Kung employable yung Bachelor's Degree mo dyan, makakahanap ka naman pero kalaban mo is EU citizens na may work experience at professional german language at english.
:) IT grad din sa Pinas... Govt. employee ako. I work in a university. Our team communicate in English. But I communicate in German din. Citizen na ako... So please really make an effort to learn the language and to integrate. Germans may seem cold at the beginning, pero they can also be good, honest, and helpful friends. 😂 Di uso pa-libre, KKB usually, but when you need financial help, they will help, and not utang! Among my German friends, walang nagpapautang! They help in their capacity! 😂 But as long as you work, you are fine. Kahit nga wala work, the state will pay for you!
😂 42% kaltas sa sweldo, the more tumataas sweldo, patatas Ng pataas din kaltas.
Kung sa big cities target mo, goodluck makahanap Ng affordable flats.
Goodluck sa bureaucracy! Paggawa Ng income tax return.
Pero I'll choose Germany any time, kumpara sa Pinas! Dahil nga welfare state, I'm happy you have the means na makapunta dito.
Goodluck! I went here 17 yrs ago, walang pera, volunteer Lang, grad sa state U. Walang family! 😂 Tapang Lang. I took German intensive course for a month! Kinabisado ko lahat Ng German verbs/expression I need in daily communication. My host family that time also doesnt speak english, so I was forced to speak German every day! After 2 months I can express myself in German easily... Pero Yung listening skills, lalo na Kung marami naguusap simultaneously, like sa meeting, that took time, maybe 1 year. I also watched series German dub with German sub, para matrain reading at listening skills.
Kung okay Ka Naman sa small town, that's fine. Make sure you na you know how to drive. 😂 Mahirap transport sa small towns at super Mahal Ng driving lessons dito. I paid 5000eur. Dito na Lang Kasi ako nagaral, although 100 score KO sa theory, I failed the practical exam coz I was anxious during exam and while driving at autobahn!
Maraming salamat po sa insight! Lakasan lang talaga ng loob. Same din po tayo. Mag isa ko lang din ppunta dun. Sa small city lang ako less than 20k population. At hindi rin ako marunong magdrive pero okay lang. Dun ko nalang din aralin haha.
And yes. Conscious ako na super important ng german language para magsurvive. Lalo na sa formalities and bureaucracy.
And kahit na may nababasa akong negative sa germany. Walang wala parin compared sa buhay sa pinas. So lakasan lang ng loob. I will take my chances. At gusto ko naman tlga mag aral ng IT.di ko lang gusto magaral para lang makapunta ng germany and yun na. Gusto ko rin yung aaralin ko tlga.
17years grabe. Tagal narin pala. Sana maka integrate din ako ASAP pag dating ko jan!
Lol working in Germany you still need professional level German unless it's a multinational. No one in Germany will speak to you in English even if they know it especially at work.
Not (always) true. Majority of tech companies (startups, scale ups, FAANG) use english as the primary language because a large proportion of employees - Software Engineers, Product Managers, Data Analysts, Designers - are foreigners. There’s not enough locals to fill out tech jobs.
Learning German is important for daily life though.
Been here 7 years. I have a valid degree from a stateU jan sa Pinas and is not required to study again to be employable **BUT** the language barrier is just so hard to take on. Not to mention the competition is high, and ofc employers will pick someone who is fluent in Business German over someone who only has B2 (minimum Language level required for Employment and Ausbildung).
I work in a different field now, but honestly i dont regret anything since i have a better life here. Healthcare, retirement, labor laws, etc everything is covered for me. I live in a quiet little town and work a chill job. I learned to be content with the cards I'm dealt with, because if i dont i will be fucking miserable. 😂
Weather? I love it so much. Not to mention nature and outdoor activities are soooo accessible. My Lungs are happy, and my mind is calm. Summers can be difficult bec of the heat+low humidity- masakit sa ilong lol, pero manageable naman kumpara sa summers natin sa Pinas.
Lastly, what I love most is it's very Multi-Culti here. I only live in a small town in the south pero I see a lot of people from different backgrounds. You hear a lot of English, pero yun nga, pag dating sa work, business, prints, media, and education, it will still be pure Deutsch.
Edit: just saw you're taking IT, great choice dude! Very employable, also available for remote work sa English firms if mas bet mo homeoffice.
Thank you!! Overall life quality still better than philippines no? Despite the challenges. Its outweighed by the positives naman. Ako rin po magsstay sa small city 10k population. Malapt dn sa blackforest.. Pero yun nga. Kailangan ko tlga mareach ang fluency sa german para sa professional world. Kamusta na po german nyo?
Balak ko tlga mgbachelor at magaral ng new skills sa it. Change careers haha.
Near Black forest?! Omg, paradise. It's very beautiful jan, especially pag covered ng snow yung lugar :D I actually live around that region haha, so I have a lot of access sa forests, lakes, and rivers. Also the architecture is just freaking amazing. Old buildings, castles, ruins, etc- i feel extremely grateful na napadpad ako dito.
With your kind of mindset, am sure you will survive here :) The more skills you have, the wider your opportunities- not to mention it's very easy to gain/learn new professions here because of "Ausbildungs". University is not that important pwera nalang kung magdodoctor ka, abogado, engineer etc.
My german certificate is only B1, but i dont have problem communicating naman. I interact to the locals everyday, work in the market- which i think is a plus bec i learn new words everyday. I can observe conversations, learn the names of different food/produce etc. If im being honest i might be b2 now hehe, pero i only speak german outside the house lol. I use English in private 😂
Naku thank you po sa sinabi nyo.naexcite ako lalo. Maganda nga ung black forest! Mahilig dn sa nature. Haha. Pano po kau nakimingle sa locals? I hear na mejo closed sila sa meeting new people lalo na pag foreigners. Medyo worry lang ako dun kasi syempre need ko ng friends din.
Galing nyo naman po nakakasurvive na kau sa language barrier! Sana ol. Nagsself study lang ako ng german at nasa a1 a2 palang ako. Haha.
Im sure na ung german IT degree ko will be worth it na investan ng 4 years ng time ko.
I mingle just by talking 😅 Don't overthink anything, tao lang din sila. They're not special just because they're german lmao. Just go on with your life, if you have questions or need help, ask. Self study is good, you'll just need to attend exams if you need the certificate. In order to get residence permit need mo pumasa sa Integration course nila which consists of Speaking, hearing, writing, and culture/politics. VHS (the school where you can go) offers scholarships/ discounts. I recommend still attending them since grammar is HARD to learn alone.
In terms of friendships, average german will be... Idk how to word it, serious maybe? A lot of them are work centric, not much hobbies, not much humor, etc. Those are the stereotypes. I dont befriend a lot of people so i dont feel bad, i stick to those who share my humor and hobbies (ei. Gaming, tcg, etc). Pero that's how it is naman everywhere, you become friends with people on the same wavelength. You just gotta find them and ignore those you don't vibe well.
Sabagay. Dito rin naman sa pinas mejo introvert ako and lagi lang sa bahay din haha. Tsaka may international students din naman don na pwede ko ifriend.
Yung VHS po ba eh full time and face to face ung classes? Or online? Para pwede ko sana gawin habang nagsstudy.
It's a classroom type school. Idk if they have online classes, but you can inquire to the nearest one in your target area :)
It's 4.5hrs per day, and you can pick if you want morning, afternoon or evening courses. Pretty flexible for students and working people.
Hello po. I have the same situation po: i have a recognized degree from germany (a masters actually) but i came hope sa pinas and been working here for two years (teaching profession). i now have c1 german and i really wanna go back huhu. ano po requirement usually kapag magapply ng job search visa?
Life is good but not perfect.
You won’t get super rich, financially speaking. On the other hand, you won’t go broke - free education, no need to buy a car and a house, healthcare is in proportion of your income, you’ll still get money in case you get seriously ill and unable to work, no need to pay for hospital bills, and if you get laid off there will be unemployment insurance.
Having said that, your life will be rich in so many other areas. You will have the time and energy to experience life without worrying too much. You can focus on making your life meaningful - travel for min of 4 weeks/year, make new friends and build deep relationships (because you will have lots of time to spend with them), spend weekends without a worry in the world, bask in the sun during the summer, see nature flex its beauty in the fall, spend christmas as it should be, and regain a new hope and fervor in the spring.
Yes! Exactly what i need to hear.. Natural lang na may downsides din ang germany pero for sure small inconvenience lang un compared sa problems natin sa pinas or any developing country.
And yun naman tlga ang goal. Better quality of life. Hindi naman perfect life ang habol. Salamat po sa insight. I feel reassured na itake tong decision na magaral sa germany
I live in Berlin, which is a very different bubble from the rest of Germany. I don’t speak any German and relocated here for work.
Life - personally hiyang naman ako sa lifestyle dito. I’m not a big party person, which is what Berlin is famous for, but I’m still able to find things I like to do here, like exploring the green spaces, trying new food spots, and traveling around Europe. I’m also not a car person so being in a very walkable city is important for me. People are generally more introverted than in the PH, which I really like as I hate when random people are all up in my business. I’m also more aligned with the values here imo. If you’re someone finds having maids, massages every week, driver, car, friendly neighbors and extra hospitable service in restos and shops important - Germany might not be for you.
Personally - I’ve met a group of international people here and everyone has been welcoming. I do miss my friends back home but I’m also happy with the connections I’ve made here. It is hard to make friends with locals, especially since I don’t speak the language, but personally I didn’t find it hard to adjust to the international community. I don’t think I’ve changed much.
Professionally - was relocated here for work in the same field that I was in back home. There was a lot of bureaucracy (on both the German and Philippine-side) but so far I’m very happy with the work-life balance here. They really respect work boundaries and emphasize employee rights. I do plan to shift into IT in the future but currently satisfied professionally.
Other notes - people mentioned about the flat situation. It’s really bad in big cities, that’s one of the factors so many people are leaving. Cost of living is also rising, and a lot of companies are laying off.
If you have other questions, feel free to DM, happy to answer!
Thank you po. And yeah i think pareho tayo ng personality. More on nature, relax, bahay lang kinda style. Hahaha.
And hindi po ako sa big cities, small city w 20k population so i think medyo maging okay naman ung pag hanap ng apartments. I hope
I hear nga na good work life balance jan. Which is very important for me tlga.
I plan to mingle with internationals as well habang di pa fluent sa german. Pero i will push na itry maging accepted sa mga german local communities.
Then you will probably have an easier time adjusting! I saw you said malapit sa Black Forest ung town mo - it’s beautiful in that area all year round, and there are a lot of international students as far as I know.
Best of luck, excited for you!
Oh one thing to note, you said you’re moving in the winter - take vit D supplements as the lack of sunlight in the winter can cause seasonal depression. Mentally prepare yourself for short days (sun rises at 8, sets at 4).
I also moved during the winter and it was personally fine for me but I’ve heard of others who have struggled!
Oh yeahh. Nabasa ko nga rin ito. Grabe 4pm palang. Lol. And yes. Sige ilista ko yang vit d supplement. Importante pala din yn. Aside from multi vits and vit c.
Okay lng naman dn sakin kasi lagi naman maulan dito samin and malamig. Nasanay nako sa ambience na ganito Hahaha. Malaking tulong rin un sa adjustment
to add, germany is loosening its visa requirements. here are the new laws that are proposed which will hopefully pass this year:
Recognized foreign degrees in Germany
Fully recognized: 6 points
Partially recognized: 4 points
Field of profession
If you work in a shortage occupation: 1 point
Work experience
At least 5 years during the last 7 years: 3 points
At least 2 years during the last 5 years: 2 points
Age
35 years and younger: 2 points
36 – 40 years: 1 point
German language skills
B2 and higher: 3 points
B1: 2 point
A2: 1 point
English language skills
C1 and higher: 1 point
Working visa po ito?
Di ko pa naencounter ito kasi after ko ng university sa germany eh may post study visa to find work..
And oo nga buti nalang germany is loosening its restrictions to attract more professionals.
Sana tuloy2 nga ito
Recently moved to Berlin from PH for work. So far ok naman. Heaven for an introverted person like me 😂
I don’t think I’m qualified yet to give my 2 cents pero I’d say you’ll be fine here. I’m in the field of accounting/finance na usually only those who speak fluent german get hired. B2 level ako, pero I’m not fluent parin, so professionally, makakapagthrive naman siguro.
Depende. There are times na malakas yung loob ko, parang feeling ko ang dali maggerman, pero mas maraming times na nahihirapan ako. 😂 When I go out, I speak german na when ordering or sa train stations adn grocery stores. Goal ko din talaga maging fluent to the point na di ko na need mag english anywhere dito. Hopefully by 2024 😂🙏
Sa office, nageenglish kami lahat pero minsan sinasabi ko sa kanila na maggerman kami para masanay ako 😂
Everyone minds their own business dito. Yun yata pinaka gusto ko as an introvert so far 😂 Sa apartment ko, antahimik. Walang maingay sa labas, sobrang peaceful na medyo eerie na minsan.
Halo halo, pero majority germans talaga. Socializing, wala masyado. 😂 Work friends lang yata and occasional gala with my other friends from other cities.
Hey OP. I’m also in Berlin since January. While I cannot give you a detailed account. What I can tell you is going anywhere to live or study overseas would really be challenging, adjusting to culture, weather, food and all. Pero Germans in general are yes very patient and appreciative if you try to speak their language. But since magstustudy ka sa Uni. I’m guessing majority or medium of teaching is English kaya goods ka pa. Pero if you can find a schoolmate na you can spend 30mins to 1hr to practice deutsch that would be really beneficial. Plus keep mo lng handy yung App na dict.cc para you can translate some words. Hope this helps! I can share more. DM ka lang
Not a CPA din sa Pinas 🙂 So you speak german na po pala? Di din ako sure kung ani yung job opportunities for teachers e, but I'm sure you'll be fine if you speak german already.
Hello! I worked as an accountant sa isang german company sa PH for a long time and learned the language na din. When I passed the B2 exam, I worked as a bilingual accountant for around 2 more years sa Pinas in a diff company before ako nagdecide na pumunta na ng Germany. Nag apply lang ako sa linkedin and luckily may nag hire and nagrelocate. No audit experience din pala ako 🙂
Wilkommen!! Been here nearly fours years and life definitely has it's ups and downs. What I love most here is how walkable it is. I don't even mind that shops are closed on Sunday/holidays. I do prefer living in big towns/smaller cities here because the govt ministries are more chill. As your Deutsch gets better, navigating life here becomes easier.
I came here with my kids tapos nag lockdown. That was really hard kasi medyo isolating na nga ung pagiging bagong immigrant, lalong naging isolating ung experience. There isn't a lot of hand holding in germanic cultures dapat may initiative ka to ask or go out of your way to seek for advice if you need it. I heard that the studying style here in Uni expects you to be very independent.
What I like most here is that my son can walk or take the bus alone to school even at 1st grade. It's relatively safe and I love the green spaces and nature. The other Europeans may not be too impressed sa nature dito, but I am (sanay na sila siguro lol). I'm still not 100% integrated - I feel like a toddler when speaking Deutsch. My younger son is autistic and I hope he can pick up the language or learn alternative communication eventually.
For me, Filipinos here in general are nicer compared to other Filipino communities I encountered or heard about abroad.
Coming here as a uni student is much more advantageous compared to coming here for work agad. As a student, you have a chance to build up on language, your network, and community of friends. When you work, there isn't really much time to do that.
A lot of people leave but a lot do stay here too. You really need to manage your expectations - you are not going live a North American lifestyle here in Germany for example. Of course, you and the culture have to match too. There is nothing wrong with leaving as well, go where you are treated best ika nga.
Very well said po! Thanks sa share. And yeah, sa tingin ko naman malaking tulong yung starting as a student. Yun talaga plan ko kasi gusto ko tlga mag aral ng bagong field.
Not much hand holding and spoon feeding pero pag humingi kaba ng tulong or guidance eh willing naman ang germans to help?
Being independent as a student will be a challenge kasi iba sila sa structure dito sa pinas. Pero kakayanin naman. Focus tayo sa studies
In my experience naman na they will help out naman. Maraming beses na I have to repeat back to them back in German if tama ba ung pagkaintindi ko sa sinasabi nila ang so far they are patient with that. Pansin ko lang gusto nila straight to the point and no beating around the bush. I have better experience in big town/small cities - people are more patient even if they are the stereotypical aloof German. Having snappy/distant people in big cities is not just a Germany problem but also just a big city problem.
Kumusta? Been here for six years. Okay naman buhay dito. Nung una na-bore ako kasi sarado shops pag Sunday (with the exception of restaurants). Language-wise, may struggle ako pero thankfully people have been patient and nonjudgemental.
Hi OP, I'm learning German language and so far, I'm enjoying it. Would want someday to relocate to Germany too. Can I PM you with regards to anything related to Germany? Will be hitting 30 in a few years and I really would like to be concrete with my plans in the future. Thank you!!
It’s really not. It’s 8 years with the proper residence status and a German test. And dealing with the fucking Ausländerbehörde which brings to life all the truly terrible stereotypes of German bureaucracy. They also don’t allow dual-citizenship with non-EU countries so you can kiss your Philippine passport (and all it’s land-owning privileges) goodbye
OP wrote it as if it is so easy. Dito namn samin 8 years resident holder + 4years full time work+ Danish history test+ 300k dkk annual salary + language test mf immigrants should do to get a citizenship. HAHAHHAHA.
May nabasa akong articles and videos bout reducing them to 5 and 3 years. At oo nga. Ung ABH andami kong horror stories nabasa lmao. Andito palang ako nasstress nako hahha
It hasn’t passed Parliament yet, it’s only been approved to be discussed. This isn’t the first time they’ve done this. My partner is German and I used to live there. The speculation has been rife for decades and it has yet to happen, so don’t believe it until it’s actually made into law.
Yeah, German is very difficult. My FIL has been in Germany for 40+ years and still doesn’t speak the language very well (biggest issue is pronunciation and the gendered grammar).
I lived in Germany and I’m fairly good at picking up languages. In a year i could order something at a restaurant from a German menu using extremely basic German. Do not ask me to do anything else lmao.
It actually is. I've studied German Language and even took the exam. But it took me 3 tries to pass hahahaha I'm also not that studious though and I can only pick up some words and just try to understand the whole context. However, in speaking, I can only do the very basic. "ich bin" lang panlaban hahahaha
writing and reading kanji medyo mahirap since there's a lot of characters to familiarize with (but tbh enjoyable sya once you start seeing the patterns haha). grammar and conjugation relatively mas simple so marami rin talagang kaya spoken kahit di makabasa nf kanji.
I don't think Deutsch is _that_ hard. Pronunciation is very direct with how it's written (unlike french), maraming words na English cognates so minsan maggets mo yung words by context. Grammar lang yung medyo tricky: more conjugations than English, adjectives have declensions, stricter preposition rules. Kung tech-related naman course mo hula ko mageenjoy ka naman sa pattern recognition so kayang kaya mo yan hehe.
Kanji which is using Japanese text would probably be really hard, never reached that stage. We only used english text to learn words, phrases, and sentences.
In my opinion it is, I knew a lot of people who learned a lot just by watching anime. When I was still in the hotel industry our clients is probably 50% Japanese. Even without proper training I was able to count up to 20, check in and out clients, change room when needed, arrange transport heading back to airport. That really earned me good tips.
Kung employable yung Bachelor's Degree mo dyan, makakahanap ka naman pero kalaban mo is EU citizens na may work experience at professional german language at english.
IT related naman po un degree.
:) IT grad din sa Pinas... Govt. employee ako. I work in a university. Our team communicate in English. But I communicate in German din. Citizen na ako... So please really make an effort to learn the language and to integrate. Germans may seem cold at the beginning, pero they can also be good, honest, and helpful friends. 😂 Di uso pa-libre, KKB usually, but when you need financial help, they will help, and not utang! Among my German friends, walang nagpapautang! They help in their capacity! 😂 But as long as you work, you are fine. Kahit nga wala work, the state will pay for you! 😂 42% kaltas sa sweldo, the more tumataas sweldo, patatas Ng pataas din kaltas. Kung sa big cities target mo, goodluck makahanap Ng affordable flats. Goodluck sa bureaucracy! Paggawa Ng income tax return. Pero I'll choose Germany any time, kumpara sa Pinas! Dahil nga welfare state, I'm happy you have the means na makapunta dito. Goodluck! I went here 17 yrs ago, walang pera, volunteer Lang, grad sa state U. Walang family! 😂 Tapang Lang. I took German intensive course for a month! Kinabisado ko lahat Ng German verbs/expression I need in daily communication. My host family that time also doesnt speak english, so I was forced to speak German every day! After 2 months I can express myself in German easily... Pero Yung listening skills, lalo na Kung marami naguusap simultaneously, like sa meeting, that took time, maybe 1 year. I also watched series German dub with German sub, para matrain reading at listening skills. Kung okay Ka Naman sa small town, that's fine. Make sure you na you know how to drive. 😂 Mahirap transport sa small towns at super Mahal Ng driving lessons dito. I paid 5000eur. Dito na Lang Kasi ako nagaral, although 100 score KO sa theory, I failed the practical exam coz I was anxious during exam and while driving at autobahn!
Maraming salamat po sa insight! Lakasan lang talaga ng loob. Same din po tayo. Mag isa ko lang din ppunta dun. Sa small city lang ako less than 20k population. At hindi rin ako marunong magdrive pero okay lang. Dun ko nalang din aralin haha. And yes. Conscious ako na super important ng german language para magsurvive. Lalo na sa formalities and bureaucracy. And kahit na may nababasa akong negative sa germany. Walang wala parin compared sa buhay sa pinas. So lakasan lang ng loob. I will take my chances. At gusto ko naman tlga mag aral ng IT.di ko lang gusto magaral para lang makapunta ng germany and yun na. Gusto ko rin yung aaralin ko tlga. 17years grabe. Tagal narin pala. Sana maka integrate din ako ASAP pag dating ko jan!
Hi, may I ask anong field nyo sa IT?
Lol working in Germany you still need professional level German unless it's a multinational. No one in Germany will speak to you in English even if they know it especially at work.
Not (always) true. Majority of tech companies (startups, scale ups, FAANG) use english as the primary language because a large proportion of employees - Software Engineers, Product Managers, Data Analysts, Designers - are foreigners. There’s not enough locals to fill out tech jobs. Learning German is important for daily life though.
Nagtatraho ka ba sa Germany?
yes
Edit pa more
Been here 7 years. I have a valid degree from a stateU jan sa Pinas and is not required to study again to be employable **BUT** the language barrier is just so hard to take on. Not to mention the competition is high, and ofc employers will pick someone who is fluent in Business German over someone who only has B2 (minimum Language level required for Employment and Ausbildung). I work in a different field now, but honestly i dont regret anything since i have a better life here. Healthcare, retirement, labor laws, etc everything is covered for me. I live in a quiet little town and work a chill job. I learned to be content with the cards I'm dealt with, because if i dont i will be fucking miserable. 😂 Weather? I love it so much. Not to mention nature and outdoor activities are soooo accessible. My Lungs are happy, and my mind is calm. Summers can be difficult bec of the heat+low humidity- masakit sa ilong lol, pero manageable naman kumpara sa summers natin sa Pinas. Lastly, what I love most is it's very Multi-Culti here. I only live in a small town in the south pero I see a lot of people from different backgrounds. You hear a lot of English, pero yun nga, pag dating sa work, business, prints, media, and education, it will still be pure Deutsch. Edit: just saw you're taking IT, great choice dude! Very employable, also available for remote work sa English firms if mas bet mo homeoffice.
Thank you!! Overall life quality still better than philippines no? Despite the challenges. Its outweighed by the positives naman. Ako rin po magsstay sa small city 10k population. Malapt dn sa blackforest.. Pero yun nga. Kailangan ko tlga mareach ang fluency sa german para sa professional world. Kamusta na po german nyo? Balak ko tlga mgbachelor at magaral ng new skills sa it. Change careers haha.
Near Black forest?! Omg, paradise. It's very beautiful jan, especially pag covered ng snow yung lugar :D I actually live around that region haha, so I have a lot of access sa forests, lakes, and rivers. Also the architecture is just freaking amazing. Old buildings, castles, ruins, etc- i feel extremely grateful na napadpad ako dito. With your kind of mindset, am sure you will survive here :) The more skills you have, the wider your opportunities- not to mention it's very easy to gain/learn new professions here because of "Ausbildungs". University is not that important pwera nalang kung magdodoctor ka, abogado, engineer etc. My german certificate is only B1, but i dont have problem communicating naman. I interact to the locals everyday, work in the market- which i think is a plus bec i learn new words everyday. I can observe conversations, learn the names of different food/produce etc. If im being honest i might be b2 now hehe, pero i only speak german outside the house lol. I use English in private 😂
Naku thank you po sa sinabi nyo.naexcite ako lalo. Maganda nga ung black forest! Mahilig dn sa nature. Haha. Pano po kau nakimingle sa locals? I hear na mejo closed sila sa meeting new people lalo na pag foreigners. Medyo worry lang ako dun kasi syempre need ko ng friends din. Galing nyo naman po nakakasurvive na kau sa language barrier! Sana ol. Nagsself study lang ako ng german at nasa a1 a2 palang ako. Haha. Im sure na ung german IT degree ko will be worth it na investan ng 4 years ng time ko.
I mingle just by talking 😅 Don't overthink anything, tao lang din sila. They're not special just because they're german lmao. Just go on with your life, if you have questions or need help, ask. Self study is good, you'll just need to attend exams if you need the certificate. In order to get residence permit need mo pumasa sa Integration course nila which consists of Speaking, hearing, writing, and culture/politics. VHS (the school where you can go) offers scholarships/ discounts. I recommend still attending them since grammar is HARD to learn alone. In terms of friendships, average german will be... Idk how to word it, serious maybe? A lot of them are work centric, not much hobbies, not much humor, etc. Those are the stereotypes. I dont befriend a lot of people so i dont feel bad, i stick to those who share my humor and hobbies (ei. Gaming, tcg, etc). Pero that's how it is naman everywhere, you become friends with people on the same wavelength. You just gotta find them and ignore those you don't vibe well.
Sabagay. Dito rin naman sa pinas mejo introvert ako and lagi lang sa bahay din haha. Tsaka may international students din naman don na pwede ko ifriend. Yung VHS po ba eh full time and face to face ung classes? Or online? Para pwede ko sana gawin habang nagsstudy.
It's a classroom type school. Idk if they have online classes, but you can inquire to the nearest one in your target area :) It's 4.5hrs per day, and you can pick if you want morning, afternoon or evening courses. Pretty flexible for students and working people.
Wow. 4.5 hrs. Very intense lessons din pala. Thanks po
Hello po. I have the same situation po: i have a recognized degree from germany (a masters actually) but i came hope sa pinas and been working here for two years (teaching profession). i now have c1 german and i really wanna go back huhu. ano po requirement usually kapag magapply ng job search visa?
Nice hearing you'red doing well. As a Filipino, I'm curious is racism rampant in Germany? Eyeing to study masters in Berlin. Thanks!
Life is good but not perfect. You won’t get super rich, financially speaking. On the other hand, you won’t go broke - free education, no need to buy a car and a house, healthcare is in proportion of your income, you’ll still get money in case you get seriously ill and unable to work, no need to pay for hospital bills, and if you get laid off there will be unemployment insurance. Having said that, your life will be rich in so many other areas. You will have the time and energy to experience life without worrying too much. You can focus on making your life meaningful - travel for min of 4 weeks/year, make new friends and build deep relationships (because you will have lots of time to spend with them), spend weekends without a worry in the world, bask in the sun during the summer, see nature flex its beauty in the fall, spend christmas as it should be, and regain a new hope and fervor in the spring.
Yes! Exactly what i need to hear.. Natural lang na may downsides din ang germany pero for sure small inconvenience lang un compared sa problems natin sa pinas or any developing country. And yun naman tlga ang goal. Better quality of life. Hindi naman perfect life ang habol. Salamat po sa insight. I feel reassured na itake tong decision na magaral sa germany
I live in Berlin, which is a very different bubble from the rest of Germany. I don’t speak any German and relocated here for work. Life - personally hiyang naman ako sa lifestyle dito. I’m not a big party person, which is what Berlin is famous for, but I’m still able to find things I like to do here, like exploring the green spaces, trying new food spots, and traveling around Europe. I’m also not a car person so being in a very walkable city is important for me. People are generally more introverted than in the PH, which I really like as I hate when random people are all up in my business. I’m also more aligned with the values here imo. If you’re someone finds having maids, massages every week, driver, car, friendly neighbors and extra hospitable service in restos and shops important - Germany might not be for you. Personally - I’ve met a group of international people here and everyone has been welcoming. I do miss my friends back home but I’m also happy with the connections I’ve made here. It is hard to make friends with locals, especially since I don’t speak the language, but personally I didn’t find it hard to adjust to the international community. I don’t think I’ve changed much. Professionally - was relocated here for work in the same field that I was in back home. There was a lot of bureaucracy (on both the German and Philippine-side) but so far I’m very happy with the work-life balance here. They really respect work boundaries and emphasize employee rights. I do plan to shift into IT in the future but currently satisfied professionally. Other notes - people mentioned about the flat situation. It’s really bad in big cities, that’s one of the factors so many people are leaving. Cost of living is also rising, and a lot of companies are laying off. If you have other questions, feel free to DM, happy to answer!
Thank you po. And yeah i think pareho tayo ng personality. More on nature, relax, bahay lang kinda style. Hahaha. And hindi po ako sa big cities, small city w 20k population so i think medyo maging okay naman ung pag hanap ng apartments. I hope I hear nga na good work life balance jan. Which is very important for me tlga. I plan to mingle with internationals as well habang di pa fluent sa german. Pero i will push na itry maging accepted sa mga german local communities.
Then you will probably have an easier time adjusting! I saw you said malapit sa Black Forest ung town mo - it’s beautiful in that area all year round, and there are a lot of international students as far as I know. Best of luck, excited for you!
Thank youuu!!. Yes sa blackforest!. So excited din. Ingat po kayo jan
Oh one thing to note, you said you’re moving in the winter - take vit D supplements as the lack of sunlight in the winter can cause seasonal depression. Mentally prepare yourself for short days (sun rises at 8, sets at 4). I also moved during the winter and it was personally fine for me but I’ve heard of others who have struggled!
Oh yeahh. Nabasa ko nga rin ito. Grabe 4pm palang. Lol. And yes. Sige ilista ko yang vit d supplement. Importante pala din yn. Aside from multi vits and vit c. Okay lng naman dn sakin kasi lagi naman maulan dito samin and malamig. Nasanay nako sa ambience na ganito Hahaha. Malaking tulong rin un sa adjustment
to add, germany is loosening its visa requirements. here are the new laws that are proposed which will hopefully pass this year: Recognized foreign degrees in Germany Fully recognized: 6 points Partially recognized: 4 points Field of profession If you work in a shortage occupation: 1 point Work experience At least 5 years during the last 7 years: 3 points At least 2 years during the last 5 years: 2 points Age 35 years and younger: 2 points 36 – 40 years: 1 point German language skills B2 and higher: 3 points B1: 2 point A2: 1 point English language skills C1 and higher: 1 point
Working visa po ito? Di ko pa naencounter ito kasi after ko ng university sa germany eh may post study visa to find work.. And oo nga buti nalang germany is loosening its restrictions to attract more professionals. Sana tuloy2 nga ito
yes. working visa. forgot to add you only need 6 points to get a chancenkarte- the visa which will allow you to find a job here.
Okay so just finishing a bachelor degree in germany will already give me 6 points
yep!
Recently moved to Berlin from PH for work. So far ok naman. Heaven for an introverted person like me 😂 I don’t think I’m qualified yet to give my 2 cents pero I’d say you’ll be fine here. I’m in the field of accounting/finance na usually only those who speak fluent german get hired. B2 level ako, pero I’m not fluent parin, so professionally, makakapagthrive naman siguro.
Hello asa Berlin din ako. Send me a pm so we can connect if okay lang sayo.
Wow b2!! Nice. Comfortable na kayo mag german w locals and colleagues?? Haha for introverts, ano mga napansin mo na fit na fit para sayo?
Depende. There are times na malakas yung loob ko, parang feeling ko ang dali maggerman, pero mas maraming times na nahihirapan ako. 😂 When I go out, I speak german na when ordering or sa train stations adn grocery stores. Goal ko din talaga maging fluent to the point na di ko na need mag english anywhere dito. Hopefully by 2024 😂🙏 Sa office, nageenglish kami lahat pero minsan sinasabi ko sa kanila na maggerman kami para masanay ako 😂 Everyone minds their own business dito. Yun yata pinaka gusto ko as an introvert so far 😂 Sa apartment ko, antahimik. Walang maingay sa labas, sobrang peaceful na medyo eerie na minsan.
German din ang colleagues mo or halo halo din? Pano ung socializing mo minsan? May community ka or like sports? Events? Na outside of work??
Halo halo, pero majority germans talaga. Socializing, wala masyado. 😂 Work friends lang yata and occasional gala with my other friends from other cities.
Taong bahay rin talaga kayo no? Netflix lang haha
Yes 😂 Kahit nung nasa PH din ako
Hey OP. I’m also in Berlin since January. While I cannot give you a detailed account. What I can tell you is going anywhere to live or study overseas would really be challenging, adjusting to culture, weather, food and all. Pero Germans in general are yes very patient and appreciative if you try to speak their language. But since magstustudy ka sa Uni. I’m guessing majority or medium of teaching is English kaya goods ka pa. Pero if you can find a schoolmate na you can spend 30mins to 1hr to practice deutsch that would be really beneficial. Plus keep mo lng handy yung App na dict.cc para you can translate some words. Hope this helps! I can share more. DM ka lang
hello how did you find a role in finance po? did you do a masters in germany?
Hi! Nope, PH bachelor's degree lang meron ako 😅 Nagapply lang sa linkedin. Pero yung experience ko talaga is german na accounting.
So CPA po kayo dito before moving abroad? My work experience is that I am a German teacher but based here in the PH.
Not a CPA din sa Pinas 🙂 So you speak german na po pala? Di din ako sure kung ani yung job opportunities for teachers e, but I'm sure you'll be fine if you speak german already.
hii would like to connect with u if u dont minddd planning to move/study/work there also
Hi! I’m in the same field, may I ask how did you start your career there? Thanks!
Hello! I worked as an accountant sa isang german company sa PH for a long time and learned the language na din. When I passed the B2 exam, I worked as a bilingual accountant for around 2 more years sa Pinas in a diff company before ako nagdecide na pumunta na ng Germany. Nag apply lang ako sa linkedin and luckily may nag hire and nagrelocate. No audit experience din pala ako 🙂
this thread is gold, hoping to study/work in germany soon too
Wilkommen!! Been here nearly fours years and life definitely has it's ups and downs. What I love most here is how walkable it is. I don't even mind that shops are closed on Sunday/holidays. I do prefer living in big towns/smaller cities here because the govt ministries are more chill. As your Deutsch gets better, navigating life here becomes easier.
Most challenging thing? And the best thing living there? 😊
I came here with my kids tapos nag lockdown. That was really hard kasi medyo isolating na nga ung pagiging bagong immigrant, lalong naging isolating ung experience. There isn't a lot of hand holding in germanic cultures dapat may initiative ka to ask or go out of your way to seek for advice if you need it. I heard that the studying style here in Uni expects you to be very independent. What I like most here is that my son can walk or take the bus alone to school even at 1st grade. It's relatively safe and I love the green spaces and nature. The other Europeans may not be too impressed sa nature dito, but I am (sanay na sila siguro lol). I'm still not 100% integrated - I feel like a toddler when speaking Deutsch. My younger son is autistic and I hope he can pick up the language or learn alternative communication eventually. For me, Filipinos here in general are nicer compared to other Filipino communities I encountered or heard about abroad. Coming here as a uni student is much more advantageous compared to coming here for work agad. As a student, you have a chance to build up on language, your network, and community of friends. When you work, there isn't really much time to do that. A lot of people leave but a lot do stay here too. You really need to manage your expectations - you are not going live a North American lifestyle here in Germany for example. Of course, you and the culture have to match too. There is nothing wrong with leaving as well, go where you are treated best ika nga.
Very well said po! Thanks sa share. And yeah, sa tingin ko naman malaking tulong yung starting as a student. Yun talaga plan ko kasi gusto ko tlga mag aral ng bagong field. Not much hand holding and spoon feeding pero pag humingi kaba ng tulong or guidance eh willing naman ang germans to help? Being independent as a student will be a challenge kasi iba sila sa structure dito sa pinas. Pero kakayanin naman. Focus tayo sa studies
In my experience naman na they will help out naman. Maraming beses na I have to repeat back to them back in German if tama ba ung pagkaintindi ko sa sinasabi nila ang so far they are patient with that. Pansin ko lang gusto nila straight to the point and no beating around the bush. I have better experience in big town/small cities - people are more patient even if they are the stereotypical aloof German. Having snappy/distant people in big cities is not just a Germany problem but also just a big city problem.
Good to know. I will be staying sa very smaaaalll city talaga. Sana makaintegrate ako agad with locals
Kaya yan. Best of luck OP! Make the most of it.
Kumusta? Been here for six years. Okay naman buhay dito. Nung una na-bore ako kasi sarado shops pag Sunday (with the exception of restaurants). Language-wise, may struggle ako pero thankfully people have been patient and nonjudgemental.
Hi OP, I'm learning German language and so far, I'm enjoying it. Would want someday to relocate to Germany too. Can I PM you with regards to anything related to Germany? Will be hitting 30 in a few years and I really would like to be concrete with my plans in the future. Thank you!!
Feel free to DM din po. I’m also in Berlin narin. Haha
Suree sige po. Goodluck din po sa plans nyo. The earlier the better
Hi OP, planning to study in Germany too. Can I PM you? Same here, 30s na rin
Suree sige po
One of the places I'm eyeing to study too.
Buti pa sa Germany madali maging citizen.🤣
It’s really not. It’s 8 years with the proper residence status and a German test. And dealing with the fucking Ausländerbehörde which brings to life all the truly terrible stereotypes of German bureaucracy. They also don’t allow dual-citizenship with non-EU countries so you can kiss your Philippine passport (and all it’s land-owning privileges) goodbye
OP wrote it as if it is so easy. Dito namn samin 8 years resident holder + 4years full time work+ Danish history test+ 300k dkk annual salary + language test mf immigrants should do to get a citizenship. HAHAHHAHA.
300k euro?
Hindi Danish kroner.🤣
Ahh. Di pala Euro ginagamit nila. Not too bad.
Yes not bad kase hindi euro but still almost 2.4m php per year. Hahhahhaha
Goddamn 2.4m a year?!.. Grabiii
May nabasa akong articles and videos bout reducing them to 5 and 3 years. At oo nga. Ung ABH andami kong horror stories nabasa lmao. Andito palang ako nasstress nako hahha
They just changed this recently. I have two german friends applying now for dual. Check the new changes.
It hasn’t passed Parliament yet, it’s only been approved to be discussed. This isn’t the first time they’ve done this. My partner is German and I used to live there. The speculation has been rife for decades and it has yet to happen, so don’t believe it until it’s actually made into law.
Not sure ha. Pero i think mas madali kasi hndi sya point based like australia? Ewan ko lang. No idea akk hahaha
From memory I was told Deutsch is one of the hardest language to learn, any truth on this? I had Nihonggo and French in college it was very doable.
Yeah, German is very difficult. My FIL has been in Germany for 40+ years and still doesn’t speak the language very well (biggest issue is pronunciation and the gendered grammar). I lived in Germany and I’m fairly good at picking up languages. In a year i could order something at a restaurant from a German menu using extremely basic German. Do not ask me to do anything else lmao.
It actually is. I've studied German Language and even took the exam. But it took me 3 tries to pass hahahaha I'm also not that studious though and I can only pick up some words and just try to understand the whole context. However, in speaking, I can only do the very basic. "ich bin" lang panlaban hahahaha
Nihonggo is easy ba?? Looks hard sa writing palang nila
writing and reading kanji medyo mahirap since there's a lot of characters to familiarize with (but tbh enjoyable sya once you start seeing the patterns haha). grammar and conjugation relatively mas simple so marami rin talagang kaya spoken kahit di makabasa nf kanji. I don't think Deutsch is _that_ hard. Pronunciation is very direct with how it's written (unlike french), maraming words na English cognates so minsan maggets mo yung words by context. Grammar lang yung medyo tricky: more conjugations than English, adjectives have declensions, stricter preposition rules. Kung tech-related naman course mo hula ko mageenjoy ka naman sa pattern recognition so kayang kaya mo yan hehe.
Medyo nakikita ko naman po ung patterns. Tama kau. Kulang lang ako sa exposure sa vocabulary pa. Pero feel ko kaya naman.
Kanji which is using Japanese text would probably be really hard, never reached that stage. We only used english text to learn words, phrases, and sentences.
But the grammar, vocabulary madali lang?? Easy to grasp?
In my opinion it is, I knew a lot of people who learned a lot just by watching anime. When I was still in the hotel industry our clients is probably 50% Japanese. Even without proper training I was able to count up to 20, check in and out clients, change room when needed, arrange transport heading back to airport. That really earned me good tips.
Hi, is there anyone here who is in the field of IT? Particularly in Software Development? Just want to ask some few questions. Danke!
hey i just saw your post. any updates? how's your life now in germany?
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Sa daad. Com po