10 Years in Germany Summary

In the early hours of August 15, 2014, my family sent me to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. It was my first time boarding a plane to Germany. With two 23-kilogram suitcases and an 8-kilogram backpack, that was all I had. I wasn't sure what awaited me, but the excitement and curiosity in my heart far outweighed any anxiety or fear.

Today marks the 10th year since I came to Germany. Ten years is not something that can be quickly summarized in a thousand words, so I’ve briefly reviewed the major events of the past decade and wanted to record and share them here with you.

I hope this can provide some help and inspiration for friends planning to come to Germany or who are already here!

his decade can be divided into:

The first three years of studying 📖, the middle four years of starting work 💼 and growing 🧑‍💼, and the last three years of experiencing significant breakthroughs in both career 💼 and personal life 💕

🌟 2014-2017

✅ Prep-Semester + Master's in Management (internship + thesis)

📖 From August 2014 to February 2015, I took a semester of bridge courses with undergraduates at my university. My bachelor's degree was in English, and although I minored in finance during my last two years of college, I didn’t have enough credits to directly pursue a Master’s in Management in Germany, so I had to make up about 30 credits. That time was tough but joyful. I met many new friends from different countries, gradually opened up, and started adapting to life as an international student. Although the village bus, which came only every two hours, tortured me a lot ! The days by the Rhine River were always full of beautiful scenery, good wine, and a lot of boredom 😆.

📖 After two semesters, at the beginning of 2016, I went to KU Leuven in Belgium for a semester as an exchange student. That time was incredibly wonderful. However, I must say the academic pressure at KU Leuven was intense. I had never failed a class before, but during that exchange semester, I failed three out of six courses. Who said exchange semesters are all about relaxing and having fun?! They deserve a smack!

🧑‍💼 As my exchange at Leuven was ending, I began looking for an internship in Germany. I was determined to gain experience at a large company, so I applied to about half of the DAX 30 companies (excluding banks, insurance companies, and automotive companies). I received three offers in Frankfurt, Hanover, and Heidelberg. I chose Heidelberg without hesitation. After the exchange semester ended in August 2016, I moved from Leuven to Heidelberg to start a five-month internship. After the internship, I seamlessly transitioned to writing my thesis with the same department, as it was closely related to the project I was working on at the time.

💰 While writing my thesis, I worked part-time at a nearby bar twice a week (Friday and Saturday nights from 7 PM to around 3 AM). Due to some disagreements with my family about my future plans, I had to become financially independent first. That time was tough but also a unique experience. Economic independence is the foundation of everything‼️

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 It was also during the internship and thesis period that I made four close friends. We interned together, studied for our theses in the library, explored the city on foot, cooked, hiked, and partied together. They are my closest friends in Germany.

💼 In the summer of 2017, after defending my thesis and obtaining my Master's degree in Management, I stayed on at the company to start working.

I have to say, I was incredibly lucky in my career (perhaps all the luck in finding a good partner during those years went into meeting the right people at work 😂). Thanks to my performance during the internship, the department leaders liked me, so they immediately kept me on to write my thesis. Before my thesis semester ended, the team got a headcount, and they quickly processed everything, offering me a permanent contract. From a student visa to a work visa, and from graduation to full-time employment, the transition took less than a month. It’s not that I never felt anxious or hesitant, but I still chose the simpler path⛰️, and I don’t regret it!

🌟 2017-2020

✅ Four years in the same team within the business department

💼 I officially started working in August 2017. Although I stayed in the same team, my job content changed three times over the four years, from software testing to business analysis to product management. I didn’t stay in the same position for four years 😉. The idea of changing jobs arose later because the team disbanded, and I felt there was no point in staying. The team I spent those four years with was truly exceptional!

1️⃣ First, my former boss was a typical German ex-McKinsey consultant, meticulous and politically correct but also very kind and sincere. He valued team feedback culture immensely, and his office even had a whiteboard tracking the feedback he gave each team member weekly. He was an outstanding leader who stood the test of time. He also enlightened me on what true leadership in the workplace should look like 🙋‍♀️.

2️⃣3️⃣ Then there were two amazing ladies who were my mentors during my internship and later became my colleagues and friends. Interestingly, both were from the Americas—one from Mexico, the other from Argentina. We were great partners at work. They would point out my mistakes and give me constructive feedback, patiently answering my questions and sharing their experiences. Outside of work, we dined, partied, celebrated birthdays, and even traveled together. They are still very dear friends to me! Who says there’s no personal interaction in the German workplace? It’s just that your team isn’t diverse enough, haha.

4️⃣ There was also an Australian guy 🧔 who shared an office with me. He had a lot of fieldwork experience, and we could communicate with just a glance to signal it was coffee break time. One year, I even spent Christmas 🎄 with his family in Germany. It was a somewhat unusual winter Christmas for them, but that didn’t stop them from being incredibly warm and welcoming.

5️⃣6️⃣ Then there were two German colleagues, one with an Italian wife and the other with an Ecuadorian husband, who were the epitome of international and open-minded individuals. In the few collaborations we had, both gave me a lot of inspiration and valuable feedback. We also had a lot of fun during our team-building activities twice a year 🥳.

7️⃣ Finally, there was a German guy about my age who was also pursuing a PhD while working. He had an unusual sense of humor and social style, constantly complaining but still doing his job diligently and responsibly.

🌟 2020-2024

✅ Two internal job changes, promotion to management

💼 In 2020, my team leader was promoted to another department, and my colleagues either went on maternity leave or left the company. The Argentine colleague also decided to change jobs and move to Berlin, so the team disbanded, and I didn’t want to stay any longer! 😫 So, in August 2020, I signed a new contract and transferred from the business department to the IT department, starting a new phase in my career. During this time, I also applied for positions outside the company, but in the end, I decided to stay.

🏠 During the pandemic, I didn’t return to China for two and a half years, missed my brother's wedding, and didn’t get to say goodbye to my grandfather. There were many regrets, big and small. The company implemented short-time work, which made me cherish my health and the present moment even more. I spent a lot of time exercising, meeting friends, cooking, and practicing driving.

💼 In October 2020, I started a new job as an Scrum Master for two software development teams. Although I had some relevant experience in my previous job and had obtained two certifications, full-time practice was still very different. I was fortunate to help establish an internal agile community within the company and continuously learned and grew with other colleagues! One Scrum Master served as a sort of mentor for me, and we still have biweekly short meetings to this day.

⬆️ During the 14 months as an Scrum Master, I rediscovered myself, clarified what I liked and was good at, and actively participated in and organized various activities, truly embodying what a servant leader should be. I built connections, established my reputation, and then, just over a year later, was offered a management position by the department VP. After two weeks of hesitation, I decided to take the new offer with a mindset of trying it out and leaving no regrets. In early 2023, I switched from being an Scrum Master for software development teams to leading a team in the data 📊 department.

💼 Now, I’ve been leading a team of eight for just over 20 months. I’m the part-time Agile Coach for the data department, the Product Owner for the team’s product, and, most importantly, the leader of the team members. This job covers people, processes, and content. I’ve learned a lot and grown significantly. More importantly, I’ve once again expanded my knowledge, social, and capability circles. Life isn’t about always making easy choices, right?

Looking back on the past decade, I’ve lived in and traveled to countries (excluding Germany and China):

Belgium, United States of America, Austria, Netherlands, France, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Indonesia, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Vatican City.

How lucky am I to have visited so many different countries, seen so many different landscapes and cultures, and met so many different people and ways of life! Life is full of infinite possibilities, so cherish the present 💓.

Recently, I’ve started talking to some headhunters. I’m not sure when I’ll take on the next challenge, but I feel ready when the opportunity arises 😊.

I’m ready for the next decade in Germany!