This post is addressed at everyone out-there wanting to move to Berlin after a sweet sweet dreamy stay. I have got a message for you : you have been bewitched, and the Berlin you have seen is enchanted. The curse is called : Post-tourism.
Post tourism you said ?
Contrary to the classical definition, i mean the following : The post-tourist is the person that settles in Berlin (or wants to) after spending some time here while not having residency in the city. The city has made such an impression on him/her that every effort will be made to try to extend this experience as much as possible.
This is where danger lies :
We all know it : Berlin is a easy going city with a laid back lifestyle. Quality of life is superb, it’s affordable, and interesting people from all around the world are flowing in. All those conditions make the city really attractive to many people for the best reason, and many people decide to quit their life back home after their stay/holidays to see if the grass is greener on this side of the Kiez.
In a nutshell, i have seen many foreigners try this :
- Life is easy here, and it’s cheap, i will only need to work part-time anyways
- Ok, it’s been 2 months now of partying, i should really find a job…
- Why can’t find a job that doesn’t suck in my field of studies ?
- What! i do need to speak German after all ?
- No way i will work for 7€ an hour or for 400€ a month
- Oops ! My savings are all gone now
- Let’s go home, Berlin sucks !
Those 7 steps might be a bit stereotyped but they represent the typical journey of a post-tourist in Berlin. It’s sad how often this happens !
What does this mean for you ?
It means that you shouldn’t fall in this trap. Life is more-easy going here compared to other cities in the world, but it doesn’t mean that will be as easy to settle in.
If you really want to move here, give it a real-go ; You need to have a plan !
Don’t assume a part-time job will be enough.
Don’t assume you will find a job in your field of studies.
Don’t assume you will easily find the flat of your dreams.
Don’t assume you will do just fine with only speaking English.
Don’t assume you will keep your standards up compared to what you already have.
It’s like as anywhere else, you only get what you deserve. And it requires time, effort and stress.
Make research, activate your network, rework your C.V, assess your chances, etc.
In the end, i hope it’s all worth it. It is often.
ps : Although i haven’t been in touch so much with the student scene i Berlin, i assume that this phenomenon applies for Erasmus Students too, as it is easy to live off the Erasmus Stipendium in Berlin. Anyone can confirm that ?
Yep. Even with research and preparation, and finding a job, it might not go easy for you. I had a job lined up that was going to pay me 750 euros a month, but my app got rejected by the Budesagentur fur Arbeit because I am a graduate, so I can´t take an internship if it´s not going to pay me min wage. Here I am totally willing to get paid less than 5 euros an hour, and I can´t because the government won´t let me 🙁 One thing I didn´t realize before moving here is that Americans are at a significant disadvantage…