Relocating to Germany

Contract Negotiations

2010-01-25T21:27:00.002-05:00

For those of you that continue to check my blog, I am sorry for the delay in my next post. I am currently discussing my work contract with my employer. Hopefully, everything will work out and I will still be going over this Summer. However, for obvious reasons, I won't be discussing anything regarding my contract issues, and it may be pointless to continue to write a bunch of blogs about going over if I never actually make it over. So I will offer this so as not to leave you without anything of interest. I really enjoy reading the headlines in Germany from www.thelocal.de. It is an English language website for Germany's news. It has a variety of articles, so you don't have to just read about politics or the economy. I highly recommend it. Hopefully, at some point in the near future, I will continue to write new blog posts with good news to report. Please check back periodically and good luck if you too are trying to relocate to Germany.

Finding a Job on Military Bases

2009-12-03T21:12:00.014-05:00

When I first started considering my move to Germany, one option that I looked at was getting a job on one of the many US military bases spread throughout the country. These bases are concentrated most heavily in the South and Southwest (view map of US military installations), which corresponds with the American and French zones established at the end of World War II. I found an alternate means of employment for when I arrive in Germany, but we will still be looking for something for Nicki to do. She is a German citizen, so she will automatically have a work permit, but I'm not ruling out some of the US military bases.

Before I begin to talk more in depth about
eligibility and whatnot, I first must stress that I am not an expert. Like so many others, I'm doing this research on my own, and when you consider the complexity of dealing with US federal regulations, international agreements, and US military policy, I certainly won't rule out the possibility of me getting something wrong or mixed up. But on the whole, I think I have most of it figured out so here it goes.

There are basically three types of positions that would be of interest to people wanting to move to Germany or those who already have and are looking for a job. They are as follows:

-Apprpriated Fund Positions (AF)

-Non-Appropriated Fund Positions (NAF)

-Local National Positions (LN)

Appropriated Funds Positions:

As the name suggested, these are positions that the army has specifically appropriated the necessary funds for this position to be created on base. If the military took the time to make sure that the money was available, it goes without saying that these positions are going to be more important jobs i.e. medical, engineering, etc.

There are two ways to apply, which you can read about here. It will likely be easier if you can fit yourself into one of the employment eligibility categories that enable you to apply through the Resumix system. If you don't fit into any of those categories, you will need to apply through the Delegated Examining Unit.

Either way you go, you can NOT be what is called an "ordinary citizen", which is anyone who fits one of the following scenarios:

An American citizen who obtained a work permit and/or worked in the local job market in Germany prior to Jan. 1, 2005 who was not doing so under the NATO Status Of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

An American citizen who, after Jan. 1, 2005, requested and/or obtained a residence permit in Germany and was employed in the local job market or "engaged in a business activity."

Any American citizen who has lived in Germany for longer than one year who is not a member of the US military or the civilian component of NATO SOFA.

Non-Appropriated Fund Positions:

These are positions which are important to the function and welfare of the military bases, but whose funding comes from their own activities and/or sales and not from designated funds from the military i.e. restaurant workers, child care, etc. In general, there are fewer restrictions on who can apply for these positions, but the requirements may vary from base to base, even for the same position. The requirements will be stated in the job posting. These positions may be the best option for those looking to find jobs in Germany, especially if you just need something to hold you over until you can find a job in the German market.

Local National Positions:

Most of these are Non-Appropriated Fund positions as well. Duties vary greatly from security officers to human resource assistant. The restrictions on who can apply seem to be negligible and the money can be decent, if not spectacular. Although it seems these jobs are mostly meant for non-Americans as the name implies, I don't think that precludes an American from being hired for a LN position. The biggest problem is that with both LN and NAF jobs, you will be facing competition from those that actually live on base, such as military spouses and kids. They are given preference, so that may put you on the outside looking in.

You can look for job openings in each of these categories by visiting the job announcement board. This page also has most of the info that I have shared above.

Working on a military base my be a good short-term or long-term option. Some benefits might be easier employment eligibility than trying to get a work permit from the German government, access to a "Little America" with its familiar restaurants and fully stocked American grocery stores, and a break if you feel overwhelmed trying to make it in an unfamiliar society and job market. The downside is that you won't be fully immersed in German culture, at least not while you are working (but that could be good too). But the kicker is that you will be making your wages in dollars. If you are living off base, this can eat your wages really fast. If you make $10 per hour on base, your effective wage is only around 6.64 euros at current exchange rates.

Working on a military base in Germany has it pros and cons, but when push comes to shove, it is an opportunity that shouldn't be overlooked.

If I missed something or you would like to add something, leave a comment and everyone would be appreciative. Sorry for the length.

Soccer Meetup

2009-11-29T10:38:00.004-05:00

Later today, I'm heading out to join in a local pick-up game of soccer. I played organized soccer in youth YMCA leagues and for one year in middle school, but like so many other American kids, I began to gravitate more toward baseball, football, and to some extent, basketball. Soccer got left in the rear view mirror, but it came back to the forefront when I studied abroad in Germany.

As with most other things, it became decidedly more interesting when watching it with other people who were emotionally and/or financially invested in the outcome. Such was the case when one of my Norwegian friends asked me to tag along to a local Turkish gambling shop called Happy Bets to watch Norway take on Turkey. Needless to say, we were the only non-Turks in the place. Things started to heat up, my blood pressure included, when Norway scored the first two goals and I happened to be sitting next to the only guy in the whole neighborhood standing up and cheering. We were sitting in the back and, rather conveniently I might add, close to the door. Like it was in slow motion, a steady wave of bodies rotated backward in their seats to figure out who was actually enjoying the unfolding of what looked to be a Norway victory. In the end, Turkey evened the score in the last few minutes of the game, my friend lost his twenty euro bet, and I exchanged awkward smiles with people as we left and quickly came to the conclusion that a tie game was not a bad outcome at all.

Now back to my local pick up soccer match.

I started playing in the weekly match last

summer, partly to get in shape and because I found it to be a lot of fun. I have included this picture of my favorite German player Lukas Podolski because a picture of me playing soccer would be embarrassing in more ways than one. At first I was surprised to find, though maybe I shouldn't have been, that soccer attracts quite a diverse crowd of people, even for a pick-up game here in Raleigh. I met and briefly became friends with a German named Bjoern until he had to return to Leipzig after his exchange program ended last month. Last week, there were three more players from Germany, one from Bremen, one from Nuernberg, and the last from a smaller town near Constance.

This affords me a great opportunity to practice my language skills. I tried to casually introduce myself to each one of them, find out where they are from and how their time in the US is going. They all seem quite friendly, especially after I began to converse in German.

Another advantage that might benefit others more than me (since I already have a job that is moving me over) is the networking possibilities. Obviously, you shouldn't approach other people for the sole purpose of exploiting any possible connections they might have unless you are preparing for a career in Congress, but don't overlook this resource. As I mentioned before, you never know who you might meet and how they might be able to assist you down the road. After you get to know them a little bit, don't be afraid to tell them your plans about moving to Germany and ask them for some advise, especially if they are from a place that you are planning to relocate to or wouldn't mind moving to if your plans are more flexible. They might be able to offer you some words or wisdom, or in the best scenario, the name and contact info of a person in Germany that might be able to help you get affordable housing or employment.

I am hoping to improve my soccer skills enough so that I can join a local club league when I get there. Hopefully, this will help me make a few friends and integrate into the community a bit more quickly. Sports are an excellent way to build conversations, camaraderie, and eventually friendships.

I found my local soccer match by checking on meetup.com for groups in my area. You could also try going to local parks or fields on Saturdays and Sundays to see who might be kicking the ball around. At worst, you can get into shape, have some fun, meet some new friends and if the stars align for you, it could lead to some serious benefits for your relocation effort.

Moving With Pets

2009-11-25T13:06:00.009-05:00

Nicki and I have two dogs, a crazy, manic, yet lovable golden retriever named Dudley and a needy, attention craving mix-breed pup named Addie. To complete the zoo, our rabbit named Scuttles will also be making the journey over to Germany with us.

Importing animals into Germany can be a tricky process, depending on where you are coming from. In our case, moving them over from the United States is not quite so complicated. Nonetheless, there are several regulations, tests, and procedures that need to be followed to avoid a potential headache dealing with German customs officials.

Since neither of our dogs are among the list of "dangerous breeds" that are not permitted to be imported into Germany, we have met the first hurdle. Click here to see a list of breeds that are prohibited by federal German law and/or by some German states.

Next we need to get Dudley microchipped. This can be done by most vets I think. In Raleigh, the Wake County SPCA holds microchipping days occasionally where the price is dropped to $5, so I'm hoping to take advantage of that. Addie has already been microchipped since we adopted her from the SPCA and microchipping comes standard on the SPCA model adoptions. After the microchipping, they will both need an up-to-date rabies vaccination. It is important to note that the German Consulate website specifically says that the vaccination must come after the identity of the pet is established, i.e. they must have already been microchipped or tattooed, so do the microchipping first.

The vet will need to document that the vaccination has been done and is recorded on the animals record. This documentation needs to be done on the proper translated form provided on the consulate website above. Additionally, the consulate website states that even though there are more sections on the form, only sections I through IV need to be completed for dogs and cats (and ferrets) coming from the United States.

After that has been taken care of, we will need to send that form plus $35 (or at least that what it is here in NC. I would call your appropriate USDA office to find out specifics) to your state's USDA office. They will process the form and provide the final health certificate, which is only good for four months, so it is important not to get it done too far in advance (but make sure you give yourself enough time too).

According to the consulate website and the lady that I spoke to there, there are currently no laws regarding the importation of rabbits from the United States to Germany, except that no one is allowed to bring more than three per person. Being as how I have already laid down the law that this is our first and last rabbit, I know that will not be an obstacle. Thankfully, Scuttels can breath easy knowing there is no quaranteen for rabbits.

I will address airline regulations on pet transport in a later post as it closer to travel time. I hope this helps.

Language Practice

2009-11-16T16:59:00.003-05:00

Language is one of the key factors that make up cultures. Not only will it be important for me to become proficient in German for success at my job, but it will be a really important part of integrating myself into the local community. I'm trying to place a high priority on improving my German language skills before I make the move over.

I took four semesters of German in college, but I didn't make much progress until I studied abroad at the University of Mannheim. When you are living at a university with lots of other foreign students, it was my experience that English was the language of choice for everyday communication. That being said, my German would not have improved much at all had it not been for the opportunity I had to live with my wife's family (girlfriend at the time) for about two to three months while we were there. Her grandparents don't speak English so each day was a lesson in communication.

Being back here in Raleigh, it is impossible to reproduce that type of exposure and immersion, so I am doing the best that I can. Having the advantage of working for an international company, I have access to all three levels of Rosetta Stone's German language software. Overall, I think it is a pretty useful program. I find that I am a little more advanced that the software provides for when it comes to reading and oral comprehesion. The grammer is still a challenge though, even at the early level two stages. My only grip about it is that it doesn't provide explanations for why a certain grammar rule is used in a given context or why you got a certain thing wrong. It is completely based on trial-and-error. This is the way that we learn our first language I suppose, but it would be helpful to have some type of explanation.

I also have a deck of about 1,000 vocabulary flashcards. Each day, I take two flashcards (one verb, and one other word that I don't already know) and set them in a make-shift tray hanging from my computer monitor. I'm trying to stay disciplined about keeping up with them. I'm am also doing exercises in Astrid Henschel's German Verb Drills. These exercises are quite helpful at practicing using verbs.

However, there is no substitute for actually conversing in German. Working in a company where most of my coworkers are located across the pond, I have the chance to practice speaking, reading, writing, and listening everyday, but I must confess that I need to do a better job of switching communication to German. As I know from experience, this is a big problem when living in a country where many people speak your native language better than you speak their native language. It is a constant fight to force yourself to speak their language, even though you know your conversations would go much smoother if you were using English.

If you can relate or have any tips for practicing German, leave me a comment.

Reading Material

2009-11-13T10:23:00.010-05:00

As you can see, right now I'm in the very early stages of the relocation preparation process. I am trying to do as much research as possible. A lot of that involves reading on the Internet and getting involved on expat forums and blogs such as the ones on this uniquely entitled website, Expat Blog. I also checked out Expert Expatriate from the local library. Its the 2002 edition, but it still offers some valuable tips and has a nice checklist in the appendix of things to do sorted by time leading up to departure. I'm making my way through that one at a pretty nice pace, so I'm think about getting my hands on a copy of A Moveable Marriage by Robin Pascoe. From what I have read, relationships have a tendency to strain during the time abroad due to many of the factors involved with packing up everything and moving to a different country. It can be especially difficult on the trailing spouse. In my case, my wife is a dual American/German citizen. She lived in Germany until she was 9 years old and then moved to the US. We are planning on living close to her family. I believe that, coupled with her background, should make it a little easier on her than others who are moving over without any familiarity or family network, but I don't really want to take many chances on this. No doubt there will be difficult times when nerves get frayed and frustrations build up, but being prepared as much as possible for the emotional challenges, not just physical or logistical, will be of equal importance. If anyone has any tips, has read any of these books, or would recommend a different book or website, leave a comment.

Communicate

2009-11-05T13:30:00.002-05:00

First, sorry about the gap since my last post. I recently got married and have been working two jobs to pay for said wedding, which leaves little time for much else. The wedding planning is done and today is my last day at the second job, so hopefully from here forward there will be more frequent posts.

So, back to the relocation stuff. As I'm sure you are aware, one important part of the preparation for relocation is knowing when you are going to make the move. Thus far, all I know is that it will be sometime next year by August at the latest. On the other hand, I received some insight that it could be as soon as March or April, which puts me behind schedule already.

With our annual company meeting taking place in December, I will be flying over to our Germany office next month. I have already had a brief discussion with our HR manager, who works in Germany, over the move. I mentioned to her that I would like to finalize the month in which I will be coming over so that I can begin the serious preparations. We agreed to sit down and iron out some of the details while I am in the office.

It may seem obvious, but communication is a really important part of the relocation process. Packing up everything you own or at least everything you will be taking with you and moving overseas is a very exciting (and at times, probably stressful) thing, but remember...your boss is most likely not making the move too. They still have lots of work to do that doesn't involve you. This can lead to your needs being pushed to the back burner or even forgotten. Try not to pester, but be proactive in communicating with them.

This is especially important if you are hoping to move over to another office somewhere overseas but haven't let it be known yet. Too many people wait back and hope a position will open up and that their name will pop into the discussion to fill the need. Don't wait for the position to open. While being conscious not to be pushy or annoying, communicate with the appropriate people at work your desire to relocate overseas. That way, when a position does open up, your name WILL be in the discussion.

If you are not planning on moving over with your company, communication is still a huge part of the preparation process. Read articles, blogs, books; call friends and/or family in the country you are planning on moving to. Join forums and participate. Networking is critical. I will probably discuss this more in a different post, but I got my current job which is moving me to Germany by joining the German Club at my university. You never know how your connections may benefit you in the future. All in all, communication, both in the workplace and in your personal quest to relocate, is a critical piece to realizing your dream to move abroad.

Getting the Word Out

2009-09-16T23:35:00.002-04:00

My fiance has dual American/German citizenship. Her mother, who lives here in the US, is German. Her grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousin live in Germany in a small town not far from Mainz.

Having the contacts in Germany will be a huge asset. When I heard the news about the relocation, I gave them a call to share the good news. I knew they would be really excited to know that we will hopefully be neighbors within the next year. Not only that, but they will be a big help in getting things set up for our move. Hopefully, they can help with the apartment hunt and with getting through the government bureaucracy when we get there. No doubt having family in the area will ease the culture shock and help us to get more deeply integrated in the society.

I also have several friends spread out across Germany. Even though none of them live in the area where I hope to take up residence, they can offer plenty of advise. Plus, you can never discount the possibility that someone you know knows someone who knows someone who can help you out in some fashion. I'm sending out the email notices and getting the six degrees of separation working for me.

Starting from Scratch

2009-09-16T13:07:00.002-04:00

Ever since I studied in Germany in 2007, one of my highest priorities was to move across the pond, and settle down in the land I have missed so much since I left a little over two years ago. For almost a year and half, I've been looking for a way to realize that dream.

This past winter, I got a job working for a company here in Raleigh, NC that is headquartered right outside of Mannheim, Germany, where I studied. It is pretty nice job with an excellent cast of coworkers. Basically, since my first interview, I let it be known that I was very interested in relocating overseas and last week, I got the news I have been waiting for. Some time in the first half of next, I can move over to the Germany office and take up a full-time position there.

In my rush to begin planning the move for myself and my soon-to-be wife, I have noticed that there is a lot of information out there on moving to Germany and on relocating in general. Advise is plentiful, but for many such as myself, it may seem like a daunting task. Many people post questions on websites looking for advise about one thing or another related to moving to Germany, but it can be difficult tracking down good answers to all of the questions that inevitably come up. There is so much to plan, so much to do. And we are just talking about preparations, not to mention everything that will happen, the new adventures, hassles, problems, joys, disappointments, and encounters, upon arrival.

I did not create this blog because I feel that my story that will play out over the coming years is so adventurous or interesting that you will be enthralled, hanging on every word. In fact, my purpose is quite the opposite. I fully expect my experiences to be quite typical. There will be good days and bad days, problems and solutions. With that being said, I hope that by following the events that unfold as I move over to Deutschland, you will be able to gain some incite into the trials and tribulations of relocating abroad. I hope you can pick up some good tips from the things I do that work and avoid pitfalls by not repeating my mistakes. Of course, if you have any advice for me, I would be very grateful. Thanks for your audience and if you are planning on moving to Germany as well, good luck and I'll see you there.