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When I started telling everyone I was moving to Berlin, I frequently came up against what could be called the Doom Face. Everyone was like "OMGZ wot u gunna do ther?!!!1!!". To put everyone's worries (apparently people who don't live in Berlin have them!) at bay, I came up with a stock answer to appease their Doom Faces. It was this, exactly: "I will get a job in an Irish Pub while I get fluent in German, then after a year get a Proper Job."
While it became clear to me after a few months that I was not going to be fluent in German within a year (well - there's still a month left, so "Drücken Sie die Daumen!"), I felt no need to re-evaluate my life plan. After all, they're not for Berliners anyway.
But I'm happy to report that - while part 1 of my stock answer seems sehr unlikely of being achieved - part 2 has actually come true ahead of schedule!
Yep, I have what can be termed a Proper Job. Not working in JJB Sports, Spar or a pub (as much as I enjoyed those jobs!), but a real grown up Proper Job. One you have to have a degree to do. One where I have to wear a shirt. Well actually, I don't have to, but I usually do - it makes me feel more grown up.
Although I'm still in my 6 week trial period where they can cancel my contract whenever they want, I am seeking plaudits while the going is good. The contract is also only a 1 year thing, but I'm hopeful that provided I don't balls anything up, and can get my German fluent within a year (what - another target?!), then my contract will be renewed next August.
On August 2nd I started work at a Marketingforschung (Marketing Research) company. I had previously done a couple of freelance gigs for the company, thnks to a connection I made through attending a Eurovision Fan meetup (see - mock away, unemployees of the world!). She, Anya, as well as cooking me dinner and plying me with wine when I got to Berlin, also set about looking for a job better than the Irish Pub for me. I tried to get a job at her daughter's international school, I had 2 enjoyable voluntary days there, but it soon became clear that they (due to some silly government rules) couldn't employ me, though they badly needed cover support. And because of this, they tried to make me volunteer a lot more "to see" if they could offer me a position. As I was struggling to make enough money to eat at the time, I politely declined. However, through the process of this, I had written a CV, and sent it to Anya. Upon seeing I actually had a degree and wasn't the total drunken waster that our previous meetings might have suggested, she arranged a mutually-beneficial short freelance gig at her company for me. This was then followed by another, larger, freelance gig. This gave me the money I needed to clear my debts and made me realise that I could survive in Berlin quite comfortably with the Irish Pub work combined with the odd freelance gig.
Life was good, and reassuring. Then the company pointed out that 6 or so of their workers were "Schwange" (Scouse = Preggo), they were a little understaffed. And so, would I like a permanent job?
Well, you don't have to ask me zweimals!
After an initial interview where my motivation was clouded to the interviewer because I was a little *ahem* tired, and then my trip to Oslo, things went a little quiet, and I congratulated myself on screwing up the best opportunity life had ever thrown at me. But then like a ferocious beast rising up out of the sea I received a sudden email, and things were back on track after a second interview, before which I restricted my extra-curricular activities.
While we mutually agreed that it would be good for me to go to German language school, I was told I could start in August, as my native English language skills were highly attractive (not just them… ;)) and there was plenty of work I could be doing.
So far I have helped myself to copious free bottles of water and Coke Zero, coffee and even gegged (I should learn the German word for that!) in on a few lunchtime meals kindly offered by co-workers, and become a "Lady Wot Lunches" with Belinda, zweimals so far! Also I am working on a Top Secret (not really) project for Mars, and in September I get to help out on a Beyonce project!
The majority of people here talk to me in German, and I'm pleased to say my comprehension levels are about 85%, even though my speaking and grammar abilities are far inferior. I did two weeks of intensive language school lessons before I began here, and once I'm settled in here I'll be undertaking evening classes twice a week. I've also started writing down any new German I come across, which helps! My favourite new phrase is "Die Gastgeberin mit dem gewissen Etwas" i.e. the hostess with the mostess!
The thing that amazes me is, although you have to have a lunch break by German law, it is almost always unpaid. So if I get to the office at 9am (they're really relaxed and 10 would never be considered late - I can arrive when I want and leave when I want, just have to make sure I do my full 40 hours a week) then to do my eight hours, plus my legally required lunch break, I cannot leave til 6pm.
I have had my first stressful morning, yesterday, when everything seemed to go wrong, but the afternoon and help of some helpful ladies meant the afternoon went much more smoothly and I got everything back on track.
The fact that there is a guy here from the Wirral helps too - even if he insists on telling me that I'll miss the place one day… I'm still not sure on that!
So, yeah, meet Dan, grown up with Proper Job in Foreign Land. I even have my own company laptop, with my name on it, a keycard to the office, and should be shortly receiving my own phone. And apparently the company sends us native Englishers to London for project stuff several times a year, so soon I could be back in the motherland a lot more often, at no added expense!
And I have started planning how I'm going to spend my first pay check too!
The list is as follows:
Natwest (pay back the non-interest-free part of my overdraft)
Rent
Monthly travel card
Iron
Ironing board
Mirror
Work clothes
Bag
But, don't worry I'm still wild party freak Dan at heart! I hope to have a blog about Epic Berlin Summer soon! ;)
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