to learn German even faster as a result. Congratulations on your new job.
That’s great to hear. And thanks so much for the support 😀
🙂👍@@britingermany
That’s great news.
Thank you
Oh I don't envy you. Applications and interviews are dreadful (even for me as a German), so I am over the moon, that I will never again have to do this! Congratulations on the new job. I am now realizing that I have no idea what it is that you actually do. However, best of luck and I am sure you'll charm the socks off everybody in no time and will also excel at your job. That's just the kind of person I picture you as. All the best and may you be challenged and happy (I believe being challenged contributes a lot to our happiness, especially when we succeed at whatever was thrown our way 😀
Thanks so much! I do hope so indeed
Oh dear! I am so happy to be out of any application age. I can't even understand what most advertised jobs actually comprise nowadays let alone use Chat GPT to apply. Good luck dear Brit. I am looking forward to your coming videos even if there will be less.
Thanks a lot 🙏
I lived in Germany for almost 13 years and had two jobs. The first job I got by writing on spec to Ford-Werke in Cologne in atrocious German that I had taught myself from a book. The company wrote back and invited me to their HR offices in Cologne for an interview. I drove my battered Mini to Germany, had the interview and got a job as a Kraftfahrzeugschlosser. I worked for two years in the prototype build department, perfected my German, and was then promoted to technical translator in the publications department where I stayed for eight years. Finally I was headhunted by a computer company based in Stuttgart and left Cologne. After two years I was fed up with Germany and returned to England, not ever having needed to find a job in Germany since that initial letter in 1969. From 1982 until 2000 in England I had to search for a job three times due to downsizing, relocations, and inevitable redundancies. In 1993 I wrote over 200 letters of application. At least the job centre was pleased. In 2000 I took early retirement aged 54. That was it. I was done with working. I'm now 77 and happily will never have to go through the job search nightmare ever again.
Well it sounds like you paid your dues 😉. Enjoy your retirement
hows that 54 pension iam 54 worked nin stop 38 years not even a hope for a pension lived in germany 34 years sick of working and getting screwed over by every political party going and working germany is like working in any country still crap😅
@@alanwhite7127 I didn't receive a pension till 2006 when I turned 60. The first six years of retirement I funded myself mainly from savings interest, but also from capital. I *lived very frugally,* but was free of the drudgery of work and that was the main thing. I didn't receive a state pension from Britain or Germany until 2011. But thereafter I was financially secure.
Retired at 54??? That is ridiculously young!!!
@@BG-wm2tw Not when you started your first proper job aged 15½! 38 years at the beck and call of employers is plenty enough for anyone who can afford early retirement.
have fun 👍
Thank you😀
Lovely video
Thanks mark
Congratulations 🎉with your job. Thank you for making videos. They are very valuable. How did you start your first job in Frankfurt? Was it difficult to rent your first apartment? I see many job offers in hospitality. I would love to work as a receptionist but I am afraid that I will not find any place to stay. Or recruiters will not even consider me seing that I am applying from abroad.
Thanks a lot. I agree it is very difficult to get a job (that is not remote) if you are applying from abroad. It was not easy that’s for sure. I would say learning German is the best thing you can do.
You have an amazing voice...
Thank you 😀
Viel Erfolg 🙂
Danke dir🙏
I worked in Germany for 30 years. Worked my way up and was always treated as an equal, held managerial positions. I then went to Switzerland and continued my career in management in an international company. Not sure as an woman then 50 would find a new job in Germany when made redundant, hence relocating. Spoke German and made sure I participated and understood German culture and traditions though.
My daughter born in Germany is experiencing the same issues, so probably things have changed.
Just realised, I actually got every job by recommendation, still had to interview but the door was open. You need to remember Germans have a low risk threshold and like people who are recommended.
Congrats on finding the new position! I can imagine it’s a stressful experience, especially abroad and in a foreign language. I find that your (one’s) chances depend mainly on your skillset. If you can actually create, build, produce something valuable _right now_ for a company and have a fresh approach to issues they’re facing you’ll be hired in a heartbeat. Otherwise you’re just one of the many generic possible employees, in which case you’ll have to be lucky and rely on your conversational skills (and selling yourself). I’ve been lucky enough so far (been self-employed since I started working) not to have to do any real job hunting myself, opportunities seem to find me instead. It helps that I’m in a niche market now, where demand is relatively high and supply is limited.
Great. Hope you can sustain it. Keep it up👍🏻
Congrats. You seem to be a rare bird. Niche market, demand high, supply low.
Gratuliere zum neuen Job
Danke dir 🙏
So glad Harry is now branching out alone, I never thought Megan was right for him.
Wishing you all the best, even though the application process in Germany may seem dehumanizing at times (recruiters are heartless cnuts at best). As a native speaker, i've been able to capitalise on my language skills in my job until now, but the rapid rise of technologies like Chat GPT, Google and translation tools like DeepL is shifting the paradigm more quickly than I expected.
Yes indeed...I think language learning might become a relic of the past. I really hope not because I think it's one of the best things you can do for your brain but if it#s so easy to outsource we will do it...🤷♂️
compiling CVs from thousands of available (online) and machine translation is not really proper learning, ie if you put AI in your situation, it won't be able to find a job, i mean it lacks the body too, it's not really a portable brain. "if it's easy to outsource". well, hmmm.... it's not easy. machine translation is not up to task (humans are still translating books, ai would produce too many errors), and compiling data from web (which chatgpt does) goes only so far (it can also result in conflicting data). there's still a world out there AI knows less about, and can't really penetrate because it's a human world. it would need to be portable, go everywhere and understand everyone. that will not be accomplished. that (fear of ai) also suggests state bureaucracy would evaporate, and that's just silly, their unions are too strong. 😄
@@ivok9846 all the things you said AI can do others once said would never be possible. feel ironic?
@@Jusvidz well, some said it would be impossible (to translate at all, to compile cvs and code) while others said they'll replace humans soon. in 1970s. without talking about bad translations, code quality, and whose cvs were stolen, could you tell me why IBM watson failed? i mean, we need doctors who "know everything", right? today, where exactly would you put ai instead of humans, these answering chatbot gimmicks aside?
You speak English in the same tempo that germans speak German it’s so strict and regimented. It’s so precise oh my god
Really?! If you say so 🤣
My Job was an Jackpot, sounds a little bid of gambling! Curious to see new impressions of u!
Honestly this sounds exactly how it is here in the States as well. I haven't had to do it thankfully in two years but i really like the ChatGPT idea. I've been toying with the idea of applying to German companies so I'll keep that in mind.
It was a huge help for me👍🏻
Ja, herzlichen Glückwunsch. - Und willkommen!
Danke sehr 🙏