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Working in Germany: how to build your personal network

Working in Germany: how to build your personal network

 

Germany is one of the world’s most vibrant, exciting and innovative places to work as an international professional. Yet many of those who come to work in Germany find it a challenge to create the kind of professional networks that allow them to flourish. 

The consequences of pandemic restrictions, as well as differences in workplace culture, can make many international professionals feel isolated and out of touch with peers.

Together with the Quantic School of Business and Technology and their mobile MBA and Executive MBA programs, we discuss how global programs such as Quantic’s can help professionals network and thrive in Germany and in German-speaking nations.

 

Practice your German

While English proficiency in Germany has improved greatly over the last two decades, you will find that some of the most interesting and fruitful connections can be made if you have at least a basic understanding of German.

There is a bustling ecosystem of apps such as Duolingo and Babble that can help you improve your German, yet one of the most effective ways to develop proficiency is through practice. 

Quantic’s alumni network offers students the opportunity to identify users close to them who they can not only build a professional relationship with, but also practice the kind of conversational German that will allow their career to thrive. 

Additionally, while a student, you’ll connect virtually on group projects and case studies, with the option to meet at our exclusive MBA conferences hosted in major international cities (with an upcoming conference in Berlin this October).

In 2021 Quantic held over 300 virtual events and multiple events in Germany where students can connect with peers and practice their German language skills. Even before graduation, you’ll get the full power of our alumni network, connecting with thousands of the brightest minds around the world.

Use Quantic’s English-language learning platform to make professional connections today as part of their mobile MBA and Executive MBA programs. Enrol by March 10 for the next intake

Target your efforts

Choosing where and how you connect with others in Germany is crucial to success when networking with other professionals.

The German federal government’s Make It In Germany website is an invaluable resource for those who want to make professional connections. There are always new events and opportunities to connect through the site and it is updated frequently.

Websites such as Xing also serve as German equivalents to LinkedIn, helping professionals connect with one another. 

On another level, location matters. Different regions and cities have very different specialities in terms of industry, business and research.

If you’re a media professional, for example, Dusseldorf is the place to be. Berlin’s startup scene is one of the world’s most exciting. Frankfurt is the centre of not only business, but publishing. Munich is a scientific and educational powerhouse, and if engineering or automotive technology is your focus, then Stuttgart is the place to be.

With Quantic you get a head start with direct access to hundreds of highly successful professionals all over Germany and German-speaking countries Berlin is the major metropolitan alumni centre, while the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Hesse, Rheinland-Pfalz and Baden-Württemberg are all represented by hundreds of students who work for such industry leaders as Google and Amazon. Meetups and conferences in Berlin have also proved to be a success for networkers thus far.

On another level, knowing the kind of organisations to follow on a local level is also important. Every major city and town will have an IHK, or ‘Industrie- und Handelskammer‘ (Chamber of Industry & Commerce) that hosts meetups, conferences, hackathons and discussion forums, bringing local professionals together. Such events are a very valuable resource for any new arrival. 

 

Know the culture

Every country has its own distinct culture – some of which give rise to exaggerated stereotypes abroad. In this regard, Germany is no different.

However, it’s important to understand what German-speaking professionals value in their networks. This will allow most effective communication and smoother relationship-building.

Organisation, punctuality and plain-speaking are, generally, more highly-prized by German professionals than showiness or over-friendliness.

Being direct and clear about your expectations in establishing new professional relationships is by far the most effective way in face-to-face meetings.

Gain an insight into German professional culture through Quantic’s award winning mobile-first MBA and Executive MBA programs, and their ever-growing alumni network. Discover more about the programs now – applications for the next cohorts close March 10th

Quantic students at a recent conference in Copenhagen. Photo: Quantic
A glimpse of Quantic's alumni network. Photo: Quantic

Try Quantic

Quantic’s highly-acclaimed mobile MBA and Executive MBA programs allow you to skip many of the challenges associated with building professional relationships in Germany.

The smartphone-based program not only gives students a world-class education in modern business thought, but utilizes ‘Active Learning’ to make sure that students are engaged and working with the content in real-life contexts. 

Many online educational tools rely on traditional lecture-based learning and video presentations by professors. If you feel this isn’t what you need to boost your career in the 2020s, you’re not alone.

Interactive app-based learning is different. You’ll be prompted to engage with the material about every eight seconds, plus you’ll get instant feedback to help you learn from any mistakes you make.

Quantic’s innovative program has demonstrated that it supercharges the careers of participating students. 66% of students see a salary increase within six months of graduating, with an average salary increase of 23%. Furthermore 94% of students say that the course helped them achieve their career goals.

Quantic’s Executive MBA also unlocks an ongoing series of online and virtual events in Germany, bringing like-minded professionals together to meet, build connections and collaborate. Upon completion, students can even be recruited by leading companies that are a part of the program’s ‘Flipped Learning’ approach.

Toyosi Odukoya, Head of Business Intelligence at the Mastercard Foundation speaks about her experience with the Quantic network: “We have many opportunities to connect and learn, and build the right relationships.”

Most importantly, Quantic students gain access to an alumni platform that allows professionals to establish connections quickly and efficiently across not only Germany, but the world, for life. Users can understand at a glance the skillsets of various alumni, and communicating with past students couldn’t be easier – everyone appearing on the platform is open to connecting, more so than on LinkedIn and other professional platforms.

Tom Adams, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Quantic states: “It’s not enough for a program to offer flexibility and mobility; the students must be talented and ambitious and there must be tangible positive outcomes for graduates.”

To learn more about how students find value in Quantic’s MBA programs, read about the experiences of Katja Smith of Google, and Luciano Bottoni of Capgemini Englneering

Quantic’s mobile-first MBA and Executive MBA programs are your key to developing powerful professional networks across Germany and the world. Enrol today and access one of Europe’s most effective alumni networks – apply by March 10 for the next cohort

 

For members

EES PASSPORT CHECKS

How will the new app for Europe’s EES border system work?

With Europe set to introduce its new Entry/Exit biometric border system (EES) in the autumn there has been much talk about the importance of a new app designed to help avoid delays. But how will it work and when will it be ready?

Published: 7 May 2024 10:29 CEST
How will the new app for Europe's EES border system work?

When it comes into force the EU’s new digital border system known as EES will register the millions of annual entries and exits of non-EU citizens travelling to the EU/Schengen area, which will cover 29 European countries.

Under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), non-EU residents who do not require a visa will have to register their biometric data in a database that will also capture each time they cross an external Schengen border.

Passports will no longer be manually stamped, but will be scanned. However, biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard when the non-EU traveller first crosses in to the EU/Schengen area.

Naturally there are concerns the extra time needed for this initial registration will cause long queues and tailbacks at the border.

To help alleviate those likely queues and prevent the subsequent frustration felt by travellers the EU is developing a new smartphone app.

READ ALSO: What will the EES passport system mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The importance of having a working app was summed up by Uku Särekanno, Deputy Executive Director of the EU border agency Frontex in a recent interview.

“Initially, the challenge with the EES will come down to the fact that travellers arriving in Europe will have to have their biographic and biometric data registered in the system – border guards will have to register four of their fingerprints and their facial image. This process will take time, and every second really matters at border crossing points – nobody wants to be stuck in a lengthy queue after a long trip.”

But there is confusion around what the app will actually be able to do, if it will help avoid delays and importantly when will it be available?

So here’s what we know so far.

Who is developing the app?

The EU border agency Frontex is currently developing the app. More precisely, Frontex is developing the back-end part of the app, which will be made available to Schengen countries.

“Frontex is currently developing a prototype of an app that will help speed up this process and allow travellers to share some of the information in advance. This is something we are working on to support the member states, although there is no legal requirement for us to do so,” Uku Särekanno said in the interview.

Will the 29 EES countries be forced to use the app?

No, it is understood that Frontex will make the app available on a voluntary basis. Each government will then decide if, when and where to use it, and develop the front-end part based on its own needs.

This point emerged at a meeting of the House of Commons European scrutiny committee, which is carrying out an inquiry on how EES will impact the UK.

What data will be registered via the app?

The Local asked the European Commission about this. A spokesperson however, said the Commission was not “in a position to disclose further information at this stage” but that travellers’ personal data “will be processed in compliance with the high data security and data protection standards set by EU legislation.”

According to the blog by Matthias Monroy, editor of the German civil rights journal Bürgerrechte & Polizei/CILIP the Frontex app will collect passengers’ name, date of birth, passport number, planned destination and length of stay, reason for travelling, the amount of cash they carry, the availability of a credit card and of a travel health insurance. The app could also allow to take facial images. It will then generate a QR code that travellers can present at border control.

This, however, does not change the fact that fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing into the Schengen area.

So given the need to register finger prints and facial images with a border guard, the question is how and if the app will help avoid those border queues?

When is the app going to be available?

The answer to perhaps the most important question is still unclear.

The Commissions spokesperson told The Local that the app “will be made available for Schengen countries as from the Entry/Exit System start of operations.” The planned launch date is currently October 6th, but there have been several delays in the past and may be another one.

The UK parliamentary committee heard that the prototype of the app should have been ready for EU member states in spring. Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the UK Department for Transport, said the app will not be available for testing until August “at best” and that the app will not be ready in time for October. The committee previously stated that the app might even be delayed until summer 2025.

Frontex’s Särekanno said in his interview: “Our aim is to have it ready by the end of the summer, so it can then be gradually integrated into national systems starting from early autumn”.

READ ALSO: How do the EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Can the system be launched if the app is not ready?

Yes. The European Commission told The Local that “the availability of the mobile application is not a condition for the Entry/Exit System entry into operation or functioning of the system. The app is only a tool for pre-registration of certain types of data and the system can operate without this pre-registration.”

In addition, “the integration of this app at national level is to be decided by each Schengen country on a voluntary basis – as there is no legal obligation to make use of the app.”

And the UK’s transport under secretary Guy Opperman sounded a note of caution saying the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

When the app will be in use, will it be mandatory for travellers?

There is no indication that the app will become mandatory for those non-EU travellers who need to register for EES. But there will probably be advantages in using it, such as getting access to faster lanes.

As a reminder, non-EU citizens who are resident in the EU are excluded from the EES, as are those with dual nationality for a country using EES. Irish nationals are also exempt even though Ireland will not be using EES because it is not in the Schengen area.

Has the app been tested anywhere yet?

Frontex says the prototype of the app will be tested at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, in Sweden. Matthias Monroy’s website said it was tested last year at Munich Airport in Germany, as well as in Bulgaria and Gibraltar.

According to the German Federal Police, the blog reports, passengers were satisfied and felt “prepared for border control”.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

 
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