I first arrived in Berlin in late July, originally to study a course on Europe, Migration, Refugees at Freie Universität (FU) Summer School, which was only for four weeks in August. Having no immediate plans to return to London since I had just graduated from university at King’s College, I was ready for new adventures in a new city and to embark upon the challenging but endlessly exciting prospect of learning a new environment and a new language. The first month at FU allowed me ample time to feel comfortable exploring and meeting the diverse and interesting crowd in Berlin, and the fact that it was summer made it even more exciting and lifted the general spirit immensely.

After August and the summer fun had passed, my plan was to find a job as soon as possible, for one thing to be more financially self-sufficient and for a second purely to give a daily sense of purpose and rhythm to my time. Indeed, it had been great to wander and have fun for several months after graduating, but now I wanted to deepen practical skills, even if it was merely doing language classes or volunteering for organisations or events.

So, I started doing those two things while remaining on the lookout for work possibilities. As I got to know more people in Berlin, I realised that the way the city works, with its complex web to find flats or even to find work are almost a test on yourself to challenge your survival and social skills. Put it simply: contacts are everything. Especially here. It’s the friend of the friend of a person you once met at yoga practice who might offer you the job of your dreams. Or it’s the ex-girlfriend of one of your friend’s flatmates who might have a spare room for you to sleep in when you have to move out. I quickly learned that you have to ask around as much as you can, be curious and open, but not too desperate either. Learning some German helped me a lot, so the local Germans didn’t think I was some other boring London expat who didn’t want to make any effort, so it helps to keep an open mind.

So how did I find my job? I received a random text from an Austrian girl living in Vienna, quite a few years older than me but who I actually met thanks to my dad, who works in the same industry as her. She said I have a friend who’s a journalist who might know someone working at Exberliner and can ask them if they’re hiring. I sent them my CV and a couple personal details, and a week later I arrived at the Exberliner office, expecting an interview, when it turned out to be my first day of work. Now to make things clear, in typical Berlin style, and typical journalism style, I am not paid and have no contract. All we have is a spoken agreement that I stay for three months and in return I have my writing in print at the largest-selling English magazine in Berlin. It’s nothing stable or permanent, but what in Berlin is?