The time has come after working for uncle sam for the last 11 years here I need to go back to the states the only problem is I don't really want to. I've lived in Germany for longer than any single place in my adult life I've adapted to the German way of doing things and speak while not fluently German. There is no real hurry as there isn't many jobs in my career field in the states (12 to be exact) but it's time for me to poop or get off the pot. I'm not some super system admin/Linux guy but after years of Linux on the home front a little formal education and a cert I think I could be functional and talk myself into a position as a system admin (server driver). To our German members since as I understand it tech still really isn't a thing here and is one of those things you can still get an Arbeitserlaubnis for what are hiring managers looking for? I don't need a sponsor as I've married one I just need a job paying in the mid 40K a year and figure my Linux "skills" might be more valuable than my ability to make pretty pictures in Ps. I'm willing to work in BW or Bavaria, I can get uncle sam to pay for Red Hat certs but my degree is in business admin which is very much not needed.


Any Advice?

Have you looked in the Jobs forum? http://jobs.linuxquestions.org/

I just glanced at it and there do seem to be a number entries from that general part of Europe. It also seems to presage the upcoming LQ theme.

Hi...

Perhaps I'm misreading you here but don't try to "sell what you don't have." Be honest about what your experience levels are, that way you won't run into any surprises if/when you land a job.

Regards...

Ditto ... "When I read your initial post, I'd say that you are your own worst (sales ...) enemy!"

Remember: "in business, you don't get what you deserve ... you get what you negotiate sell." If you don't fundamentally believe in yourself, then, "neither do I, and why on earth should i?"

Therefore, it's time to shake-off the old habits that come from "working for Uncle Sam," which, like any good Government, is fairly tolerant of ... ahh ... mediocrity.

I'm going to presume that you are either a US Citizen or, by now, a dual citizen, and therefore that you have no legal obligation to return to the mainland. (And if you "know stuff" and/or "did stuff," remember: "don't ask, don't tell.") I'm also going to presume that you, in fact, "know a great deal more about Linux (et al ...) than you rather-deprecatingly let on in this rather-mournful post." So, you certainly can 'get a job anywhere' ... as soon as you create and execute a plan for doing so!

Therefore, it's time for you to set about creating a sales business plan for your future!

• First of all, where do you want to live? (... next?)
• What do you want to do? (... next?)
• Who do you want to work for?
• What does that employer badly(!) need, that you can do and enjoy(!) doing?

Tom Watson, Sr., the founder of IBM Corporation, used to tell this story to his salesmen: "Getting a new job for yourself" is a business activity: the time-honored business of selling. Obviously, if you have not yet thought of it in that way or considered how to do it, that's your first step. (If you have not yet bought your copy of "The Little Red Book on Selling," do so now.) "Fuller Brushes never sold themselves, and neither did mainframe computers."

No one ever gave you a job, and no one will ever give you "a job worth having." You have to land it ... by figuring out what bait to put into the water, then where to put it, then spending time out there in the hot sun with nothing more than a fishing pole, then, finally, being "lucky." (sic ...)

"Luck favors the well-prepared."

This is more of a thinking out loud and research thread. I'm going to have to pick up some new skills if I'm going to do this and I'd like the USG to pay for them but I'm not going to attend random classes and waste money. I would ask this stuff in real life but I don't know anyone in the white collar corporate world here. The white collar workers I do know are my wife's friends from the university and they haven't been corporate world in years and it's been 11 years since my wife left the private sector so she and they are no real help. Moving every couple years was fun but now that I've been in place so long it scares me a bit so I need to decide whether to throw myself back on the Army train of get off at this station.

I'd find some small one horse town with a small City Office that needs one computer tech support person.

If a guy like me can be offered a computer tech support job with my background. You should have no problem either. A small working environment is friendly and cozy where everyone either gets along, or someone has to leave to keep everyone happy.

City government in Germany has dipped its toes into using Linux. I am sure there are some small towns that are like , "oh boy, here we go".

You won't get rich with my plan. But you may be comfy. The town manager is the one doing the hiring and firing and makes positions available and sets the salary. At least in my one horse town.

Just thinking out loud like you is all. I'd never want a job involving computers or linux. That would take the fun out of it for me. So I am in the process of turning my quonset hut from motorcycle shop to a pet day care center as I retire. Stress free work environment for me.

Good luck with this. You can take my suggestion or leave it. Just posting something you may not have thought of.

Browse the job boards, want ads, whichever is more appropriate in Germany and firstly see if there are jobs that fit for you at all. Having a career direction is great, and one would think that you'd seek out jobs which can help you there. Not sure if you're there in the military or as part of the US Government. And also not sure if things are changing due to some external reason, or just your preference. Family also factors into this. Such as if you have dependents, versus not. But if I loved an area I'd find a job I could do, to stay there, be that Linux or something else.

Best of luck.

I considered living in other countries when I retire. Found out that you can't easily stay too long without paying a huge amount to some agency or investment. I did notice that the countries that do this also seem to just let undocumented worker stay there forever. I'd learn to live like an undocumented work. Might pay more.

Wouldn't a Federal job let you apply for other Federal jobs?

Yes but I've been here long enough that if I want to stay appropriated fund I have to rotate back to the States.

In Japan about the only way a non native could get work was to work in a foreign school. Wonder if Germany is the same. Could you teach technology in a German foreign school?

Is there no Federal jobs there in tech? Seems like some sand crab work ought to be there on bases or embassy.

Rather doubt you'd get on strictly in Linux. That would be sweet.

There is a hard and fast rule that those who are appropriated fund will rotate back to the States period. I came here on emergency leave while in the service in late 2004 and left after my daughter was born in July of '05, I got out of the service in November of 2005 and came back. It took me three months to find a job and that was fixing AMF pin spotters at the local bowling alley. I left that job in the summer of 2007 to take over the management of a community club, I got it to make money but it was decided not long after that my club would make a great special events center so I lost my job. In the spring of 2008 I moved back to the States and took over an Applebees in Yonkers NY that was loosing money in three months I had it in the red again. In the fall of 2008 my old boss told me I could come back and fix bowling machines again so I did. In July of 2009 a gentleman and former Infantryman hired me to come to work where I work now because in essence I speak Infantry and could make the local special forces group follow big army rules which I did. In the spring of 2013 after volunteering for about a year I took my compadres job as an illustrator which is where I sit now. I'm well set up for Army work I've got certification ranging from running rife ranges to Knowledge Management but nothing I have really translates to corporate Germany and I cannot stay any longer without pentagon or state approval. A couple years back it was made known that that the Army and state would be in compliance with DODI 1400.25 and I received an extension beyond that which requires 3 star approval.

TL;DR I cannot stay period so my choices are work on the German economy where I bring no valuable skills other than I could probably drive a server competently or teach business English or go back to the States and hang out with soldiers.

That's a bummer. I knew of people in the Navy that never left Japan for 30 years way back when.

Wonder if Germany is one of those countries that allow you to immigrate if you can prove heritage.

My wife is German so staying isn't an issue it's working

Ahh, sorry.

Hey guys,

Excuse me for intruding as I'm still 25 and not as experienced in life as all of you here(I think ).
As it happens I'm currently living in Holland and looking to move to Germany with my girlfriend.
I just graduated in electronic engineering.
I'm also looking for linux/unix-related jobs in Germany and I've found some at the bigger companies(these are engineering jobs though..), but looking at companies like Intel, Mercedes, BMW, IBM, Boeing etc. might help.

Good luck!