When you first arrive in Germany, it is fun to explore the rich culture and history of this beautiful country. Hopping in the weekend to the country’s major cities is child’s play. Berlin, Frankfurt, Bonn, Hamburg, Munich, Hanover, Cologne, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Leipzig and Stuttgart, expats are spoiled for choice!

However if you are unemployed, once the initial excitement of your relocation fades, you may start to question your role here and how you can keep both your body and brain stimulated long-term.  This is especially true if you were working in your previous country of residence.

Here are six top tips to help expat women make the most of their time in Germany:

1.    Stay positive and keep motivated

Whatever the reason for moving abroad, the most important thing is to stay positive and motivated.  Do whatever it takes to keep a smile on your face when you are feeling lost, homesick or frustrated.  Exercise, join a sports club, socialise with new people, travel and explore, start a new hobby or write a blog, attend motivational seminars.  Find a way to keep your brain active.  

Inspiration is also priceless. Check out websites such as Expatica.com and ExpatWomen.com and read articles about women doing a range of amazing things in their new lives abroad.  Read the monthly magazines of local expatriate groups, grab some books about women abroad, read local expat blogs, and join local community groups such as the Expatica Community, Facebook, LinkedIn and Meetup groups to meet new friends in your area.

2.    Think creatively about work

If you do not have a job but think that you would like to work in some way, think creatively about what you can do.  Too many expats seem to limit their ideas or work abroad to what they knew before.  If you cannot work here in your field of choice, consider working virtually, as a volunteer (there are many worthy organisations here that need volunteers), study, learn a new field of work, or if your visa permits, start a business here doing something fun and inspiring.  You never know how the pieces of the puzzle will come together later.

Toma Haines of The Antiques Diva™ agrees.  Toma is an American who has lived abroad in France, the Netherlands and now resides here in Germany.  Rather than looking at the loss of her traditional career as a sacrifice to her husband’s career, she looked at her time abroad as the perfect opportunity to pursue her own ideas and passions – even if it took her a while to decipher what these really were.  To illustrate, before starting The Antiques Diva™, Toma thought about teaching gourmet cooking lessons, becoming a certified picture-framer and teaching English as a second language.  But, when she realised that her cooking efforts never came out the same way more than once, she hated measuring things (a disaster for a professional picture framer) and that she would pick up the grammatical habits of foreigners rather than correct them, Toma created her antique shopping tour business that now runs in several countries.

3.    Build Your Identity

Everybody needs to be ‘somebody’.  If you feel that your move abroad has stripped you of the identity that you enjoyed at home (from your workplace, school community, family ties, and so on), it is vital that you re-build your identity abroad as soon as possible so that you again feel like a valued ‘somebody’.  If you do not own business cards, get some made. They can be just for your name and contact details, or they can also include details of your profession, or desired profession.  

4.    Network

Expats need networks and they need them fast.  Expat executives need to network to facilitate business and gain local credibility.  Non-working expats, need to network so they know who to call for X, Y or Z – especially if they (or their children) are rushed to the emergency room and need a translator and/or moral support at 2am.  Make it a priority to get involved with some of the wonderful social, professional and/or women’s organisations in Germany. Germany has a very supportive expatriate community and new expats here will feel very welcome.

German Women’s Clubs:

Professional Women’s Forum, Hamburg
www.professional-womens-forum.de

American Women’s Club of Hamburg
www.awchamburg.org

American Women’s Club Cologne
www.awccologne.org

Berlin International Women’s Club
Email: info@biwc.de

International Women’s Club of Leipzig
www.iwc-leipzig.de/

Women's International business Initiative
www.womensbusinessinitiative.net/

European Professional Women's Network – Germany : Berlin, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt
www.europeanpwn.net/index.php?article_id=114

5.    Find Mentors

In addition to friends, seek mentors. These are people who can offer priceless knowledge gained from years of living here in Germany.  Mentors can be the heads of local business associations, presidents of local expat clubs, Community Liaison Officers in your organization, independent entrepreneurs who might provide the necessary impetus for you to start a business in Germany, and/or expat life coaches, who are typically longer-term, well-connected expats who know all about the local culture, expectations and challenges.

6.    Go Forth and Enjoy

Whether you came to Germany for work, business, love (Ask our new dating expert a question on Dating the Germans and view readers' Q&As on flirting with Germans)  the adventure or just the chance to start a new life, this dynamic region offers a wealth of opportunities for you to recreate your life and identity here.  So, make the most of your time here: be open to new ideas; think creatively about what you can do; try new things; believe in your abilities; and above all else… go forth and have the time of your life!

Andrea Martins / Expatica

Andrea Martins is the Director and Co-Founder of ExpatWomen.com, the largest free global website helping expatriate women living overseas.

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