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MY GERMAN CAREER

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‘Landing a start-up job is about contacts’

In this week's My German Career, founder of Berlin's Startupbootcamp Alex Farcet explains why he moved to the German capital from Denmark and how to succeed in the city's start-up scene.

Published: 25 November 2013 08:27 CET
'Landing a start-up job is about contacts'
Founder of Startupbootcamp Alex Farcet explains how he made it in Berlin. Photo: Submitted

Where are you located and what do you do?

My family and I live in Prenzlauer Berg and my office space is near Checkpoint Charlie. I co-founded Startupbootcamp in Copenhagen in 2010 and we now have seven programs in five countries.  

Startupbootcamp is a tech start-up accelerator. We select ten start-ups from 400 applicants and work with them for 90 days through a mentorship program which concludes with an investor demo day.  

Each team gets €15,000 in micro-funding, six months of free office space and access to over 100 mentors most of whom are serial entrepreneurs.  Out of the 10 start-ups we select, eight or more are usually international, i.e. they relocate from all over the world to join the program.

What brought you to Germany and how long have you been here?

We moved middle of last year from Copenhagen to launch Startupbootcamp here. Berlin had become such of hub of entrepreneurship in Europe that we simply had to have a program here.

When it comes to start-ups there's a real talent migration happening right now. The city is international, young, creative and inexpensive which are all ingredients of a great start-up ecosystem and it seems every other person I meet moved here within the last 12 months and is working on some kind of start-up. 

How did you land your job and do you have tips for anyone seeking similar work?

I didn't have to land any job since I launched the company but I did have to raise money to run the program which was more challenging than I initially anticipated.  

The Berlin start-up ecosystem is booming but there is still not nearly as much venture capital as in London which is the real capital of venture in Europe.  

As for landing a job at a start-up, that's even more relationship-based than a regular corporate job. The best tip is simply to get out of the house and join one of the myriad events going on each week, from hackathons to Start-up Weekend, and show what you can do.

Is it important for you to be able to speak German in your position?

Not at all. Our program is entirely in English (we have over 15 nationalities at a time) and the start-up language is English by default. I'm fortunate that my Danish wife is fluent in German which has certainly helped with institutions and government issues but in general I've found that starting with a polite apology and a smile opens up people and I've not had too many run-ins with grumpy Berliners.

What are the best and worst parts about working in Germany?

We moved to Berlin for a very specific reason, the strength of the start-up ecosystem which would support a new Startupbootcamp program.  

Berlinhappens to be in Germany but, from a professional perspective, it's incredibly international and it sometimes feels like everyone who doesn't fit in the rest of Germany, moves here. In general I love the creativity, youth and energy of the city. From an infrastructure point of view it has a way to go to catch up to other European capitals but it will get there.

Do you plan on staying?

Not forever, since our children are clamouring to move back to Copenhagen to catch up with their friends. If it was up to me we would certainly stay a long time since it is such an amazing city both at and away from work, I love it here.

Would you like to feature in My German Career? Email [email protected]

READ MORE: Ten points in defence of Berlin's start-up scene

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Bavaria is no doubt a beautiful state with a strong economy, but can be a hard place for non-German speakers to integrate. The Local takes a look at job opportunities in Germany’s southeastern 'Free State.'

Published: 7 February 2024 10:54 CET
Updated: 10 February 2024 08:20 CET
Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions. 

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds. 

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local. 

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with. 

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