Hauptstadt Job Hunt: How To Find a Job in Berlin

There’s a broad perception that Berlin is all play and no work. However, anyone who’s been keeping an eye on the city will know that, in actual fact, it’s one of the most interesting places in the world to get a job right now. The international nature of the city means that you’ll make friends and meet people who could take your career to new heights down the line. All you have to do is work hard and be open to it. Regardless of your industry, all eyes are looking at the city to see what it’s cooking up right now. So, by finding a job in Berlin, you’ll be right at the heart of the action and poised to pounce on any opportunities that come your way.

So, how do you find a job in Berlin? Here are some steps to get you started.

1. Ask yourself some tough questions

First things first: decide on what kind of lifestyle you want to have. Next, think about what kind of work will facilitate that. Berlin is a deeply liveable city that allows a kind of flexibility that people working in other global capitals can only dream of. So, if you have your heart set on big change, now is the time to consider what that means for you.

Here are some questions to think about:

• What industry do you want to work in?
• Where do you want your next job to lead?
• What kind of people do you want to meet?
• Do you want to work full-time, part-time, or on a freelance basis?
• Are you moving to Berlin to follow a creative dream? What kind of work will facilitate that?
• Is a modern company culture important to you?
• How important is it for you to work near where you live?
• How important is a high salary to you?
• What are the most important aspects of any new job you take, and what are nice-to-haves?
• Are you looking for a job that will advance your career, or one that will pay the bills while you work on your own projects?
• Do you want to live in Berlin on a short-term basis, or would you like to stay for the foreseeable future?

Hopefully, these questions will help you narrow down what kind of work you need to find in Berlin. Onto part deux.

2. Do your research

Now you have a realistic idea about what kind of work you want, it’s time to figure out whether you can find it in Berlin or not. Is your industry available here? Are your skills in demand? Can you earn the kind of salary you expect? Luckily, we’ve done a lot of that research for you. Check out the other parts of this guide to get started.

3. Brush up your social profiles

If you’re a person who’s ever had a job, chances are you already have a LinkedIn profile. If you don’t, now is the time to set one up. This will help you to get a good overview of jobs in your industry, let you keep an eye on companies that interest you, and will also make it easier for recruiters to find you.

If you speak German, it’s also a good idea to have a profile on XING, a German-speaking equivalent to the more international LinkedIn.

And don’t forget about other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Facebook is full of “Jobs in Berlin” groups, and you can get lucky if you find the right ones. This is particularly true for freelance gigs. And Twitter is a great place to keep an eye on the latest job ads. Don’t put a huge amount of effort into trawling Twitter feeds for work, but do use it to follow companies you care about and great job sites to stay on top of all the latest offers.

4. Use only the best jobs sites

Full disclosure if you hadn’t already guessed: BerlinStartupJobs.com is a jobs site. I mean, it’s in the name, guys. So, if you’re looking to find a job in a Berlin startup, then this should really be your first port-of-call. Considering you’re here reading this, chances are it is. Good job!

Other job sites worth keeping an eye on are:

• Indeed
• StepStone
• XING
• Monster
• Gründerszene
• dasauge

5. Get out and meet people

One of the most powerful ways to find new jobs is to get out there and meet people. Attend events and meetups about topics that interest you, or less-specific events targeted at various ‘scenes’. If you’re in tech, attend a talk by someone you admire and chat to those around you afterwards. If you’re in the arts, go to an opening and introduce yourself to the person standing closest. You’ll be surprised how fruitful this can really be. Even if you don’t get a job from these interactions initially, a little facetime with like-minded people can have a massive, unexpected impact down the line. It’s also a good idea to see what’s happening at various co-working spaces, as they contain a wealth of brilliant people getting their projects off the ground. You never know what could be the right place, at the right time.

So, there you have some starting pointers on how to get a job in Berlin. The next articles break down the nitty-gritty, so for some deeper info, keep reading.