How Because Berlin Helps People Move To Berlin And Find Work – The first time I heard about Because Berlin was at the beginning of the pandemic. I saw they were hosting an online town hall event to answer people’s questions and concerns about their visas, job opportunities, and more. As I was looking for a new job at the time, I signed up to gain more insight about how to shape my job search in light of the situation. As they were also answering the very questions I had at the time, the same ones my community had, I also attended so I could pass information along afterwards.
The session was informative and helpful! I could’t wait to tell others that Because Berlin existed and how they could help anyone thinking about relocating to Berlin to start a new career or even a new business. I was impressed the local government was offering this service this public service free of charge and in English! I liked the idea that people could go the source to get the latest news about things like employment prospects or advice on visa law changes, especially in light of events like the pandemic or Brexit. With a plethora of content out there, it’s sometimes confusing to know what’s accurate or up to date, and what’s better than speaking to the actual experts?
How Because Berlin Helps People Move To Berlin And Find Work
To that end, I reached out to Because Berlin for an interview so they could tell you more about themselves and the work that they do. Here’s what they had to say:
1) What’s your mission?
Because Berlin is the official one-stop source for everything you need to know about moving to and working in Berlin. We support those looking for advice on relocating, settling, and pursuing their careers in the German capital with an informative website because.berlin, and a team of experts. Our English-speaking advisors, the Welcome Team, offer free assistance to all professionals and entrepreneurs abroad who are interested in Berlin.
2) Who do you help?
Our mission is to help professionals and entrepreneurs move to Berlin from countries where they cannot work as freely as they would like. We particularly reach out to anyone who feels that they are not able to achieve their professional dreams and economic successes in their home countries due to prejudice, political or social stigma. Freedom to be successful at the professional and personal level is at the heart of this project.
3) How did you get started? What’s your story?
Karen Kargar, CEO and Founder of Rising, wrote the original concept for a Berlin Partner project then called “Wirtschaftsfreiheit Berlin” in 2018. Karen had been in contact with Berlin Partner since 2013, when she interviewed Burkhard Volbracht, Head of the Talent Unit, for a Masters Thesis called “Welcoming New Arrivals to Berlin, Changing Attitudes through Prospects of Economic Growth.” Being an expert in global mobility, labor market diversity, recruiting and international communications, Karen was able to turn the concept into reality, creating the website and building the Welcome Team services with her team.
During the course of this project, Karen founded the company Rising, a next-generation talent attraction agency for cities and companies. The Rising team continues to develop and manage the Because Berlin project, including the creation of videos and social media content.
4) What types of things can you help people with?
We offer free advice about relocation, employers, industries and networking so people can come here to do what makes them happy. We also share stories of international people who moved and successfully live and work in Berlin to show the diverse opportunities that Berlin offers skilled professionals and entrepreneurs.
We also are able to directly connect you with our team members who can give direct advice on setting up a business or obtaining a visa.
5) What types of things can’t you help with?
There are some things that Because Berlin cannot help with, including finding a job (as they are not a job placement agency), finding a flat, or getting a work permit at the German Consulate in your home country.
6) Why are you free? How are you different from other paying services out there?
Because Berlin is a public private project operated by Berlin Partner in cooperation with the Berlin Senate for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises.
Berlin Partner recognizes the importance of welcoming diverse talent from around the world in order to build a city that is socially and economically sustainable. Our work with Because Berlin has organically grown to making us a platform for diversity and inclusion, which is something Berlin Partner greatly supports, as cultural diversity is one of the city’s greatest strengths.
7) Why should people come to you?
There is no other service in Berlin purely dedicated to helping mobile professionals to move to Berlin. All in English. Also, we are an official service of the city and have direct access to city administration stakeholders, ranging from the BIS, to the Agentur für Arbeit and the IHK.
Due to the sensitivity of our work we guarantee data protection and confidentiality and handle all situations with care.
8) In which languages do you offer support?
We offer free support in English and German.
9) Tell us about some recent success stories of people you’ve helped.
We cannot share information about people we assisted as we keep all personal information confidential and guarantee data protection to all our inquiries. However, at the heart of our project is the wish to share the stories of people from all over the world and different walks of life who came to Berlin and made it their home. They have built successful and satisfying lives and add to Berlin’s wonderful cultural diversity. Watch our most recent interview with Deborah Choi, co-founder of Bosque and co-organizer of Tech in Colour.
10) How can people get in touch with you? Do you offer in person services?
All interested professionals or entrepreneurs can get in touch with us via email at [email protected] or through social media on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube. We do not offer in person services but in special cases we can organize individual zoom meetings.
So if you need advice on moving to Berlin to start a new life, get in touch with Because Berlin.
How The Berlin Life Can Help You
1) If you like this post, check out some of our free guides about working in Berlin:
- A Roundup Of Professional Career Coaches In Germany – Unsure how to navigate the German job market? Seeking to change careers or ask for a promotion? These career coaches in Germany can help.
- Are There English Speaking Jobs In Berlin? – Can you find English speaking jobs in Berlin? How important is to know German? We discuss the not so easy answer to this critical question.
- How To Write A German CV To Get Noticed By Employers – Get the lowdown on how to write a German CV. Know what to include and to leave out, as well as other success tips.
2) Get support from our growing community on Facebook – connect with other job seekers, be invited to career workshops, ask questions, be alerted to new job opportunities, and more.
3) Start building your professional network in Berlin on LinkedIn, by adding yourself to our connection list.
4) Browse detailed career guides, like our recent, Step-By-Step Guide To Crafting A Cover Letter To Help You Get Noticed By German Employers.
5) If you want some one on one coaching to develop a customized CV or cover letter, let’s do write one together. Book a session with me – Cheryl, founder of The Berlin Life.
