English-speaking bar jobs in Berlin

[laurenmhall 0]

I'm wondering if it's possible to get a job in a bar in Berlin as a very experienced English-speaking bartender who only speaks a little German? What's the best way to approach a bar for a job in town?

[warsteiner77 13]

Your best bet is going to be an Irish Bar. It's going to be best to go into the bar when it is not so busy so mid-week in the early evening would be ok. Just go up to the bar and ask if you can see the Manager - this worked for me many years ago. The sooner you do this the better as there will be quite a few people who are taking time off after studying and doing a bit of travelling looking for jobs in a month or two.

 

Good Luck!

[horseshoe7 270]

The Circus Hostel bar (Goldman's Bar) doesn't require you to speak german. www.circus-berlin.de

 

You could also try Belushi's bar as well. These are hostel bars. I recommend any hostel bar, since English is the language of the traveler...

[NT72 72]

best to practice that little bit of German you have before looking. at least have enough to say the usual, hello, how are you, what would you like to drink, that'll cost 2.60 etc etc.. fairly obvious advise i know, just thought you should have these few lines as good as you can before doing anything. of course the when someone asks you in German if you can speak German one can easily bluff that they can (by having practiced a string of typical sentenses which makeup the answer) speak it much better than they do. best of luck.

PS

The Oscar Wilde Irish bar might not be a bad one to try as the guy serving me the other day seems to work there a whole lot but doesn't speak very much German at all. and when he does, it's with a wild irish accent.

[NT72 72]

the oscar wilde is on Fredricks strasse as far as i can remember, in mitte.

[gordonthemoron 771]

oscar wilde is indeed on Friedrichstrasse, at the top end near Oranienburgerstrasse. However, it's my least favourite Irish Bar in Berlin

[NT72 72]

yea its not the best...nice pint though. whats the best one?

[milk 2]

Oscar Wilde, won't allow females to work behind the bar, in general. Something about a dangerous cellar just to let you know.

[Berlinerin 0]

The Irish pub at Hackescher Markt maybe? I know that there is an English speaking person working at the Ankerklause in Kreuzberg. Oh and the White Trash at Schönhauser Allee.

[warsteiner77 13]

The Oscar Wilde, Kilkenny (Hackescher Markt ), Irish Harp and Europa Centre all used to be owned by the same owners - Smith and Scanlon. There was also a bar in Reinickendorf but I don't know if that's still open. Their Admin offices were on the 1st Floor of the Bier Salon on the ku'damm as they also own this bar. Your best bet will be to either go into one of the bars and ask for a job or head to the Bier Salon and speak to the Admin people there.

[laurenmhall 0]

Great! Thanks everyone.

[lethbridge 0]

Hi all

 

I'm just looking for some help in looking for work, I'm leaustralian and speak German just above the A2 level but i'm in an intensive course at the moment!

I'm interested in finding out which bars and location if its possible of Bars known to hire people who mainly speak english, untill i can improve my German.

 

Thanks

 

Topics merged by admin

[berlinender 105]

You should try all the Irish Bars - e.g Oscar Wilde, Irish harp, Kilkenny.

[phoenix-rose 32]

Also, there's the ones that are hung out by alot of people here - ex. Erdbeer, Hairy Mary's. Then, there's also the Hostel ones - ex. Belushi's, Carousel, and so on. Might also check the "touristy" bars around Potsdamer Platz, Alexanderplatz, Zoo... they might want English speakers as they go toward the tourist season.

[JackOfHearts 0]

Hi all, new member of Toytown here, been having a scout through the pages the lst few weeks as I consider a move to Berlin this summer. Interested to find out what job opportunities are like for locals and travellers alike now with the whole "financial crisis" going on (I hear this phrase every day, so hate using it!!). I speak basic German at the moment but I am looking to step it up with time. Any hints/tips would be great! Thanks in advance!

[chrisc 14]

To be frank, the unemployment rate in Berlin is probably well over 18% by now. If you have not got a job lined up before you arrive, then make sure you have enough money to tide you over for a least a few months. Finding a reasonable job in Berlin is just not going to be that easy.

 

Article about Berlin written in 2006 (and things are much worse now): http://german-hawk.com/market_letter/06-3.html

[iline 19]

I agree with chrisc - if your German is shite, delay your arrival here until you can understand what a guy in uniform at your front door is saying to you - this happens quite frequently. I suggest you come with more than 2000 euros if you want to find yourself a flat and get a job and start at a sprachenschule here.

 

I am totally screwed (i have 15 euros total) as I didn't think about coming here, I just mindlessly booked a one-way flight and showed up. Do I regret a solitary second of moving to Berlin? Do I fuck. This place is incredible.

 

Get your UK tax/student loan shit sorted before you emigrate, or at least know how bad your finances in the UK are before leaving.

 

Learn how to make cocktails at home, and then concoct a bar-job CV so full of lies it'd make the 9/11 Commission Report blush - even if you're a monolingual parasite like myself, you could make a half-decent barman.

 

Talk to everyone here, Berlin has only 3.4 million inhabitants - so if you can't get on the guestlist for your favourite nightclub, you're not trying hard enough. Everyone knows everyone. This will help you find work in the end.

[JackOfHearts 0]

Nice one, thanks for the words of advice. I've visited Berlin before, and really enjoyed the place and the people I met so thought a longer stay would be good to really experience what life is like in Berlin. Obviously the situation with jobs isn't ideal, but maybe it's still worth a shot.

 

Iline, what's your next step now if you haven't got much money left? When did you arrive, and did you find it fairly hard going at first?

[murphaph 9,675]

 

I agree with chrisc - if your German is shite, delay your arrival here until you can understand what a guy in uniform at your front door is saying to you - this happens quite frequently. I suggest you come with more than 2000 euros if you want to find yourself a flat and get a job and start at a sprachenschule here.

 

I am totally screwed (i have 15 euros total) as I didn't think about coming here, I just mindlessly booked a one-way flight and showed up. Do I regret a solitary second of moving to Berlin? Do I fuck. This place is incredible.

 

Get your UK tax/student loan shit sorted before you emigrate, or at least know how bad your finances in the UK are before leaving.

 

Learn how to make cocktails at home, and then concoct a bar-job CV so full of lies it'd make the 9/11 Commission Report blush - even if you're a monolingual parasite like myself, you could make a half-decent barman.

 

Talk to everyone here, Berlin has only 3.4 million inhabitants - so if you can't get on the guestlist for your favourite nightclub, you're not trying hard enough. Everyone knows everyone. This will help you find work in the end.

Nice positive reply there. Makes apleasant change on here from some of the usual replies to this sort of question!

[TobyG. 220]

 

To be frank, the unemployment rate in Berlin is probably well over 18% by now.

Last month it was about 15%. But I guess it's rising again as I write this...