What you need to know if you plan to move to Germany in 11 Steps : Step 1 Find a job

You are looking for new opportunities and think that Germany will be the one for you. Now that you know what steps you will have to go through, this post will give you a few tips for your job research in the land of Goethe.

Don't come to Germany without a job offer!
Yes, it's something it shouldn't be that important, since we are in the EU, and blablabla, but the paper work here is really a nightmare and you need a good reason to go through it. Many people came here to look for a job and had to go back to their countries because they run out of money... or they accepted sheety "mini-jobs" where they got an insufficient salary to pay the rent.

Good news: You don’t need to speak German! (at the beginning...)

All Germans speak perfectly english (even if they tell you they are really bad. Think that a german bad english speaker is a french english fluent). The priority is to get the job done! So they will first look at your technical skills rather than you language skill. A lot of topics require some specific qualifications. Be unique! (and tell them you are willing to learn German ;) )

Prepare your application

Your application should comprise the following:

-Your CV (with photo)

-A Letter of Intent

-The copy of your classes/Grades you got at the university (For young professionals, recruiters will look at the classes and grades you had)

-Copy of attestation of internship (nice to have)

-Copy of publications (Journals or Conferences…)

Where to find the position

Not on massive internet job portals and not through the Human Resources. In Germany, as in a lot of places, you need the Vitamin B (Beziehung), e.g. relations. If you have no contact on place, find your contacts. Go to conferences, fairs, open doors. Look the area  you are interested in, google the name, have a look on website of companies and find the name of people in your domain, contact them, create a relationship and convince them that they need you!

Special Tips if you are looking for a position in Research and Development
Take a look at those two networks of research:

http://www.fraunhofer.de/en.html

http://www.helmholtz.de/en/

If you want to make a PhD or Postdoc, I also encourage you to apply for scholarships/fundings:
https://www.daad.de/en/
http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/
You can always ask researcher/laboratories to write a proposal in collaboration with you. For them, they will get funding and more research done and you can have a job. It worked for a friend of mine; she read a paper from one of my colleagues, wrote him to ask for opportunities and is now writing her PhD. This process can last at least 6 months. But what is better than to create your own position?

  

So now, good luck! Find your position in Germany and wait for the next post to organize your first days there.

Trendsplant: an Example of Entrepreneurship in Spain

A couple of weeks ago we started a "start-up series" with this post about entrepreneurship in Paris. We got very good feedback and we would like to continue motivating our readers!

I would like to introduce Luis, a good friend of mine who started his business in Spain. He is a software engineer, but he decided to quit and spend his time and energy doing what he has become his business: he and his associates created a young, non-expensive, high-quality, comfy and trendy apparel brand!

From right to left: Luis (with Hoodie and Beanie),
his girlfriend Elena (with Top) and me (with Hoodie)

R: How did this adventure begin?

L: We have always been action sports lovers, and we were always snowboarding and loving the videos of the pros making all that cool stuff. My friends and I started to make some t-shirts for our snowboarding trips... That was the seed of what has become our dream, Trendsplant. 

R: The logo represents the brand and your customers. Why an elephant?

L: We love animals, and we wanted to give a robust image of our company and clothes, that is how we came up with the idea of the "Eleplant". Elephants are robust, noble and nomadic. These values represent Trendsplant, a streetwear company that makes apparel for active travelers who love to explore the world, while preserving and expressing their individual style. Among many designs we chose 3 and we posted them on Facebook to involve our followers and let them decide!

R: Something good about entrepreneurship:

L: Doing what you love in life is always a challenge, that´s why entrepreneurship is so exciting, you are always learning tones of things, while creating something yours. It´s awesome!

R: Something bad about entrepreneurship:

L: Sometimes it's reeeeally difficult to disconnect from work... since your business is your passion you are always thinking about ways to improve things and solve issues and you carry them wherever you go!

R: Any tips for entrepreneurs?

L: Set your goals for short/med/long term. Then organize yourself and your life, that is how you can achieve most of your goals.

We would like to wish Trendsplant lots of luck and success, and we look forward to seeing their products in German retailer shops very soon!!!!

If you are interested in purchasing (I'm sure you want to have a look to the Trendsplant collection!) go to http://www.trendsplant.com/.

Are Children toys sexist? Do they influence the person you will be?

A few weeks before Christmas, there was a new blast on YouTube and Facebook. This video showed little girls building this fantastic construction which shuts down the girly TV Show. This is an advertisement for a toolbox for little girls.

It is true; that the games we have as kids is very important to define who we will be. What it the case for me?

The toy which gave me the biggest impression is a golden remote control car and my batman backpack. Now I am a space engineer. What was your favorite gift as a kid? Does it have something to do with your current job? For example Rosa: "Lego, Puzzles and baby trolley with baby".

As Christmas came, I had to buy a gift for my 3 years-old niece. I am amazed to see all the toys and especially that in the girl area you have only dolls, plastic cooking set, and wooden vegetables. As I was looking at a firemen truck, a vendor told me “He will like this toy for sure” when I replied that she was a she then he directly directed my to the shelve with a pink toys.

But NO! I want little boys to play with dolls and little girls to have tool box, like in the video.

I tried an experience. I wanted to see what my nephews and nieces got for Chrismas. Is the reality the same as in the shops? I asked my Brother and Sister which both have two young kids (a boy and a girl) to take a picture of their X-Mas gift.

Louise (2 years Old)

Louise (2 years Old)

Joseph ( 8 Month)

Raphael (1 year)

Cassandre ( 3 years old)

What you need to know if you plan to move to Germany in 11 Steps (Part 1)

I´ve been living in Germany since 2010 and Emma since 2008. It has been a while, but I still remember well how the first days in Germany were (I wished I had stayed home!). As you see, we have survived, but some help would have been useful, because I'm sure this stressy experience costed me a couple of years of my life...

In Bremen, next to the Stadt Musikanter

If you really plan to move to Germany, you must have already read thousands of posts and articles about the topic. I won't say they are wrong, because they aren't! But every experience is different and can contribute somehow to make you things easier.

In Berlin at the Branderburger Tor

These are the steps you will have to follow if you don't want to get mad because of the paper work. Follow these steps in this order, don't try to rearrange this list! Some tried it before and are still regretting it:

1. Find a job ;) (now It's 99% sure you are moving to Germany and staying)

2. Get a map of the city

3. Look for an apartment

4. Go to the "Statsamt" and do the "Anmeldung" or registration in the city you'll be living and never loose the paper they will give to you!

5. Open a bank account

6. In the bank you will be told to get two insurances, a personal one and one in case your washing machine breaks down and your neighbour's flat becomes a swimming pool. Get both!!!

7. Buy a mobile phone, I guess you will start with a prepaid card

8. Get information about the public transport rates and buy a month-ticket if you don't want to run out of money after a week (Emma would tell you : buy a bike at the flee market!)

9. Go to the "Finanzamt" and ask for a Steuernummer (To pay taxes)

10. Ask your colleagues at work what medical insurance they have, and contract the same one

11. Look for a good German course!!!

Now you are a legal citicien in the German city and you can start with the funny tasks of working, furnishing your apartment, contracting internet at home and getting information about the garbage disposal! I wish you the best!



I am sure you think "Easy to say! But how do I really manage this?" You will see, it is totally worth it!

In Munich at the Beer Festival

On the following weeks we will post about the topics on the list and prepare a complete SOS- Germany guide with useful links. For the moment, we recommend a link for french-speaking readers:

http://www.femmexpat.com/destination/europe/allemagne/etudier-a-breme-allemagne/

How to be more effective at work! Short Review of "The four hour workweek"

I have a 39 hour contract at my job. I am sure I could perform the tasks I do in less than 30 hours a week or even less. However, my contract says I should stay 39 hours so I spend time thinking about this blog, drinking coffee with my colleagues, hang out on facebook etc... I know people who tell me that they don't have time for anything, they are so busy and they work 40-50 hours a week. I don't believe them, it is not possible to be efficient that long!

Lately I read this book, which totaly agrees with my point of view: The four hour week. Tim Feriss explains during 350 pages how you can change your life and get a descent salary while working only four hour a week. You can spend the rest of your time travelling, learning new things and enjoying life. Read this book! 

Life is too short to spend it at work being useless.

While reading this book, I found it hard to change my life directly. But I took three things, tried to apply it and it works:

1. Know that your time is very very very valuable 

We always say "Time is money". This has a part of truth. Your time has a great value, and it is yours. There are some tasks you don't like to perform like cleaning, make updates on your computer, which you sometime could outsource for 30-50 Euros. But you don't want because you think you can do it yourself for free. Maybe you could use this time to finally learn Spanish, make you first app like Rosa or just spend some quality time with you friend and family. 

So when you have a new task asks yourself "Is my time worth to perform this?”

2. The Pareto principle (p70 in the book)

"Pareto's Law can be summarized as follow: 80% of the outputs result from 20% of the inputs"

For example, when you write a report, in order to reach the quality 100% you need to spend 100% of time. However, you will spend 20% of your time to reach the quality 80%. Is this 20% value to the product more valuable than this 80% time? Please refer to point 1. Your time is valuable!

3. Stop reading your emails!

Tim Ferriss states that he needs to check his work email only once a week. When I started my job, I would have an alert popping on my desktop every time I got a new email. I suppressed it! Then I had only the small envelop on the task bar, but this also disturbed me. Now, I try to check my emails only once during the morning, before/after lunch and once during the afternoon. It is hard but worth it! 

No one expect you to reply to your emails in the next three minutes. If it is so urgent, they will call you! In that matter you are more focused on your task, if some people decide to make an email conversation then you can catch up easily and most of it YOU ARE MORE RELAXED!!!!!

TIP: Before leaving work in the evening, plan the first task that you will perform in the morning. When you arrive at work perform this task before opening your emails. This will give a better feeling to start the day and raise your effectiveness.

I hope this helps you! Do you also have some usefull tips for us to be more effective at work? Please share with us!!!!

Some questions about the BIO-food Obsession

Back in Bremen! I came back yesterday, and that means that my holiday is over :(, I found my apartment cold and dirty :( :( (how?!?! I wasn't there!), and my fridge was totally empty :( :( :( ...
So before starting to cry because I was back to normal life and before starting to clean up, I decided to go to the supermarket. This is not an easy task!

As a student, I would have gone to REWE (German supermarket) with my shopping trolley, I would have taken everything I need for a week, choosing the cheapest brands and offers, focusing on the very basics for a sufficient nutrition, and I would have paid around 30 euros.

Now things are different. A 30-40-minute task has become a half-a-day adventure. And a 30 euro contribution has become a 60-70 euro... joke?!?!?! I go to REWE in case I need some soap powder, toilet paper, tooth paste or anything I need urgently. Then I go to the bio-greengrocer to buy bio-fruit and bio-vegetables. After that I go to the bio-butcher and buy some bio-meat. Then I have to catch the tram or the bus and I go to the nearest bio-supermarket. In Bremen I usually go to Alnatura, in the Viertel. There I buy bio-milk, bio-rice, bio-pasta, bio-cereals, bio-bread, bio-quinoa (I didn't even know what that was!) bio-nuts, bio-yoguhrts, bio-fish... I guess you've already understood what happened, right? I've joined this universal and trendy BIO-obsession movement!

The fears of non-natural components ingestion, like preservatives and color additives, and the aversion to animal maltreatment have made that lots of people change their  alimentation habits. We don't only look at how many calories and fats the food has, but also how it has been made. I've read a lot of articles and talked to lots of people but I still have many questions about this topic (is there any doctor/nutritionist in the room?). I buy this kind of food because I find it often tastier and I'm concerned about my health, but does it really make a difference? I've been eating "normal" food during 25 years, getting perfect blood analyses results. Have the processes changed? Can this non-BIO food be harmful in a long-term? Can I develop some kind of allergy or intolerance if I don't eat some component during months/years and then eat it again (at a restaurant or at a non-BIO friend's place, for example). I'm not planning to get pregnant at the moment but, in case I get pregnant and I eat BIO during the 9 months, will my child be intolerant to non-BIO food or to preservatives and color additives?

Feel free to comment this post and share your knowledge or questions with us!!

My First App

As you could read in the post Apps for Android 101, I started an online Android Apps Programming 101 course. After struggling with the installation and practicing with Eclipse (not much during the Christmas time...) I managed to program my first application!! It is very simple, so you can imagine I took a really long Christmas break this year (still enjoying my holiday in Spain).

I used to have no idea of application programming and after 2 or 3 weeks I can copy images to an app, add text and scrolling functions, publish it and make it available for Android users. It would have been great to offer you an application with integral calculations, numerical iterations, GPS positioning and even a feature that makes your bed, but give me some more time, please!

If you feel like having a look, you can download it using the following link (only for the ones with Android Smartphones!!):

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/134054594/BlogRosaEmmaBlaBlaBla/FirstApp.apk

The ones who have never installed non-commercial apps like mine, you will have to modify the default settings on your phone: settings --> applications --> Unknown Sources (allow installation of non-market applications)

You don't have to be software engineers to program applications, you just have to be motivated and find some free time :)

My Travelling experience with Airbnb (Air Bed and Breakfast)

While studying, I would travel and stay in cheap hostels, shared dorms. I had some good and bad experience sharing rooms with strangers. I also splett on couches using the website couchsurfing. I met some amazing people, got some local flairs and main of all, it was free!

Now that I am earning my life, I want more comfort, privacy without losing the possibility to stay at a cheap place, meet some local people and get out of the tourist hubs. This year I discovered airbnb. The principle is easy, people like you and I rent a room or an apartment. All the transactions are made through the website. I pay before I go. The host get the money 24 hours after I came.

Until now I had two amazing experiences: in Berlin staying in 100m², three bedrooms, for 70 euros a night with my friends for a girly week-end; Istanbul, a nice studio in the trendy area for only 60 euros a night for a romantic escape with my boyfriend. The places are nice, bigger than a hotel, cheaper, well equipped usually with Internet, access to a kitchen. The host are there for you if you need and give you the best tips to go out. Therefore I would highly recommand it to you!

One room of the place in Berlin

View of the Studio in Istanbul

The company has been created in 2008 from three entrepreneurs in California as hotels where sold out in San Francisco during a conference. I invite you to watch the video from Joe Gebbia one of the founders telling about the beginning of Airbnb. In 2008 it had reached the million guests served, 4 million in 2012 and 9 million in 2013 since its creation. Are you going to join the adventure?

For more information about airbnb:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbnb

https://www.airbnb.fr/annual

http://vimeo.com/23275754