Berlin bliss….thoughts from the German capital.

Following on from our recent Hong Kong post we are delighted to give you some insight from our guys in Berlin, arguably the creative capital of mainla…

Following on from our recent Hong Kong post we are delighted to give you some insight from our guys in Berlin, arguably the creative capital of mainland Europe.

Mathieu who heads up our Berlin office has given us his thoughts on the market and what Berlin has to offer to anyone considering the move. How very timely with David Cameron’s speech on Europe this morning.

So Berlin bliss…let’s find out.

Journalists call Berlin, the new European Silicon Valley, why ? Berlin has become a Tech Hub, with many start-ups but also some big American companies willing to copy their successful model in Europe.

Regarding the creative industry, some international players are located in Berlin but there are great opportunities to find a job in smaller growing digital agencies or top shops. Large media groups also offer great positions within Berlin.

Agency side AKQA, Jung Von Matt and DDB have growing offices in the German capital. One important factor to know: as Germans love to work close to their clients, many agencies are also concentrated in south Germany (Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Münich, Köln) where the biggest car and electro brands such as BMW, Audi, Siemens have their business running.

Hamburg is less than 2 hours from Berlin and offers a lot of creative jobs too.

Germany offers better wages for freelancers than London but agencies prefer to hire permanent staff but don’t let that deter you from moving over.

Cheap living costs such as rent, food & shopping help raise the quality of life in Berlin even during the cold winter! But don’t despair as Soho House Berlin has a lovely heated swimming pool: 

and as the creative vibrant hearth of Europe, Berlin has an amazing night life!

Berlin hosts the best electronic DJ´s and has an amazing vibe even during the cold winter temperatures. To keep warm sitting on terrace or in the Christmas markets, Berliners have a “Glühwein”, their german mulled wine with cinnamon and many other spices.

Don´t be afraid, bars and restaurant provide outside heaters and blanquets for their guests !

After work you have many “Kneipe “ (pubs) to visit and also a lot of underground places to discover in your free time.

Exhibitions, Fashion Week, Berlin Wall, Museums are also part of the things you wanna see in Berlin.

Almost 460,000 foreigners from 190 countries currently live in Berlin. In 2010 alone, 14,457 people of foreign nationality set up a sole proprietorship in Berlin.

 

 

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