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Travel Journal Photos
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The
Mainz event Hello from Mainz... The job hunt here feels like an acceleration of the dating process... trying to meet a company, make a date for an interview, sometimes meet the parents or principals, then convince them that they can't go on without me and will want to stay with me for the rest of our lives. I want a company that will love and nurture me, not one that will simply use me physically. That reminds me, my German mobile phone is sold under the name, 'free and easy.' ...which is just how I like my... um, phones. One of the most interesting interviews so far was with a head hunter recruiting for Deutsche Bank. It is a position starting in New York City and then going to Frankfurt. It would be with their global IT team, doing software development and consulting. It would include working on online payment systems for them. Before coming into Frankfurt, I had the good timing to be around Berlin for the annual Internet World tradeshow. There, I met quite a few interesting companies. One company out of Munich suggested that if I worked for them, I could also spend some time with their London and Barcelona offices. I am currently staying in Wiesbaden, one of the most beautiful places in Germany and perhaps in Europe to stroll through. Its city center and residential neighborhoods have lots of stunning Baroque architecture. It may be the only part of the Frankfurt area worth seeing--particularly since it was the only spared from bombing. Tonight I am attending a birthday party for one of my friends in Mainz. He is lending me his computer to send out this update on my adventures. Tomorrow, I plan to return to Berlin to follow up with some companies I met at the tradeshow. Many Germans say that Berlin is the best place to live in Germany. It is the most vibrant and energetic city, plus it also has a glut of housing, making it affordable too. Afterwards, I may scout a couple companies in Munich and then head towards Barcelona to stay with a friend there and contemplate my employment options. In the companies I've been talking to, I wouldn't start work until the end of June. If I could find a job paying over DM90K in Berlin, I would take it. I feel like Germany is offering me a box of assorted chocolates--of different shapes, colors, and fillings. I may pick a job offer that looks tasty and take a bite out of it, hoping it's filled with something yummy. Best regards, David P.S. I asked a few German friends which bathroom door they would use if in Poland: a triangle or a circle. Like me, they guessed incorrectly that a circle is for men and a triangle is for women. P.P.S. Few German companies use Microsoft software for development. Most prefer open source products like Java and PHP. |
