Games Testing Job in Germany + Passport Issue

Twilightning

Hey all,

I was recently just let go from my job. I was looking to leave it anyway and while I was still working there, I saw an ad on the FAS.ie website advertising a game testing position via a company in Frankfurt, Germany for Nintendo. I applied for it thinking nothing would ever come of it but low and behold they're asking me to travel to Frankfurt in a few weeks time for a couple of days for an interview for a testing team.

Don't get me wrong, I have a passion for video games, been playing them ever since I was 5, but moving to Germany would be a big step for me. I'm 20 years old and I don't have any qualifications as of yet. I don't know if I should take the leap and do it! As regards details about the position, they said this in an email exchange:

- The next projects are expected to start during April 2011.

- Interviews take place here in Frankfurt.

- You would be working in the Frankfurt office of our client.

- You would be employed by our agency with an unlimited contract.

- The contract is based on a fulltime employment (40 hours/week).

- The working time can be either in shifts or based on normal time schedule (i.e. 8.30 until 18.00) from Monday to Friday.

- Your salary would be approx. 1.200 EUR net/after tax per month based on an average of 8 hours/day and 21 working days/month (i.e. working tax, social security etc. already included).

I also asked if they'd help me find a place to live and they said they would, and also asked if I'd have to learn German (I took French in secondary :P) but they said most people in Frankfurt speak English anyway.

As regards the passport issue, my passport's been expired since September and the interviews take place in 2 weeks time. I have enough money to get over there within the time period but I have no passport. Can I get an emergency one on such short notice just to do my trip over there?

Thanks guys!

helimachoptor

If you go to the passport office and show them this they'll do up a passport pretty quick for you.

Kazuma

I'm betraying my own ignorance here...but is a passport necessary?
I would have just assumed that any valid form of ID would get the job done. But I could be totally off the mark, sorry in advance if I am.

(on a side note though, go for it. It will be a very good experience - not sure why you wouldn't want to learn the language though. speaking from the perspective of an ex-testing and localisation person)

Gloomtastic!

Maybe I'm being paranoid but make sure, possibly before you travel, that the job is kosher and there are no 'fees' payable to the agency to process your application.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

He'll definnitly need a passport. For one thing, I's assuming he's flying. Also, Germany is part of the Schengen agreement, whereby members don't need passports to enter one another. Unfortunately, Ireland is not in this agreement, so he'll need a pssport.

Regarding the OP - yeah, take the job, why not? It might turn out to be short term, but what have you got to lost? It's only a 90 minute flight home.

You'll get more info from expats in Frankfurt here.
http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index.php?showforum=88

RedXIV

As above, if you go into a passport office with that you should be able to push for one faster. Nintendo are good to work for too and their German office is well run and they do look after their people. I know a guy based out there and really enjoys it.

Both him and another guy I used to work with both remark upon the fact that English is widely spoken but you'd be suprised how much German you'd pick up just being in the country.

If you find you don't like it, you can always come back and with Nintendo testing exp, you should be able to get into any of the other games testing jobs around Ireland.

Go for it OP, its a great opportunity!

testicle

1200 a month net isn't very much.

Twilightning

Kazuma wrote: »

I'm betraying my own ignorance here...but is a passport necessary?
I would have just assumed that any valid form of ID would get the job done. But I could be totally off the mark, sorry in advance if I am.

(on a side note though, go for it. It will be a very good experience - not sure why you wouldn't want to learn the language though. speaking from the perspective of an ex-testing and localisation person)

Experience would be the main reason I'd do it. I know the money isn't astronomical but if it means I get to live comfortably doing something I love, I could care less. I'm only 20 and I've already had my fair share of jobs I've loathed and dreaded going into everyday. This would make a welcome change.

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Maybe I'm being paranoid but make sure, possibly before you travel, that the job is kosher and there are no 'fees' payable to the agency to process your application.

I was worried about this too and I was keeping an eye out to make sure the issue of me forking over money to them didn't come up and to date it hasn't. I'm talking to one of their representatives from this site here. Do you guys think it's legit?

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

He'll definnitly need a passport. For one thing, I's assuming he's flying. Also, Germany is part of the Schengen agreement, whereby members don't need passports to enter one another. Unfortunately, Ireland is not in this agreement, so he'll need a pssport.

Regarding the OP - yeah, take the job, why not? It might turn out to be short term, but what have you got to lost? It's only a 90 minute flight home.

You'll get more info from expats in Frankfurt here.
http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index.php?showforum=88

Yeah, passport would be my top priority right now. This is something I'm going to have to think right through but I really want to go for it. I've got nothing going for me here. And thank you! That link was really helpful, it'd be useful for me should I end up over there in the next while!

RedXIV wrote: »

As above, if you go into a passport office with that you should be able to push for one faster. Nintendo are good to work for too and their German office is well run and they do look after their people. I know a guy based out there and really enjoys it.

Both him and another guy I used to work with both remark upon the fact that English is widely spoken but you'd be suprised how much German you'd pick up just being in the country.

If you find you don't like it, you can always come back and with Nintendo testing exp, you should be able to get into any of the other games testing jobs around Ireland.

Go for it OP, its a great opportunity!

So I'll just print out a few of the emails and explain my situation and they'll put it through a bit faster? Would it be an emergency passport? I wouldn't have thought a regular one would be pushed through in as soon as two weeks.

And that's good to hear about your friend working for Nintendo over there in Germany, it certainly gives me a lot more piece of mind about what I'm getting into.

Twilightning

testicle wrote: »

1200 a month net isn't very much.

Well the job I was just let go out of was paying me €7.49 an hour. Anything's an improvement over that.

Boom_Bap

Cost of living in Germany is much much cheaper than Ireland.

Twilightning

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Cost of living in Germany is much much cheaper than Ireland.

I didn't know that! I thought it'd be just more of the same. And if all else fails I can just shop at Lidl there right? :pac:

briano

Twilightning wrote: »

I didn't know that! I thought it'd be just more of the same. And if all else fails I can just shop at Lidl there right? :pac:

Lidl? Oh la la Mr Fancy Pants. Try Plus!.

I just took a look at the http://www.fitarbeiten.de/ site; they are a recruitment consultant, not the company who would be hiring you.

Before you go anywhere make sure that you will be interviewing with the company (Nintendo, I guess), not with the recruitment consultant. If it is just a pre-screening interview with them (that they do before sending your CV on) I would be hesitant to go over myself.

Eoin

Twilightning wrote: »

I didn't know that! I thought it'd be just more of the same. And if all else fails I can just shop at Lidl there right? :pac:

Frankfurt is definitely way cheaper. Our office over there has a subsidised canteen and it costs around €3 for a hot dinner, and that's considered too expensive for a lot of the staff!

Dont be at yourself

Twilightning wrote: »

Hey all,

I was recently just let go from my job. I was looking to leave it anyway and while I was still working there, I saw an ad on the FAS.ie website advertising a game testing position via a company in Frankfurt, Germany for Nintendo. I applied for it thinking nothing would ever come of it but low and behold they're asking me to travel to Frankfurt in a few weeks time for a couple of days for an interview for a testing team.

Don't get me wrong, I have a passion for video games, been playing them ever since I was 5, but moving to Germany would be a big step for me. I'm 20 years old and I don't have any qualifications as of yet. I don't know if I should take the leap and do it! As regards details about the position, they said this in an email exchange:



I also asked if they'd help me find a place to live and they said they would, and also asked if I'd have to learn German (I took French in secondary :P) but they said most people in Frankfurt speak English anyway.

As regards the passport issue, my passport's been expired since September and the interviews take place in 2 weeks time. I have enough money to get over there within the time period but I have no passport. Can I get an emergency one on such short notice just to do my trip over there?

Thanks guys!

I used to work for Nintendo in Frankfurt (not as a tester though). In my experience, they can be a bit of a nightmare to work for. Their HR department is very disorganised, and there's often a lot of problems for agency staff.

Frankfurt's not much cheaper than Dublin. You'll save on food, beer etc, but rents are probably higher, and most apartments come unfurnished. Nintendo's not in central Frankfurt any more, so you'll also need a monthly train ticket (around 80e).

On the plus side, it's an English speaking office and you'll meet lots of nice people. There's good social life. You'll get good experience of QA in the videogame industry, and it should help you if you plan on working in the industry for a career.

MASTER...of the bra

This

RedXIV wrote: »

Nintendo are good to work for too and their German office is well run and they do look after their people. I know a guy based out there and really enjoys it.

Both him and another guy I used to work with both remark upon the fact that English is widely spoken but you'd be suprised how much German you'd pick up just being in the country.

This

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Cost of living in Germany is much much cheaper than Ireland.

This

Eoin wrote: »

Frankfurt is definitely way cheaper. Our office over there has a subsidised canteen and it costs around €3 for a hot dinner, and that's considered too expensive for a lot of the staff!

and then this....

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

I used to work for Nintendo in Frankfurt (not as a tester though). In my experience, they can be a bit of a nightmare to work for. Their HR department is very disorganised, and there's often a lot of problems for agency staff.

Frankfurt's not much cheaper than Dublin. You'll save on food, beer etc, but rents are probably higher, and most apartments come unfurnished. Nintendo's not in central Frankfurt any more, so you'll also need a monthly train ticket (around 80e).

On the plus side, it's an English speaking office and you'll meet lots of nice people. There's good social life. You'll get good experience of QA in the videogame industry, and it should help you if you plan on working in the industry for a career.

I hate threads like this.

peasant

I don't think that you would be emplyoed directly by nintendo with this setup. The way I read that fitarbeiten website is that they are a contract employer ...so you'd be "agency staff".

Still worth a cheap flight to Frankfurt though to have a closer look.

Twilightning

peasant wrote: »

I don't think that you would be emplyoed directly by nintendo with this setup. The way I read that fitarbeiten website is that they are a contract employer ...so you'd be "agency staff".

Still worth a cheap flight to Frankfurt though to have a closer look.

They said to me in an email that Nintendo wants to interview me, not the agency.

Chessala

Hey,

I used to live near Frankfurt (originally German) so maybe I can give you some hints.
It's true that costs for food and esp. alcohol and tobacco are way lower in Germany. If you stick to Lidl, Aldi and Rewe you shouldn't get off too expensive (Plus is actually not recommended, rather expensive compared to the rest). Minimum wage in Germany is 7,50€/hour.

Apartments in Germany are in 99% of all cases unfurnished. People in Germany prefer to have their own things to feel at home properly. So calculate that you have enough money to buy some stuff for you, I recommend IKEA. Also be aware that not all apartments in Germany have kitchen appliances. It is very likely that you encounter some that don't have any kitchen whatsoever, so you would have to buy that on your own as well.

When it comes to rent it varies from area to area. If you don't want anything too fancy you should be able to get something around 500-600€ a month including heating and water. Electricity is on you own. I used to pay 550€/month for a 2 room apartment. This means you have one bedroom and one living room+kitchen bathroom.

Well...that's all I can think of right now....hope it helps!

Chess