Finding Part time job in Ingolstadt

Well!! the time has come when we should talk some money. Finances are one thing that i had to always take care of. The thought of 8000 euro's needed for Visa extension has always kept me working.Also one cannot always be dependent on their family for money and at one point of time you need to take care of yourself.

In the beginning it seems really tough as an Indian student (its valid for all foreigners) to work part time, study, applying for internships and thesis (i will cover this in my next post) and last but not the least learn the language. But when you are motivated then every thing is possible. Having said that, lets come back to the point " Part time Job in Ingolstadt". Since i am engineer, there is always an urge to explain everything systematically and in steps. And the steps follow:

1. Documents needed:

Work permit (Arbeitsgenehmigung): 
That was obvious. Since most of us come with a temporary visa (valid only for 3 months) which does not give you the permit to work (unless you work with out a contract- BIG CRIME). So you can only work after you get a work permit. You would get your work permit along with your extended visa

Some important information:
As per the work permit, an Indian student (European students can work longer) can work for 120 full days or 240 half days. 1 full day = 8 hours. Also as a student you can only work part time during the semester (20 hours per week) and full time during semester holidays (35-40 hours per week). Minimum wage in Germany is 8.5 euros per hour. If your monthly income is more than 450 euros then you have to pay tax also (Anyways i don't understand the tax system-its complicated :P).

Social Security Number (Socialversicherung nummer):

When you register with an health insurance company (this is one of the things that you do in the first week of your arrival), then they also apply for your social security number, which you get delivered at your address in about a month. So don't worry!!

Bank account (Bank konto):

This should not be a problem. We all already have a blocked account when we come to Germany, that would suffice.

Tax number (Steuernummer)

In Germany, in order to keep a track of income and tax, every person is given a unique tax number. This tax number can be obtained from Finanzamt of the city, you are living in.
Address:
Esplanade 38, 85049 Ingolstadt

Opening Timings:      

• Monday - Wednesday: 7.15 - 12.30
• Thursday: 13.00 - 17.30
• Friday: 7.15 - 12.00

IfSG (infektionsschutzgesetz)

If you are planning to work in Gastronomic related job, then you need to get this document from a doctor. this simply states that the doctor has explained you about simple hygiene related issues and then you agree stating that you would take care of such things at work. The doctor would charge you 20 Euros for this certificate.

 2. ways for job search

 Online: In the present scenario every thing is available online. There are various websites available for job search. I used to simply search on google and then google suggested me various websites. SO simply trust google and get a job (search it as neben job)

Stores and Fast food chains: They are the best place to ask for jobs. I got my first job through directly entering the stores and asking if they have job. I was a bit shy in the beginning to ask for job by directly barging in but its normal in Germany. Just have a resume in hand when you get in stores. Most of the stores may also have advertisement on their doors, so keep your eyes open. Well my first job was at KFC :P Apart from the money, you also make friends and get to practice your German skills. Hence not a bad deal!!

Personal services: Another option is to submit your documents at the agencies and they find a job for you. But most of the agencies get you jobs as an operator in some industries, where you work in shifts. I personally preferred working at restaurants, because I could communicate more in German and also i had the freedom to select my timings.

Werkstudent: As a student, we can also directly apply in companies related to our academic field. Most of the companies offer student jobs. In which you just need to work for 20 hours per week and the job would be related to your field of studies. This is by far the best option for a student. As a work student you also have the possibility to make contacts in companies and also complete an internship or Thesis during your Practical semester. So, in my case I was working at KFC and simultaneously looking for a werkstudent job in companies.


I hope this Post will help you. Please send comments or ask questions. I would love to support you.

Anurag Singh

Learning German in easy steps

Well its been a long time.. but i was a bit busy because of lot of things going around in life. Studies, learning German, finding an internship, attending interviews, getting rejections.... I can go on and on.. the list is not gonna end.

But by now I have completed my first 10 months in Germany and during this time i have learned a lot and made lot of mistakes. Being an international student, the major challenge for me was learning the language. and I swear its damn easy, provided you are really very serious with it. Well out of my personal experience, I came up certain steps that helped me learning German. I thought of sharing it with you guys.

1. Join a language school:

You would find a lot of people, who would say its possible to learn a language without going to a language school. Well, I completely agree to such people but you must also understand the reason why we go to a school. At school you have an opportunity to learn from a professional. the teacher has a complete structure and are experienced with the best ways of delivering their know how. If you plan to learn yourself you are going to take a lot of time. I had a different situation, for me time was limited and i was not in a position to take risk. As a personal recommendation I would suggest you to join the best language school in the town and search for a course with different nationalities.

At school you will make friends and please please please stick to German when talking to them.

2. Manage your free time:

In our complete day we waste a lot of our time, as a language learner you can use this time and make your day productive. One way is to listen to radio while on the bus. Subscribe to podcasts from www.DW.de, listen to German music. They will help you getting use to the German accent. This step is very important as it trains your ear to German tone and pitch. Its not important that you understand the words but you should be able to listen to the words and identify them as single words and not just sounds. Deutsche-Welle is a good source for learning German. Depending on your level, you can subscribe to various courses available for free.

3. Read kids story books.

I know it sounds stupid but believe me it helps and its interesting too. Most of the famous fairy tales and kids books were written in Germany and hence it becomes very easy to find these books in second hand shop or at libraries. Read these books. Through these books you familiarize yourselves with basic words and vocabulary. You don't have to read it the entire day, just read 1-2 pages before going to the bed. It is not needed to translate each and every word. Just make sure you understand the gist of it. Remember to read it loud and clear.

4. Find a Tandem Partner:

There are many German's who are looking to improve their English. Find yourself a tandem partner, with whom you can exchange your language skills and learn from his. You can talk to your partner 2 times a week either over Skype or in person. You can register in these websites to find a tandem partner. :

https://www.tandempartners.org/
https://www.conversationexchange.com/

It is always better if you could find someone within your city, so that you can also meet in person. But if you don't find one Skype is always an option.

5. German movies with subtitles

Do not worry if you don't have German movies with subtitles. I will be continuously posting links to some movies and you can directly watch them online. In my next post's you will find the links.

I know that learning a new language can be very painful and frustrating but believe me you will love once you start to understanding it. At the end, i can just tell you that learning a language is something that takes time, patience and practice. Just follow the above steps and i am sure you can make it. I hope the blog helped you. please feel free to leave your comments.

Anurag Singh

City Registration in Ingolstadt

In order to keep a track of every citizen, the local residents registration office keeps a record of every person in the city. So, if you come to Germany for work or study, you have to register your new address at this office, commonly known as "Rathaus" (refer below: address and timings). You should register within one week of your arrival. You could also register with a temporary address, but you should get your address changed as soon as you have your permanent address.

If you are a student, so you would also want to apply for Visa extension, and for Visa extension the Ausländer (Foreigner) office would need a Meitvertrag (rent agreement) on your name, stating your address in the city. So make sure you have one before the application. The same is applicable for anyone applying for Visa Extension. Apart from this a lot of other documents are also needed which I will be talking about in my next Blog.

Coming back to registration, you just have to complete a simple registration form (Meldeschein) .The office is in the ground floor of rathaus, you need to just go straight inside and generate a token from the automatic token machine and wait for your number to be displayed on the screen. There are some 12 counters, so check for the counter when your number is displayed and go to your respective counter with the form and your Passport. Most of the employees here talk in German, so if you don't know German then it is better to go along with an interpreter. After the registration, a certificate is issued and handed out to you. Such a document is required, e.g., for applying for the residence permit and for opening a bank account.

Please note that the Registration Office needs to be notified of each change of address within one week

Please also note that it is very important to be registered without interruption in Germany. As recommended you should not cancel the registration if you are leaving for a short period (e.g. for a short term study or research stay in a foreign country or for a short term return journey home) because such an interruption will automatically lead to expiration of the residence title.

Address of City Registration Office:
33 Buergeramt,
Rathausplatz 4,
85049- Ingolstadt

Opening Timings:
Monday ans Tuesday: 
8.00 - 16.00
Wednesday and Friday: 
8.00 - 12.30
Thursday: 
8.00 - 18.00 
Saturday: 
9.00 - 12.30

Getting around Ingolstadt

As human beings we need to fulfill our basic need of socializing with other people and to now our surroundings to the best possible extent. But if you feel that you are new to this place and you don't own a private vehicle, then I guess the best way to travel is by using the public transport.

Like most of the cities in Germany, even Ingolstadt has a pretty decent transport system and one can easily survive without owning a private vehicle. But, I would personally recommend you to at least buy a bike, that would make your life way easier.

Coming back to point, that is, using transportation system in Ingolstadt.

DB Navigator:

In my previous blog, I had recommended you guys to download DB Navigator, this app will help you to plan your journey between two locations. All you have to do is simply enter the name of start point, end point, time and date of travel and the app would provide you with possible options of selecting the route along with the schedule of the bus. The app is user friendly and is also available in English. Apart from route planning, there are a lot other options also available so just help yourself.

Tickets

In Ingolstadt most of the bus stations have ticket vending machine and you can directly buy a ticket from that machine, the exact function of the machine may differ in different cities but one can easily change the language of instruction to English. But still if you don't feel confident enough, then unlike in other major cities in Ingolstadt, you can directly buy the ticket from the bus driver.

But if you are planning to travel on a regular basis, then I would suggest you to get a one time travelers pass from the INVG office, which will cost you much cheaper than buying tickets everyday. Also, for students there is a semester-pass available which will cost you only 90 Euros/semester.
To apply for these passes please visit http://www.invg.de/ But if you still have some confusion then you can directly talk to the concerned persons available at the Kundencenter, check the for details link  http://www.invg.de/service_kundencenter

Stopping the Bus

The next 4 bus stops are continuously displayed on the screen and also announced in the bus, So if you need to get down on the next stop then press the STOP button. You can easily find this button in every corner of the bus.


Maps

At first look, the transit map may confuse you, as they look very complex and resemble a circuit diagram from some physics textbook but if you try to study it for few minutes, then it becomes pretty easy to understand. For Ingolstadt there are two different transit maps- one for the night (Nachtlinien) and one for the day (Tageslinien). You can download it from: http://www.invg.de/linienplan . the map uses coding for different lines to make it easier to understand and you can also find these maps at almost every bus station (Haltstelle).


I hope with all the above information, it will be easy for the first timers and then with time get to know everything yourself. I hope this stuff is helpful for you guys!!

Bye and best of luck!!

How to reach Ingolstadt?

Servus!!

Now that you are planning to come to Ingolstadt, as prerequisite I would suggest you to download few apps- DB Navigator, BlaBlaCar and the map of Ingolstadt, this would make your life way easy in Germany.

Now coming back to the topic, Since we do not have an international airport at Ingolstadt, you will have to probably land at Munich, which is only 80 km from Ingolstadt. From Munich we have a lot of options available, but the most easiest one is to take a Bus X-109 from the airport itself, this bus runs every hour from the Airport till Ingolstadt ZOB. I have attached the time schedule for the same below.

Time Schedule for Airport Express X109

The cost of ticket for single person is around 20 Euros.
But if you want to travel even cheaper, then there are lot of people who travel by their personal car from Munich to Ingolstadt and you can find them on https://www.blablacar.de/ (app is also available) and schedule a pick-up. This is the cheapest option and would cost only 4-5 Euros.

But friends as a personal suggestion, I would recommend you to use the bus to avoid any problems.

Starters in Ingolstadt

Hello friends !! For starters Servus :)

I have Started this blog to help all of you (mostly the ones who are new in Germany) figure out your way in Ingolstadt. Well its very difficult to come to a new country without any friends and contacts and Hence here I am. Thank god ! I had some friends already in here Which helped me a lot in my initial days, but there are some who may not be that lucky. But do not worry guys, I will try and cover all sort of topics in my post's from finding accommodation to learning German.

Ingolstadt ZOB - Main Bus Station

It's already been 4 months, since I moved to Germany and I am yet to discover a lot about this place. I can still remember my first day here, I was excited and a bit scared full of emotions. It was very different from my country. I started from New Delhi and landed in Munich, it was a long flight but I was completely charged up to take in everything this place had to offer me.

This just the beginning and I have a lot to add to your boxes. So, in my next blog I'll be discussing about how to reach Ingolstadt from Munich and Frankfurt. Till then have a nice day and keep rocking !!

Do not forget to comment below and feel free to ask anything about Ingolstadt