GreenMekon

Hi, I am new to this forum, but just wanted some advice from real people that have done the same thing.

My wife and I (and two dogs) are contemplating a move from the UK to Germany to live and work. I work in IT and the wife works in Insurance.

We would still keep our house in the UK and rent it out, but I just wanted some advice\real world experiences from other people that have done the same thing. We both love Germany and are looking for a more outdoors life style and I general better quality of life.

Of course the main obstacle is getting a job so I would appreciate some advice on job agencies etc.

Thanks
Steve

Moses2013

Lived in Germany for many years and even finished school in Germany, but I wouldn't say that quality of life is better. Again just depends where you end up and what your expectations are, but do you both speak German? Of course being in IT there will be some jobs for you, but what about your wife? Unless you speak the language, you'll only have limited opportunities in the larger cities and I don't see people having a more outdoor lifestyle in Germany. In Ireland now and wouldn't return to Germany, because I feel the exact opposite. Apart from cheaper alcohol and trains that are on time and a few other things, I don't see any benefits for an outdoor lifestyle. Friends who visit us from Germany can not believe the space we have and how relaxed people seem. And even finding dog friendly rental can be hard in Germany. Area is key of course.

Assanah

Germany offers a great lifestyle, fantastic cities, and awesome outdoors as well. If you want to take the shot better to do it before Brexit. As far as I know there are many IT jobs in Germany but I also heard that German IT might be a bit behind when compared to the UK. It's an open wound in Germany and politicians try to change it but it takes time.
I recommend to use the forum toytown Germany though. There are many British and American expats on who actually are living in Germany right now. They will be able to help you! Good luck with your move!

GreenMekon

Thanks for your replies, appreciate the comments.

We both do not speak German, but are willing to learn. With the impending Brexit we thought we would look into it now, I am sure after Brexit we will still be able to move, but it might be harder. I am more in favour of rules and regulations so I think Germany would be a good fit.

The job prospects around IT sound good and it sounds like a challenge to modernise their IT. Thanks again.

Moses2013

It just depends what you do in IT. With no German, you'll probably have to stick to the larger cities like Berlin, Hamburg, maybe areas around Frankfurt or Stuttgart. Having SAP knowledge can help. You can try www.4scotty.com but as you can see, most would require English and German.
It still depends on location regarding outdoor lifestyle and what one is used to.

Novocastrian

IT is a very vaguely defined term. Do you have a speciality expertise which sets you apart from the millions of Germans already in "IT"?

OTOH, I moved to Germany with my family in 1986, to an international science research institute, a division of the Max-Plack-Gesellschaft My language skills were minimal at first, but in that work environment and in day-to-day interactions with Germans, I (and the rest of my family) became fluent within a couple of years.

If you have special skills which would help you to get a start, go for it, but be aware that your wife's field, insurance, would not be accessible for her.

GreenMekon

I probably don't have anything that would set me apart, but I do have a lot of experience in IT so hoping that holds me in a good position. Being surrounded by the language day in day out will really help with learning the language.

It all comes down to whether I can get a suitable job, if I can then I think it will be a go.

GreenMekon

Thanks for the info. I do not have SAP knowledge.

Moses2013

Indeed, anything and everything can be IT these days. @OP, you could also look on glassdoor. https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Job/germany-english-speaking-jobs-SRCH_IL.0,7_IN96_KO8,24.htm
Here there are actually many jobs advertised for English, but again location is key. Where do you live in the UK, as that can make a huge difference when it comes to outdoor living and lifestyle? One reason why I would never move back to Rhein-Main-Gebiet is that it's too far away from the ocean, there aren't really any nice lakes for kayaking and the Rhein/Main are often too busy and dangerous, or let's say not really scenic + poor air quality. Then again if you like to cycle, there are many cycling tracks and a lot of forest trails. When it comes to housing, I feel it's a lot harder to actually buy/afford a house with garden in Germany. Renting is more common and quality is good, but mainly apartments. Just saying that Germany is huge and quality of life can vary, so location is key.

Novocastrian

We lived in the Rhein-Main Gebiet as well, first in Mainz-Bretzenheim near my workplace and then in a Vorort called Heidesheim am Rhein.

In the latter place, on the Rhein, there is a series of islets in the river offshore from Heidenfahrt and we used to kayak in the Au. We also cycled along the river bank with our kids when they were old enough. We loved the area.

BuckinghamshireBoy

I was in Frankfurt for almost a year in IT - BIG IBM mainframes - and there seemed to be a fairly active IT market, this was late 80's. Frankfurt is quite a fun city, and very easy to break out to good countryside for walks, cycling etc. Heidelberg is a beautiful place to visit, a bit pricey to rent. I had schoolboy German - GCE 'O' level, but tried to minimise my contact with the expat community until I was comfortably up to speed speaking German, which didn't take too long - it's a very logical language in my mind.

May I ask in what area of IT is your skill set?

Moses2013

Of course when it comes to cycling, you have endless possibilities along the river and some lake shore swimming areas. And then the Freibad in summer etc. For me personally it's just too many people doing the same thing and maybe because I grew up there, got sick of it:-). It just feels as soon as it's a nice day, everybody gets on the bike and does the same thing. The cycling tracks and Schwimmbäder are overcrowded and for me personally it was all too artificial. Don't get me wrong, I think there are also many positives in Germany and depending what one wants in life, it can be a lot better than UK if you have the right job in right area. There are many lovely areas I like and I still visit friends there, but a lot has changed too (I suppose like everywhere). I just value different things now. Being from Rhein-Main, I always missed the ocean. Of course you have it up North, but was very hard to find a job (even being fluent) and back then there was no minimum wage like UK, so the few jobs had really bad pay. Having a lawn you can actually cut on a Sunday is probably the biggest bonus LOL. As said, it really depends what one values in life and can gain. Then of course the language can be the biggest barrier. Some manage to learn quickly, but for others it can be a nightmare. I'm in Ireland now, so maybe people in the UK are more worried about Brexit and have a different feeling, but just saying that Germany has problems too. All EU countries will probably feel the Brexit.

GreenMekon

Thanks for the information. My IT skills are mainly in server support, infrastructure, cloud computing and desktops.

Moses2013

To be honest, you might struggle finding these type of jobs with no German. Not saying it's impossible and you should probably focus on smaller companies/start ups wanting to break into the English market. You have to think, what benefit would a larger company have employing a non German speaker in Germany? I work in IT and even most of our German support for Cloud is actually here in Ireland and then you have other locations like Czech Republic etc. Why, because it's a lot cheaper and you can easily find Germans willing to move abroad + they also speak English. Then Operations/Server support is from Bangalore and other locations. A Server Support Engineer in Germany would really need German.

Thairetired2016

Visiting a country and living in a country is very different. Before you move why don't you move alone to find out what everyday life is like, find a job and apartment (cost), learn German. If all works out, then give up home in U.K. Germany has changed a lot over recent years. Housing is expensive and in very short supply. Jobs are there but there is competition for jobs from folks moving from other EU countries. They learn German prior to arrival.
Why do you think there is better outdoor life in Germany? Weather is not so much better. Winters are colder, heating costs will be higher. As somebody pointed out, 2 dogs to live in an apartment may be difficult.
We lived in Germany, owned property, we sold recently. We are glad to have cut the ties. My husband is a Brit.