On September 23rd, around 30  Bosch Alumni and current fellows in the Berlin area gathered for ‘Brews and Views’ networking night in Berlin. As summer draws to a close and the Bosch 35 Fellows prepare to enter their first Stages, the event provided the perfect opportunity to exchange on the major differences in workplace culture between Germany and the U.S. The Berlin alumni were well prepared to share stories on the topic, not only from their Bosch year but also from their current experiences working in Berlin. The stories ranged from amusing anecdotes about deciphering all the different types of ‘Grüße’ you can end a professional e-mail with to the practical advice on how to gather the courage to knock on all of those closed doors in a German office. One alumni gave advice on how to navigate Cafeteria culture – including etiquette for booking work lunches weeks in advance, how to avoid the post-lunch food coma and to prepare for the fact that – despite it always being presented as a new idea each day –  you will always go for a coffee after lunch.

In addition to exploring these cultural differences, current fellows also used the opportunity to seek advice from alumni on finding the right stage, what to expect in those first weeks, and how to proactively shape the experience. Bosch 35 has a great group of new fellows and the Berlin alumni look forward to this being the first of many opportunities to connect over the course of the year.