81–90 of 99 posts
Portland has a thriving tech scene with 4,782 open jobs [1] at the moment. Home prices are about a third of the median in SF/SV. [1] http://portlandtech.org/
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Always wanted to work in Berlin. How did you manage the language barrier? I know that most gigs use English as the first language but how about the daily life like doing groceries or calling the phone company for a bad bill?
> calling the phone company for a bad bill oh, here the knowledge of German doesn't matter - an individual consumer is a pariah with obligatory 2 years contract. One should certainly avoid English speaking landlords in Berlin though.
Would you care to elaborate on that?
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> calling the phone company for a bad bill oh, here the knowledge of German doesn't matter - an individual consumer is a pariah with obligatory 2 years contract. One should certainly avoid English speaking landlords in Berlin though.
> One should certainly avoid English speaking landlords in Berlin though. Would you care to elaborate on that?
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Always wanted to work in Berlin. How did you manage the language barrier? I know that most gigs use English as the first language but how about the daily life like doing groceries or calling the phone company for a bad bill?
I’ve just moved to Berlin (physically, but need to finish the small print). Groceries are basically not a problem, even if you don’t speak a single word of German and don’t want to rely on Google Translate on your phone: almost all of the products in packaging have pictures of the food on the outside, the tills show you the total at the same time the cashier tells you, most of the shops accept contactless payment (ev…
I don't quite get the phrasing "insist[s] on speaking German" - of course they are going to do that, German being the official language and only official language (unlike e.g. Switzerland with four, although unsurprisingly, English still doesn't make the list). Also, if they did allow another language, surely it would be Turkish, not English.
My advice would be to take a friend or colleague. Way easier than trying to do stuff with a translator, or misunderstanding something.
I'm a former Bay Area startupper (Marketing/Sales early stage and a bit of product, not an engineer) and did a stint in Berlin and am currently in Tallinn (Estonia). I think for quality of life Berlin can't be beat, it's a big city but you can choose the right neighborhood for a reasonable price and get any sort of vibe you want from small town to big city hipster (okay maybe there are a few neighborhoods with the la…
Ottawa is a great place to raise a family, coffee (specifically little victories, happy goat, and black squirrel) and food culture is fantastic, great city for outdoor activities such as biking, rowing, hiking, etc..., very dog friendly city, 2 hours away from Montreal, 4.5 from Toronto.
Not sure about tech salaries but I'm sure with your experience you can negotiate something similar.
If you're looking for a Bay Area vibe I'd say the glebe is as close as you can get.
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I’ve just moved to Berlin (physically, but need to finish the small print). Groceries are basically not a problem, even if you don’t speak a single word of German and don’t want to rely on Google Translate on your phone: almost all of the products in packaging have pictures of the food on the outside, the tills show you the total at the same time the cashier tells you, most of the shops accept contactless payment (ev…
> I’m not looking forward to that, because I’m told the people in charge of that really insists on speaking German, even in Berlin where about 20% the population is Ausländer. I don't quite get the phrasing "insist[s] on speaking German" - of course they are going to do that, German being the official language and only official language (unlike e.g. Switzerland with four, although unsurprisingly, English still doesn'…
> My advice would be to take a friend or colleague.
That’s the plan :)
SLC, Utah is pretty great, I almost don’t want to mention it because the tech jobs are great and the state provides a lot to do.. its like a hidden gem no one thinks about because they consider it Mormon land... There are a lot of companies opening offices out here though!
Every once in a while I will entertain solicitations from SV/Seattle recruiters for 2x+ the money and then realize I would be worse off financially than just staying in SLC.
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Always wanted to work in Berlin. How did you manage the language barrier? I know that most gigs use English as the first language but how about the daily life like doing groceries or calling the phone company for a bad bill?
You manage the barrier by learning the language. Sorry if it sounds harsh, but I've noticed something with English Speaking folks, they don't want to learn another language. They want people to speak English to them.
It's tough to find people willing to talk with an adult like they're a toddler.
So, I don't think the question is as flippant as you made it out to be. Someone might have some real advice about how to manage the juggling act of learning a new language and culture as a working adult.