Mriidul moved from India to Berlin and works as a Marketing Manager in Berlin. In this interview Mriidul shares his honest story and journey to Berlin.
WHERE DO YOU WORK?
After four long months of job hunting, I finally landed a part time role as a Social Media Booster and Freelance Content Writer in Berlin, a job that promised remote work, exposure to global brands like Netflix, KFC, and Subway, and even paid €27/hour during the training period. Sounds amazing, right? Trust me, I was over the moon and even asked my Indian friends to tell me what I could get for them from here. But like many newcomers, I got conned. It was a scam. Just like that, I was back on the job hunt, a little hurt but still hopeful. Maybe it’s time Talent Berlin gave me a shot? I promise I come with charm, skills, and a very real Berlin story (hehehe... but seriously, hire me).
WHY DID I CHOSE BERLIN?
I come from a close knit Indian family where studying abroad isn’t just a personal, it’s actually a collective dream, to be honest being the first to pursue higher studies overseas, I carry the hopes of my entire family with me, yes this is very true. After completing my bachelor's and gaining two years of experience as a Social Media Manager and Sales Associate, I knew it was time to grow further, hence i chose Berlin for its perfect mix of opportunity and culture. Berlin to me feels grounded, just like home, the city is not just a creative hub, but a place that welcomes simplicity, and ambition, like many i could have considered the UK, US, or even Canada, but Berlin stood out for how real and human it felt. That mattered to me more than any ranking ever could. I’m here not just for myself, but for the generations before me who never had this chance and the ones after me who now believe they can.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BERLIN?
It’s not that challenging to write what I love the most about Berlin; the place doesn’t ask you to change, it just lets you be. Back home in India, there’s a sense of community with which there’s also a lot of pressure to fit into certain moulds. Berlin feels like the opposite. It’s chaotic yet calm. I love that I can study in a multicultural classroom during the day, and by the end of the night I can walk the empty paths of the city with that shining moonlight showing me my way ahead. There’s no single way to “belong” here, because Berlin is built for differences. This place doesn’t care what your background is; it gives you a space to grow and room to breathe.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU HAD TO OVERCOME, AND HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO DO SO?
It’s just been four months, meanwhile it feels like I’ve lived completely a new life. Back home in India, I was pampered, from meals to daily chores everything was taken care of. Now in Berlin, I juggle with my master’s classes, German language classes, grocery runs, and frequent visits to finance offices. Cooking, cleaning, budgeting, yep i have learned it all. Ordering food with my basic German feels like preparing for a performance, and despite holding an honours degree and two years of experience, finding a part-time job here is still a struggle. There are moments when I feel overwhelmed, not by the workload, but by how much I’ve changed. Still, I hold on to the little things that remind me of home. Even though there are ready-made rotis available, I still knead my own dough every evening, because that soft, fresh bread reminds me where I come from, it’s a piece of my identity, and holding on to that, while building something new, is how I grow.
WHO OR WHAT HELPED YOU SETTLE IN BERLIN?
No one really holds your hand here or anywhere you step outside your home country; you learn to figure things out alone. My first week, I got lost trying to find the Bürgeramt. Google Maps was not helping, announcements were in German, and I had no one to call. But maybe that was the moment I truly “arrived”. Since then, YouTube videos and strangers who smiled back when I asked for help have become my survival kit. Sometimes, it was just a kind cashier who slowed down their German and pointed me to the right building. But mostly, it was me. Waking up every day and showing up to classes, cooking after long nights, keeping my home clean, and pushing through language barriers, I became my biggest support system. I wasn’t welcomed with open arms, but it taught me the will to stand up every time I fell lost.
“Berlin isn’t easy, but it slowly turns you into someone who can handle anything.”
WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE TO EXPATS TO HELP THEM GET STARTED IN BERLIN SMOOTHLY?
Don’t expect Berlin to roll out a red carpet, but if you stay patient, it will teach you more than any guidebook ever can. Start with the boring yet crucial things: register your address (Anmeldung), open a bank account, and sort out your health insurance early, because German bureaucracy won’t wait for your comfort. Learn basic German; “Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch” can get you surprisingly far. Join student groups and WhatsApp communities, and most importantly, embrace the discomfort, the tasteless rotis, the delayed trains, and the random tears in the middle of an empty street, because each struggle will quietly make you stronger. Berlin isn’t easy, but it slowly turns you into someone who can handle anything.
