Are there any language issues, or do some of the companies use English at work? While German is certainly a language I'd like to learn at some point in the future, being able to speak English immediately would be a big help.
Also, a slightly unrelated question--I'm a college student in the Bay Area. Would it be practical for me to intern at a company in Europe (say, in Berlin)? Because I would really love that, especially if the company was a startup.
My info is 15 years out of date, but at least at that point there were active programs for cultural exchange that placed american students at internships in Germany. Germany has an apprenticeship model (the "praktikum"), so interns flock there from all over the EU. Lots of spots available, so adding some Americans to the mix is easy.
I wish I had more detailed info at my fingertips but try googling or reaching out to the embassy and places like Goethe Institut.
I think this may be the program I was part of but not sure: http://www.cdsintl.org/internshipsabroad/iwagermany.php
Had no problem with English in Berlin. Anyone 35 and under will speak impecable English and when it comes to ordering doner kebabs, all you have to do is point. (Obviously, one should learn German eventually)
Funny story about döner kebabs---if you go to ANY kebab place, they will ask you if you want your kebab 'mit alles' (with everything). The funny thing is that (correct me if I'm wrong german speakers), the correct grammar for this question would actually be 'mit allem', but because every single kebab shop owner says it incorrectly, even the Germans ask with incorrect grammar.
No, the name of that stuff seems to be "scharf" (hot/spicy). The corresponding question is "Mit scharf?" ('With hot?') and is as grammatically incorrect as the one mentioned above. I have yet to figure out what that spice actually is.
Everyone speaks decent english. Some companies might prefer you to speak German in the office, but startup companies and tech companies mostly use English as well.
Which college? I interned as a student from Stanford, and Stanford actually paid for my internship. Internships tend not to pay so much, however, so don't expect too much money. But yes, you can definitely find work there. Are you a coder?
I'm currently doing EECS at Berkeley and am definitely a coder. I doubt Berkeley has any similar program, but nothing like that has ever come up--all of my internship talks and the like have been with the companies in question directly, leaving the university completely out of the loop.
Do you mean the internships in Berlin pay less than ones here, or just that internships do not pay too much in general? I think it would be a perfectly good compromise if I got to spend the summer abroad, especially if the cost of living is so much lower than here.
Coincidentally, this wouldn't be my first internship--I spent the summer at a company in San Mateo and now work part-time for a startup in San Francisco. I'm just getting tired of California.
I visited Berlin a couple of summers ago and loved it; I remember a calm city with very friendly people. I could definitely see myself moving to Germany at some point after graduating.
Hit up any of the companies advertising on http://berlinstartupjobs.com/ - if you are as proficient as it sounds, you should find a company that takes you on and also pays you a salary during your internship. Feel free to contact me if you need pointing into any direction or want a second opinion.
Go do it then---I was accepted to intern by 2 or 3 companies in a matter of weeks. Just make sure you have something to show them. You might have to settle for an unpaid internship thought, but good luck on finding a job.
