Advertisement

'Rules are the best and worst part of life here'

The Local Germany
The Local Germany - [email protected]
'Rules are the best and worst part of life here'
Yvonne Gruendler. Photo: Submitted

In this week's My German Career, Yvonne Gruendler, 32, describes her job as a marketing officer after finding her way to Berlin via Asia and the UK.

Advertisement

1) Where are you located and what do you do?
 
I live and work in Berlin. I do marketing for a company called Talixo, an online booking engine for taxi, minicabs and limousine rides, which offers customers advantages like lower cost rides while saving time. My role involves everything from setting up a Beatles competition to speaking to companies to helping make the booking process easier by providing customer feedback - it's very varied. 
 
2) What brought you to Germany and how long have you been here?
 
Work brought me to Germany about two years ago - I used to work for a medical technology start-up, but then switched to Talixo. 
 
3) How did you land your job and do you have tips for anyone seeking similar work?
 
Talixo is actually my second position since coming to Germany. I love the start-up environment in Berlin and the fact that you can experience different areas of the company.
 
I also love that you can see what a difference you can make to someone by simplifying something which seems so everyday like booking a cab to get to a meeting.
 
I got the job through my network - networking is still the best way to find positions where you have a good company/employee fit and I would always recommend speaking to people who work in the field, or in jobs that you are interested in to get a foot in the door.
 
 
4) Is it important for you to be able to speak German in your position?
 
Yes, in my position I definitely need to speak German. But depending on which area of marketing you work in, German skills are less important.
 
5) What are the best and worst parts about working in Germany?
 
The best part I guess is knowing that if you follow a process, and follow the rules associated for the process, the result is pretty predictable.
 
Unfortunately, the flip side (and worst part I would say) is a strict adherence to rules and processes which sometimes don't really immediately make sense to me.
 
The good news is Germans are pretty knowledgeable about existing rules, so you can always ask a German and they'll usually be able to explain whatever process to you, and advise you on what to do.
 
6) Do you plan on staying?
 
I definitely plan on staying - Berlin is a very interesting city and Talixo is a great company to work for. It's lots of fun too - you get to deal with all kinds of people including musicians, hotel managers and customers. Life in Germany is also fairly straightforward - it's definitely a good place to live and work.
 
Would you like to feature in My German Career? Email [email protected].
 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also