Thread: Work in Germany - all questions in here

Ikkle, theres a few NAAFI's on camp that I know of, the shop, Shannons (a bar) and the Golf Club, and possibly more. Other than those I would imagine your best bet would be to ask at the Welfare Office when you arrive, I'm sure they'd have more inforamation about working on camp/in the area.

If you can drive Elmpt is pretty close to JHQ so I would suggest not limiting yourself to working at Elmpt itself.

Hi all,

Brand new to the forum, moving to Germany in August after the big day. My background is in journalism and PR, I've a wish to go freelance and hope this will be the kick up the backside I need, but could really do with a regular income 2-3 days a week.

What are my chances of a) being able to work for any of the overseas military newspapers/radio stations i.e. Sixth Sense/BFBS

and b) getting a none-journalism job on camp perhaps for a couple of days a week?

Any help regarding married quarters, things to do etc in Germany would be an advantage - plus I'm REALLY scared when it comes to driving on the other side of the road.

Me and the other half would quite like to get a new car and a dog once we're out there, not necessarily in that order but any help would be really appreciated for none-work/day to day living information :-)

I'm very new at this (as if you couldn't tell!)

Thanks xx

Originally Posted by spiderhater

Hi all,

Brand new to the forum, moving to Germany in August after the big day. My background is in journalism and PR, I've a wish to go freelance and hope this will be the kick up the backside I need, but could really do with a regular income 2-3 days a week.

What are my chances of a) being able to work for any of the overseas military newspapers/radio stations i.e. Sixth Sense/BFBS

and b) getting a none-journalism job on camp perhaps for a couple of days a week?

1 st hello and welcome to RP, 2nd best place to look for jobs would be the sixth sense its self as they often advertise for reporters in reigon, as each reigon has its own page - and I think BFBS do the same. Jobs on camp, you would need to register with the GLSU (Garrison Labour Support Unit) and again look in the sixth sense as they also advertise there.

Any help regarding married quarters, things to do etc in Germany would be an advantage - plus I'm REALLY scared when it comes to driving on the other side of the road.

Married quarters vary from location to location, so a lot will depend on were you are going, putting a location on here would not breach site rules or your persec and would help us no end with being able to advise re the local area etc If yoiu want to PM with the details I can also try and get you information re your location to be.

Driving on the left hand side of the road becomes easier with practice, I am curently getting used to driving on the right hand side of the road again and only seem to struggle with roundabouts, but thats a diffrent story!

Me and the other half would quite like to get a new car and a dog once we're out there, not necessarily in that order but any help would be really appreciated for none-work/day to day living information :-)

I'm very new at this (as if you couldn't tell!)

Thanks xx

I have tried to reply to your questions as best as possible (my comment in bold) if you have any further questions feel free to drop me a PM and ill try and help as best I can, and good luck with your pending nuptuials

Sluice x

Can't help with the work side of things. But bizarrely I find driving on the right easier than the left. Weird!

Welcome to RP by the way.

Oooh thanks for this - and thanks for the welcomes, very kind - he's been posted to Wentworth barracks which I think is where the studio for BFBS is which is a bit of good luck. It's just a shame I'm not going out there until August, it means a few months apart but hopefully I can go visit and get a better impression.

By the way, did any of you try and learn the language? I've been told it's easier to learn when you're out there but my German at school was appalling!

S_H learning the language is MUCH easier when here, a lot of it is very much like english, but bring a good phrasebook just in case you get stuck. I suspect in the local area you will notice that the germans speak english back to you when talkng to them in german. That annoys me, but at first can be useful...good luck with the wedding and move.

You will probably find the local education centre run course, they are usually a week long and teach you the basics to get by for shopping and eating out and stuff but its easy to pick up once your there - I picked up the odd sentence but found I could understand far more than I could speak.

Not sure what the quarters are like in Herford, might be worth asking your OH to pop into the HIVE and sending you over or bringing you some of the guides to the local area just so you have an idea what your getting yourself into.

Sluice

Originally Posted by spiderhater

By the way, did any of you try and learn the language? I've been told it's easier to learn when you're out there but my German at school was appalling!

Yep! Do it when you're there, I did. Like Samm1551 said, get yourself a little phrasebook which will come in handy, and all the stuff you learnt at school should come flooding back It did with me.

Try and speak as much as you can, even if it's just asking "Entschuldigen Sie bitte, sprechen sie English?" (Excuse me please, do you speak English?) because at least you've tried! They really appreciate it in the small towns rather than being an ignorant bugger who doesn't bother.

Thanks,

Yes I've bought myself some CD's and a phrasebook collection. When he goes off in April i'll have enough time to sit down and listen to them! Only thing now is the posting is up in the air - again. I'm not angry, I know these things happen but when it's the third/fourth/fifth re-arrangement it can get a tad tiring.

Now it looks like we're off to JHQ, but I'm not holding my breath :-)

Scrap Herford - def. off to JHQ now...can anyone advise on what the married quarters are like there and if there are many jobs?

I've been looking on the Sixth Sense but nothing has come up yet that I think I could do. I suggested doing a job completely different to my degree (such as childcare) for a couple of days a week but H2B thinks that would be a bad idea as I would be taking the job away from someone who really wanted to do it as a full-time career. Thoughts?

That's a really sweet thing for your husband to say, but the best person for the job'll get it and if that's you then so be it! It's every man for himself when it comes to jobs and overseas postings!!

Housing in JHQ is mainly houses, areas will depend on your husbands rank. Not sure what is happening there at the moment, I spent a couple of years there a few years ago and it was very handy for shopping trips to Holland who open their shops on a Sunday unlike the Germans. Sure there is a bit of stuff in the places to go and see in the sticky section of this forum.

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

Sluice

oh and I second what bodger said, apply for what ever jobs you want if you get it then it is meant to be yours!

Oh that's good - I have family in Holland. Hopefully I can get more of a feeling for it when I visit him, he goes in April (bit of a bugger being apart for 4 months but at least I can speak to him on a daily basis this time!)

Guess there is no-one here on the forum who is out there now?

(Thanks for all the advice about job :-) )

Hiya

I have Pm'd you - I live 20 minutes from JHQ.

Kitty

Originally Posted by spiderhater

Oh that's good - I have family in Holland.

Me too! If you can speak some Dutch, you'll pick up German a lot quicker as it's very similar. I found it so anyway

Hey, quick question re getting work in Germany: beloved OH has asked for a Germany posting next. We haven't been assigned yet BUT to cover my bases... I HAVE to work (American Uni loans are not deferred, I HAVE to pay £450 a month to it regardless!). I need to know if I go, I could get a job.

I have a degree (2.1, Archaeology and Ancient history) and good Spanish but absolutely NO German, so any work I would get would probably have to be on camp. I've worked as a secretary and PA, admin staff, creche 'teacher', private tutor, travel agent, a cashier and even done time in Burger King, and I am happy to do any of it again. I really don't mind what I do as long as it's paid and full time, my main priority is getting something (anything) so I can be with him.

My question is, What kind of work is there going on the camps? Will I be able to get a job?

Any insights very helpful. I have never been to a camp in Germany so utterly lost as to everything. And I might be there in January!

depends what camp you go to and what size it is, and if you have chilcare. Outside of camp , without knowledge of even basic german it will be very very hard to get a job. plus most will shy away because you are not on the german socialnet.
in camp is a different matter, you might be able to open your own business with the right permisons and papers.....or you are lucky enough and get a job. as long as you are willing to do anything you should be ok .......fingers crossed........



ps. moi jealous ....never

Thanks Padme. We have yet to spawn so we don't have to worry about any Sproglets needing time or attention- although when we come home from germany that'll be number one on the priority list as I am starting to get old and I don't want my eggs to get past their use by! my father in law is a German interpreter and he's working away trying to get me some holiday survival stuff (enshuldigensie bitte, vo ist der banhof is all I got at the moment, and ein tasse te mit milsh bitte!) so I should be able to buy groceries by the time I get there but I won't be ready for a work place at all. There's also the problem of transport- we don't have a car at the mo and I would need to get my UK license (haven't bothered yet as we haven't got a car!) so all work would need to be on camp.

I'm just wondering , for example, can I get a job as a cashier at a camp shop? Are there camp shops? I've no idea what camp facilities there are, and which (if any) jobs are sort of 'for' the wives. Are there generally enough jobs to go around? As long as I'm not picky?

In Germany there are Naafi shops and whilst I was in Germany they were always looking for staff. I don't know if that is the case now that BFG is slowly closing down but worth asking when you get there.

They generally cover everything from shop assistants to cleaners.

Naafi shop would be perfect thanks, Gonzo!