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Schweinfurt Career Fair 2014

The Schweinfurt Career Fair 2014 will take place on Saturday, March 22nd at the Konferenzzentrum Maininsel (Maininsel 10) and will feature a series of briefings targeted at American visitors. The briefings will be taking place in 2 locations and are scheduled as follows:

Conference Room Liebermann:

1430 – 1500: Quali-Adapt: Recognition of Foreign Training Certificates and Work Experience in 12 Career Fields (Presented by Handwerkskammer Oberfranken)

Conference Room Spitzweg:

1215 – 1245: Tax Reporting Requirements for Americans Living Abroad (Presented by Mary Ritzmann)

These briefings will be taking place as part of a larger, well-rounded program of presentations which will be of interest to all visitors.

Additionally, anyone who brings a working copy of their Bewerbung will have the opportunity to meet with a business professional from the Wirtschaftsjunioren Schweinfurt and receive feedback, advice, etc.

The main attraction of the day is, of course, the nearly 100 business that will be set up and meeting potential new employees throughout the day. The Schweinfurt Career Fair is a can’t miss event for any job seeker.

German Job Interview Class Rescheduled – Join ACS and ABBI-Projekt on Thursday

Army Community Service and ABBI-Projekt have rescheduled the German Job Interview class for this Thursday, December 12th at 6 p.m. The class was originally supposed to take place last week, but was cancelled due to bad weather and road conditions. The class will take place at ACS on Ledward Barracks.

From the event flyer:

Are you ready to land that dream job in Germany, but nervous about the interview process? Let ACS Employment Readiness and the ABBI Projekt prepare you for success!

Learn what to expect in an interview

Become familiar with commonly asked questions

Get tips on how to dress and how to make a good first impression

Practice with one of our experts

*This class is FREE and open to all ID card holders!*

ACS and ABBI-Projekt Assist Military Expats in the Hunt for Employment

Looking for work in Schweinfurt? ACS Employment Readiness and the ABBI Projekt have got you covered! Join us on Thursday and learn:

Where to find employment listings

How to find a job in your field

How to read a German employment listing and tailor your resume accordingly

And more!

*This class is FREE and open to all ID card holders!*

The How and Why of Schweinfurt Expats

Your humble blogger–who cannot think of a more clichéd way to begin this post–was invited by the perpetually awesome Maria Shipley to author a guest post over at her blog and provide some background on Schweinfurt Expats.  A few people have asked me lately where the idea came from, what it is that Schweinfurt Expats actually does and what we will be doing in the future, so the timing of Maria’s request was perfect.

I appreciate Maria loaning me her platform and invite you to check it out for yourself.

Shopping in Schweinfurt

OK ladies… let’s be stereotypical for a few minutes and talk about our love of shopping! Of course we could go to the Stadtgalarie or some of the bigger stores like Media Markt or T.K. Maxx (T.J. Maxx), but if we are living here in Schweinfurt, shouldn’t we also support the small businesses? Schweinfurt is full of little boutiques and shops that unless you actually pay attention you could miss very easily.

Depending on what you are looking for, there is nearly something for everyone. I have been on a personal hunt for a white summer dress to wear for my upcoming wedding. To add fuel to the fire, I also have to find it in große (plus size). Well, in the states it was hard enough to find clothes in plus size that were decent quality and affordable. So I thought that it would be very difficult to find something here – especially because I rarely see plus size women around.

To my surprise, with the help of other expats here in Schweinfurt and digging on the internet, I found a few stores that cater to plus size women! Ulla Popken, Sell 40 plus and Modereich are three stores that are fairly close together. My first stop was into Sell 40 Plus. The clothes were nice but too matronly for me. Modereich on the other hand had a lot of clothes that I loved. The only downfall to this store were the prices. Now, I know that for good quality you should likely pay more but it was very hard for me to justify 98,10 € for a pair of jeans! (I bought them anyway 😀 ). My most recent trip was to Ulla Popken. They had very nice clothing, some of it was overpriced but not all.

Other stores in the area sell various things. There is a neat little book store just down the street from the museum heading up towards the marktplatz (market place). You will find a lot of hair salons throughout the city, especially near the bus station. Jewelry stores were initially hard for me to find but it seems that there is one every few blocks or so – again, you have to look. Cellphone shops are abundant and I believe that I have counted six or seven so far. A lot of the little shops don’t have a lot of signage or advertising to draw you in. It is important to not look at the ground, stop and look around at what is near you. You could miss the one shop that you have been searching for your entire life! J

Shopping alone or with friends could be tiring, especially if you are “hitting the pavement” in some not-so-shopping-friendly shoes (big mistake on my part). There are numerous places to kick back and grab a bite to eat in Schweinfurt. I have not been to many aside from legitimate restaurants but I have heard good things about a few. Aposto is apparently a “must eat” place. I have only walked by it when entering the Rauthaus and there are tables outside that are always filled with happy, laughing and smiling people. There are a couple of Eis Cafés just down the block from Aposto as well as good ol’ McDonald’s. Bakeries are abundant down through the main block as well. If you would like some local cuisine, check out one of the döner places. You will not regret it!

Now, let’s get back to shopping. One of my favorite things has been going out with my to-be mother in-law and hitting flea markets (flohmarkt). I cannot express how amazing these are! I have been to a lot in the states but nothing like the ones here in Germany. For some of the flea markets you may have to travel away from Schweinfurt a little bit but it is worth the drive and time. Kitchen appliances, clothes, shoes, bags, toys, electronics, DVDs, CDs… you name it! If you have never been to a flea market or have but did not like it, you really should give the flea markets here a chance.

I have been to a few other cities such as Hammelburg and Würzburg and done some shopping as well. Hammelburg is where I found out that second hand stores are amazing! I have yet to find a second hand store in Schweinfurt (haven’t have much time recently) but once I do, I am sure I will become a regular customer.

Driving in Schweinfurt

Post written by Michelle Wetherell.

When you go from a small town that is full of nothing but trucks, tractors and country music to a new country like Germany, there can be a lot of culture shock. One thing that you may find different is the way in which German people use transportation.

In my most recent entry, I spoke about being “Driven to Drive.” I had dealt with not being able to drive for weeks (for no good reason I may add) and then BAM! I was driving. Then in an attempt to receive a German driver’s license, I failed. Here is why:

Because information can be so misconstrued because of various sources on the internet, I decided that we should get the real information from the guy at the Landratsamt. I met with him a day or two after my last entry. His answer was that since I had been able to prove that my driver’s license “type: o” meant operator’s license (via the support of old licenses I had) then it would not be a problem to get my Führerschein. At that moment I was ecstatic! Then he says that I have to wait until I have a residency permit. Well then. (If I could insert the world’s most giant sad face here, I would; because that is how I felt). So now, I have to wait – again. I can still drive with my Michigan license though, so it doesn’t really put me out too much.

In the meantime, while I wait to get my residency permit I would like to share some of the things I have learned about driving here. There are some things that are entirely new to me and others that I don’t understand but still abide to.

First off, one thing you will notice when thinking about buying any means of transportation is that 90%+ of the vehicles for sale in Germany are cars. Tiny, compact and “weird” looking cars. I come from a town where, as I said before, is full of trucks. If you don’t have a truck, you have a SUV because you could have summer one day and 4 feet of snow the next (good ol’ northern Michigan for you!).

So when my husband and I started to search for a vehicle I was thinking that maybe I could find a Chevrolet Cobalt for cheap. They are nice looking, small and great on gas. Being a Chevy girl, I was dead set on this. Then I noticed – there are next to no Chevrolet vehicles around here!? There is one Chevrolet dealer but we didn’t have to money to buy a brand new car or afford payments so this saddened me.

The next thing that caught me off guard is that it is very uncommon to have a vehicle here that is not a manual (stick shift). This kind of sucked. I had only driven a manual a handful of times in my life. If you do not currently know how to drive a manual, I suggest doing so. Also, a tip for you – the “e-brake” is not an “e-brake” here, you actually use it. A lot. Here it is a parking brake. Very handy when you live in an area where you will be parking on a hill quite often. Also, when you are out and about driving, one thing you will notice is there are some places that have a slight grade to them so if you are not careful you could end up with the rear end of your car into the person behind you. The parking brake can assist you in these situations too.

Street lights are different here as well. Not much but they confused me the first few days. When a light switches from red to green, it does not just switch. First the red and yellow light will both come on and then the green alone. You can start to move (cautiously of course) when the red and yellow light appear together. Something I was used to at home is the ability to turn right at a red light. Now, there are some places where you can as long as there are no other vehicle coming. However, most of the time you have a separate light to wait for. Just always make sure you are in the correct lane. Something to watch out for is a “random” light. It may not always be lit but during busy hours of the day or sometimes when someone wants to cross the street, it will turn red. Just be prepared once you note where these lights are.

Small towns like the one I am from are not really equipped with round-a-bouts. I think they put one in after I left but it is not something that I was familiar with. If you too, are not familiar with them, you better get that way. There are not an extensive amount of them but the ones that are here, you will use often. I find them to be frustrating and I always get nervous when approaching one. I don’t believe that I can even give you advice on these simply because you have to judge when you can go and whether or not you want on the inner lane or outer lane. I always stay on the outside and I generally go slowly. I don’t care if I make someone mad as long as I know I am being cautious and safe.

Speed limits are generally not posted unless you are entering a slower area. Often you will see speed limits painted on the road in more rural areas. In cities, as I have learned it, the “rule of thumb” is 50 km/h. Roads that are not within city limits are 100 km/h unless otherwise posted. Now for the fun speeds! 🙂

The Autobahn is world known and people know that it is without a speed limit. This is true, sometimes. There are indeed stretches of the Autobahn that have no speed limit but you must also watch for signs that tell you to slow down in the case or wind, rain or snow. There are also stretches of the Autobahn that do have speed limits and these are generally when there are a lot of exits and entries converging in one area. Speeds of 120, 100 and 80 km/h are often posted in these areas. It is important to abide by these speeds in these areas because there are often cameras or even police waiting in the area. Another thing that you must be aware of the Autobahn is the capability of your vehicle and the other vehicles around you. When there are any changes in grade of the road, trucks (semis) will often downshift and slow down in order to make it up the hills. If your vehicle is capable of passing other vehicles while going uphill and still accelerate, then by all means, pass. However, if your car is like mine and has a 1.2L engine that may give a lawnmower a run for its money, then it is best to stay to the left and work at getting up the hills as best you can. I generally drop from 5^th to 4^th gear in these situations just because my car doesn’t like to be pushed.

Parking is another fun thing to do in and around Schweinfurt. If you live in one of the smaller towns or villages outside of Schweinfurt, it is likely that you will have to park on a hill of some sort. As stated before, your parking brake is handy in these situations. When you are parking on the streets you must be careful to note whether or not you are in an actual parking area. This will be denoted by a blue sign that has a red circle and one red line through the center. These signs show where parking zones begin and end. A white arrow will point to which side(s) of the street you are allowed to park on.  In the event that you are in downtown Schweinfurt and you would like to park in one of the many parking garages, it is an easy option. Just be careful of other vehicles entering or exiting the garage because I have seen more than a few little fender benders in a couple different parking garages. Always make sure to go to the kiosk when you are getting ready to leave. I have never stayed in town for more than a couple hours so I don’t know how much it costs beyond that but I believe that it is 1,00 € per hour. So keep change handy.

In the coming months, I hope to obtain my Residency Permit as well as my Führerschein. Between now and then, if you have any questions about driving in the area, please ask! I look forward to sharing my experiences with all of you and welcome questions and feedback. If there is a topic that you would like to know more about, let us know!

On Vacationing in Europe

Post written by Andrew Lang.

When I first arrived in Germany, I was told the expression:  “Americans live to work, while Germans work to live.”  I have found this expression to be strikingly true when comparing the two cultures, especially with consideration for the leisure time Germans are entitled to in their work force.  With the amount of vacation time Germans accrue in a year, not including the amount of federal and religious holidays they recognize, it is easy to understand why Germans take their vacation time seriously.  It is one thing to travel over to Germany, or any other European country for that matter, as a tourist, but to live here as an expatriate, something most of us can relate to, is a different matter entirely.  Living in Germany affords one the unique luxury to take part in this recreational climate, enjoying such festivities as wine or beer fests, Kirchweihs, carnivals or even circuses.  There are a number of other club-like activities that exist, too, which anyone can take part in on a regular basis.  Volksmarching is one example (see the Stars and Stripes guide to volksmarching here).

The vacation experience is something else entirely, though.  Living and vacationing in Germany is quite different from what any other type of tourist would do, considering the shear magnitude of a trans-Atlantic vacation and the brevity of such a trip.  After all, these tourists are often trying to cram as much into their expensive round-trip as possible, considering how it may very well be their one and only time to do so.  On the contrary, an expatriate already lives in Germany and knows a little bit of the culture, if not from learning the language, then from simply observing their surroundings.  Living in Germany allows one to savor those cherished vacation days all the more, to enjoy the moment afforded to them.  Whether it is a trip to Trier to visit the Imperial Roman bathhouses or a short excursion to Luxembourg, the city of bridges, one can really take his or her time without dealing with the stresses of a major travel itinerary.

Living in Schweinfurt has its advantages, too.  In any given direction, we are centrally located at six hours from significant cultural or landscape changes.  Heading north takes you to the North Sea with its idiosyncratic ways; driving due south places you skiing in the Alps for the weekend; traveling east gives you the taste of the exotic with Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic; and lastly, going west takes you to the borders of France and beyond.  Living in a city like Schweinfurt, centrally located as it is, offers many opportunities for traveling throughout Germany.  Even long distance trips like Crete or Majorca in the Mediterranean are not-so-long-distant when you consider that two major airports are only a couple of hours away.  But, how can you make those local vacationing experiences feel less like a trans-Atlantic culture shock and more like an integrated break-away from the routine of living?  For starters, it helps to know a little about how Germans themselves plan their vacations.  From hotels to fully-furnished apartments, researching your destination and learning from personal experience once you start vacationing the different accommodation types that Germans frequently stay in will make all the difference between a stressful trip and a relaxing one.

Hotels

Staying in hotels can be a “hit or miss” experience.  On the one hand, you have an openly accessible, widely publicized venue that is all-inclusive with evening entertainment and an unlimited bar selection provided in the coziest of rooms made available to a hotel’s patrons.  These services are all measured by certain criteria established by Hotelstars, a union for the Hotels Association found across several European countries and are all rated on a 5-star system, one being the lowest, five being the highest.  Of course, the higher the rating, the more luxurious (and expensive) the taste, but quality comes at a price.

Always around the same time each year, Summer vacation brings with it documentaries of various degrees about the the nightmare vacation, where visitors are not promised what the all-inclusive package entails.  This is often the case with northern vacationers who are lured in by enticing travel catalogs that show beautiful hotel facades, but the real hotel is actually a money-pit for the sole purpose of ripping off unsuspecting vacationers who have little other choice once they reach their southern destination.  In fact, one such documentary titled Alptraum Urlaub, authored by Wolfgang Luck on channel Einsfestival, uncovers this very concept, where vacationers arrive to find their dream vacation in the middle of a noisy baustelle (construction sight) or with only partially cleaned communal bathrooms.

Hotels are often the obvious choice for most individuals looking to vacation, but they can also be the priciest.  The experience will certainly be primped unlike other forms of accommodations, , including such luxuries as room service, catering services that offer all-you-can-eat buffets, or family-packed activities all dependent on the price you’re willing to pay.  In the end, the star-rating determines the quality.  It’s highly recommended that you also research user-feedback.  Most vacationers will write reviews about their experiences at a place.  Take the time to read and consider how other people are talking about a place before you book with the hotel or agency, especially if you’re planning a major trip abroad.

Hostels

In Germany, hostels are called Jugendherberge.  Unlike the hotel, they are geared specifically for the backpacker or single-traveler.  The type of room one would stay in varies on the location and type of hostel it is.  If it’s a hostel in the middle of the Alps, it’s likely a single room with bunk beds and a communal bathroom and kitchen.  When it is in the city, it can be anything from a single room to a bay sleeping area filled with bunk beds and wall lockers.  Such websites like hostels.com offer ways for travelers to find out where these hostels are located (often off the beaten path) and to comment on and review what these places are like.  It’s difficult to compare one hostel to another, much in the same way its hard to compare hotels (even though, hotels have the consistency of a 5-star system).  One thing is for sure about hostels — they are unique in many ways.  The people who often frequent these establishments are young and open-minded, so their appeal tends to lean toward attracting younger audiences.  As a result, a subculture seems to exist around many of the more popular hostels, where trends and cultural experiences are established and dismissed with the coming and going of new guests.

This subculture stems largely from the backpacker experience, travelers who go from place to place exchanging stories and anecdotes about their journeys, where no one day is like the other.  It’s hard to tell too who you will meet in a hostel.  Many people share rich stories with other people during communal activities, like lounging in the lobby or cooking in the kitchen together and sharing an inexpensive meal.  This style of vacationing may not be for everyone, especially for those with families, but if you are single and are looking for a great culturally-diverse experience, staying in a youth hostel is the way to go.  Their affordable prices also attract a lot of young travelers for this very reason, adding more to the likability for this type of vacationing.

Ferienwohnungs

Lastly, the Ferienwohnung (vacation apartment) is an incredibly affordable way for a family to same money on a trip, while at the same time having the flexibility and comforts of home at their dispense.  The Ferienwohnung is essentially a fully-furnished apartment (with some limitations, depending on the host) of various sizes, ranging anywhere from single room to double-bedroom apartments.  Often located around less marketed tourist areas and more secluded places like nature preserves or landscape-based vacation spots, these apartments are great for families looking to do their own thing while on vacation.  There are rating systems provided by registry websites such as fereinwohnungen.de; however, as these apartments are often privately owned by landowners living in the local communities, they may not be as easy to learn about as more conventional types of accommodations may be.   You may be required to invest a little time in researching the area you plan on visiting, but the rewards for doing so are often well worth the effort.  Once you find a good Ferienwohnung, it could even become an annual vacation spot, depending on your personal experience, of course.  Getting to know the owners may lead to life-long friendships developing over repeated visits.

One thing to remember about Ferienwohnungs residing in the Kurort, a tax is often imposed on anyone vacationing in such an area.  Kurorts are wellness communities where people go to rejuvenate or rehabilitate themselves, depending on the circumstances.  Natural springs and lakes, or any town with the prefix Bad, are often considered Kurorts, so be prepared to have a tax added to your price when vacationing anywhere near one of these types of towns in Germany.

There are a great many ways for someone, whether they be single or with a family, to enjoy themselves in Germany or any of the surrounding countries.  It all depends on your preferences and knowing what you’re looking for out of a trip.  The hotel is great if you want to be pampered and lazy on your vacation; the hostel is adventurous and rugged, a change of pace from the more established touristic normalities; and the Ferienwohnung allows a vacationer to enjoy the flexibility of the hostel and the stability of the hotel, a nicely balanced middle-ground for anyone looking to save some money.  To really enjoy the experience, however, it is important to research and learn the most you can about your destination, so as to avoid being ripped off from tourist fraud or from a poorly rated accommodation.  Knowing a little bit about the different types of accommodations one can take advantage of in Europe will make all the difference between a Traum or Alptraum Urlaub. 

Becoming Not-Such-A-Stranger in a Not-So-Strange-Land

*Editor’s Note:  This post was originally featured on the author’s personal blog: wtf, Cobra?*

Allow me to begin with a little bit of background on myself.  I was born and raised in the Great State of Ohio and joined the US Army upon graduation from high school. Afterwards I was sent to my first (and last) duty station in Schweinfurt, Germany.  Schweinfurt is a beautiful town nestled along the Main River in northern Bavaria (or, more accurately, Lower Franconia; Unn’r Frangg’n to the locals); the perfect mix of industry, culture, history, pomp and quirk.  I could not imagine living anywhere else, and so I have remained here for the past 11 years, first as a Soldier and now as a civilian employee of the Department of the Army.

But now the great tradition of military, economic and cultural partnership that has existed between the US Army units stationed here and the people and government of the city of Schweinfurt  that has been in place since the end of World War II is coming to an end.  For reasons both tactical and fiscal the US Army is shutting down its operation in this city, units will move to other locations in Germany or deactivate all together, and the barracks and facilities leased and operated by the US government will be locked up and turned over to our German hosts.

For many, this is no great disruptor.  Active duty personnel and most civilian employees will make their way to other bases in-country or back stateside.  The many German employees who have worked side-by-side with their American counterparts, some for decades now, will take advantage of the mechanisms already in place (or being put in place) to ease their transition either into retirement or back into the German workforce.  But there also exists a minority contingent of US citizens who have been here for some time and who wish to remain here long after the others have pulled up the stakes and gone home.  I am one of these, and in preparation for the inevitable departure of the rest of “little America,” a couple of friends and I took part in a 3 hour class hosted by the Schweinfurt Volkshochschule (literally “people’s high school,” essentially an adult education center run by the city) covering visa application, residency and citizenship.

The Volkshochschule website had advertised a maximum class size of 16 students for the course, prompting us to rush to enroll and pay our 9 euros before all of the available spots were snatched up.  It turns out that this expedience on our part was fully unnecessary, as only 6 students ended up enrolling.  Other than myself and my comrades (both of whom are American and have been here for 12 and 27 years, respectively) there was a young Brazilian woman with plans to marry her German sweetheart, and a 4th American who attended with his German spouse.  Additionally, instructors from the Volkhochschule‘s German language course for immigrants, the city’s immigration office and the Landratsamt (the office that handles most administrative services for the city) were present.

It turns out that having these “subject matter experts” on-hand was extremely beneficial.  The course instructor was a young attorney to whom I will from here on out refer as Herr Anwalt (get it?).  And while Herr Anwalt was extremely affable and quite  up on the legal aspects of immigrating to Germany, he was largely unprepared to answer specific questions concerning the nitty gritty of the application process, how applications are reviewed and what role each agency plays in the process, often deferring to the others in the room to the point where we, the students, began addressing questions directly to those individuals.  I am sure that this is not how the course was originally intended to be structured.

Herr Anwalt’s inexperience shone through again as he failed to take advantage of the small and relatively homogenized class that had been presented him.  Instead of seizing upon the opportunity to tailor his topics to few and largely unvaried specific cases in the classroom that night, he instead covered the spectrum of regulations and procedures for all categories of visas, residency permits and paths to citizenship.  As his students, would all have been better served with a more intense and narrower focus on issues and procedures related to our specific circumstances, something completely feasible considering the small class size and time allotted for the course.

These are, of course, minor complaints that can be attributed to Herr Anwalt’s inexperience in teaching this course and I am sure he will improve his style over time.  Overall I was very pleased with the structure of the course and the amount of information that I got out of it.  Herr Anwalt put together a great handout consisting of descriptions of and requirements for each of the visas, residency statuses, and paths to citizenship available; he created a class atmosphere that was comfortable and conducive to students asking questions and that facilitated discussion between the students, Herr Anwalt, and the other agency representatives; and he provided us with his contact information and seemed genuine when offering future assistance and advice.  Most importantly I think that every student walked away with more knowledge and a greater confidence in  their ability to navigate the murky waters of the German bureaucracy.  Kudos to the city of Schweinfurt, the Volkshochschule, and Herr Anwalt for lending a helping hand to a poor, needy immigrant from the shores of Lake Erie.

Finally, I created this post at the behest of a local blogger, podcaster, Twitterati, and all around cool guy, Florian Kohl.  If you are so inclined, check out his blog at FlorianKohl.de