21–30 of 69 posts
1. cost depends on your location - central is no longer cheap 2. there are a lot of startups but I'm not sure which one is developing in python try this map to find startups http://www.businesslocationcenter.de/de/B/iii/1/seite11.jsp there seems to be a django Berlin group http://groups.google.com/group/django-berlin
Great summary of cost of living and tech scene from maxklein. You can live very cheaply here, if you work at it. Some bars serve a half-litre of beer for 1€, some reasonable apartments can be got for 120€ a month if you can live with coal-fired heating.
The other tech company I know well is SoundCloud. They are great. They are mostly Ruby-based, but they're expanding the technology they use rapidly at the moment, so they might be flexible.
Good luck: Berlin is a fantastic place to live.
Somewhat related... As opposed to Berlin specifically, how should an American software engineer get a job in a different country? I'd like to experience different cultures and I'd like to move to another country (after finding a job) but I'm not sure how I should go about doing it. Initially, I think western Europe is the most ideal place since I do not know any other languages, some place where many people spoke Eng…
I'm an american, only speaking english, I've worked in Germany and work in the UK right now. Basically stick to the following areas: 1. Scandinavia/Nordic areas - Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland 2. UK - Obvious english speaking choice ;) 3. "Germanic" - Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland Countries like France, Spain, Italy, etc are very difficult for a non-native speaker. Getting a visa in the UK is quite di…
Most of my experience is web development related, and my language of choice is Python (although I've used Ruby, C#, Java, PHP, C++, C). Though being a web developer isn't necessarily what I'd look for (I wouldn't mind it), I hope to find a job that offers more challenging computer science problems than merely cutting-pasting libraries to create a simple CRUD interface. However, I know that it'll be difficult to find a job in a new country and a job that really pushes my CS knowledge and forces me to learn, so I don't plan on being overly picky.
From the responses thus far, I realize that for someone hoping to go to a new country, I'll need to learn about VISAs and work-permits.
Beyond information about where I should look to find a job (which is very helpful), do you have any additional insight into how I should find one?
Are there specific European-focused tech job-boards/search engines I should browse? Are there any things I should avoid when contacting European companies, that might be common in job-hunting within the USA?
I had the option of moving to Berlin or finding something else, and whilst I liked some aspects of Berlin, eventually decided not to move there. Of course, everyone is different but the relevant points to the question are: 1) whilst it is cheap - and rent is included in that statement - it is also big and low density. I felt that I wouldn't want to live away from the central, fashionable areas as the rest of the city…
Ramen-style about 600€/month (living with a roommate, prepare your own meals -> maybe it could be even lower if don't go out at all, don't buy new clothes, ride a bike instead of public transportation... ) Have your own space, go out sometimes, take cab once in a while... about 1.200€+/month (obviously open end). Add at least another 130€/month for health insurance. Unfortunately I don't know about any python gigs bu…
Why health insurance? Surely the OP is covered in the EU if they get an EHIC? Or does that not apply for a permanent move?
Somewhat related... As opposed to Berlin specifically, how should an American software engineer get a job in a different country? I'd like to experience different cultures and I'd like to move to another country (after finding a job) but I'm not sure how I should go about doing it. Initially, I think western Europe is the most ideal place since I do not know any other languages, some place where many people spoke Eng…
I'm an American who was originally sent to the UK to help open an office there. I later was hired by another company to come work in Oslo, where I am now. Scandinavia in general is very easy to find work (they have a strong need for educated people in IT areas - development, support, etc). Getting a job in the UK is certainly possible, but the paperwork is much more of a hassle (30-60 pages depending on the type of visa compared to 4 pages for Norway).
Pretty much everyone here speaks English, although depending on the company you may be strongly encouraged to learn the local language. The plus side of that, though, is that they will often pay for the classes.
Finding the job itself is going to be more difficult just because the job postings may be in the local language and on local sites, but you can use Google to translate them decently. For Norway, the best place to start is finn.no.
Ableton, the company I work for, are based in Berlin and are looking for Python devs: http://www.ableton.com/jobs It's a really nice place to work, and the pay is OK for Berlin. Great summary of cost of living and tech scene from maxklein. You can live very cheaply here, if you work at it. Some bars serve a half-litre of beer for 1€, some reasonable apartments can be got for 120€ a month if you can live with coal-fir…
I had the option of moving to Berlin or finding something else, and whilst I liked some aspects of Berlin, eventually decided not to move there. Of course, everyone is different but the relevant points to the question are: 1) whilst it is cheap - and rent is included in that statement - it is also big and low density. I felt that I wouldn't want to live away from the central, fashionable areas as the rest of the city…
Point (1) does not fit with my experience here at all. Kreuzberg is central, cheap and very lively.
Ableton, the company I work for, are based in Berlin and are looking for Python devs: http://www.ableton.com/jobs It's a really nice place to work, and the pay is OK for Berlin. Great summary of cost of living and tech scene from maxklein. You can live very cheaply here, if you work at it. Some bars serve a half-litre of beer for 1€, some reasonable apartments can be got for 120€ a month if you can live with coal-fir…
Although I am not qualified enough for such a position I am curious what requirements they have. I check your link and they ask for at least 2 years of experience. Is that "all" ?
As a CS drop out I can't even provide bachelor's degree. The point I am trying to make is: As far as I know here in Germany employees always ask for degrees. Am I way off?
Could I train myself the necessary skills and then work my way up and then some day I'd be qualified enough to work for a company like Ableton?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm an american, only speaking english, I've worked in Germany and work in the UK right now. Basically stick to the following areas: 1. Scandinavia/Nordic areas - Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland 2. UK - Obvious english speaking choice ;) 3. "Germanic" - Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland Countries like France, Spain, Italy, etc are very difficult for a non-native speaker. Getting a visa in the UK is quite di…
Thanks for the initial responses. Most of my experience is web development related, and my language of choice is Python (although I've used Ruby, C#, Java, PHP, C++, C). Though being a web developer isn't necessarily what I'd look for (I wouldn't mind it), I hope to find a job that offers more challenging computer science problems than merely cutting-pasting libraries to create a simple CRUD interface. However, I kno…
The advantage of the tier-1 visa is that it doesn't tie you to a particular employer, your free to work for whoever you want as long as your salary meets a minimum level. It also means you can apply to any tech company without having to worry about if they'd be willing to sponsor you, etc.
The financial sector in London is a huge employer of developers and if your looking for hardcore CS stuff might be a good place to look, and most banks are happy to sort out visa stuff on your behalf because they have whole teams dedicated to that stuff.
Most of the UK tech job boards are dominated by recruiters, so your best bet might just be finding some tech company you're interested in and looking at their homepage for job opportunities.
I'm currently in the process of launching a developer job board for the UK (http://www.coderstack.co.uk), but it's still very early days so I don't have very many job listings at the moment.