How to Intern in Berlin

So you want to intern in Berlin. Maybe you've been taking German all through college, and want to be able to practice it. And after all, Berlin is an exciting city for students. Maybe you just want to live in a foreign country - and trust me, there are many reasons for wanting to do that, and think the best way to convince your parents to let you is by interning as well. Or maybe, just maybe, you really want to do an internship.

Since we're all part of the internet generation, you've probably googled "internship in Berlin" or some such similar thing. (In fact, that may be how you came across this article.) You've no doubt discovered that there are many companies willing to help you intern abroad. And that's wonderful. Truly, it is. But you've probably also discovered that most of those companies want you to pay them. I know, incredible. They want you to pay them money (Stay Easy Career starts at 620 Euros, Cultural Embrace at a hefty $ 2455, though this is offset by the fact that the program comes with language courses and housing), so you can work at a job for which in all likelihood you're not paid anything.

Why do they do this? And how can these companies exist? Certainly the first question is easily answered: they want your money. The second question is more complicated, but it can be explained by the fact that the companies do help you find an internship, as well as sorting through the bureaucratic struggles of getting registered by the police (a necessity in Berlin at least) and finding an apartment. The point is - the one I want to stress, is that you can accomplish all this on your own.

First of all you have some benefits of looking for an internship on your own, the most important perhaps being, that you're unlikely to find yourself pushed into doing an internship you don't want to do. In other words if you don't necessarily want to pursue a career, in say, tourism, you won't have to work in a tourism office just because you speak English. (If you don't know what you want to do in the future and don't mind shelling out the cash, then you may as well benefit from the convenience of having a pre-arranged internship.) Otherwise search the internet. I have a German Studies major and an Art History minor. Is it surprising that I wanted to work in a museum in Germany?

I chose to go to Berlin partly because the city is filled with museums (and it's a big city, so you should be able to find some satisfactory internship possibilities there even if you don't want to work at a museum), and partly because the city is still, eighteen years after the opening of the wall, insanely cheap. Since it's highly unlikely that you'll get paid for interning, unless you apply for scholarships at daad.org or www.usagermanyscholarship.org in advance, cheap is good. (As for your social life - students know about this advantage, and you'll find the city swarming with young Germans with whom you can practice your German over 3 Euro cocktails in Freidrichshain.)

So go ahead, search the internet for lists of companies. Then send them a cover letter - don't worry, a paragraph is all you need, and a resume. There's nothing wrong with cold contacting possible employers, and though not every place will need you, you'll be surprised how many people will be flattered that an American wants to work with them.

After getting an internship, you just need a room. Look at websites such as www.wg-gesucht.de. Berlin is a big city, so you may want to look at places near your internship position. That said, the transportation system in Berlin is great. Students tend to hang out in Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg. Stay clear of Wedding, Charlottenburg and Mitte. Within seven days of your arrival in Berlin, you'll need to register with the police. Ask your roommates where to do this: they'll know, it's mandatory for everyone. Americans can stay in Germany for three months without a visa. But that's plenty of time for a summer in Berlin anyway. Have fun!