• Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    If you work in academia, you don’t need to learn a new language. English is the working language. Also the 5 weeks of holiday is nice, but what really helps is the working day.

    I started as a bioinformatician a month ago. I come in to the office at 0830 have coffee from 09:00 til 09:45 with my boss and colleagues, work a bit, have lunch from 12:00 untill 13:15, work a bit, go home at 15:30. That’s my day.

    • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      Work in IT.
      Start at 9:00
      Lunch 13:00-14:00
      Go home at 18:00
      Commute (if construction does not tear up the main crossing) is around 30min 1-way with bus or a 15-20min bicycle ride.

      Experience: About 5 years without college/uni.

      • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Work in IT. Start at 9:00 Lunch 13:00-14:00 Go home at 18:00

        IT Job I left:

        • start at 8
        • coffee 10-1030-ish (sometimes like 11)
        • lunch at 12-13
        • second coffee 15-1530
        • leave at 1647, home by 1720 by train – tools down, muthafuckas
        • voluntary standby for 1/4 time and immediate double-time for callouts, sanctity of personal time otherwise.
        • union, 9x9 work term, no abrupt firings.
        • EXACTLY on the median base salary for my job+region, which includes dot-coms.
        • in north america, no less.

        Experience: About 5 years without college/uni.

        Experience: my soul.

        • Dr. Zoidberg@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Both of y’all are melting American brains trying to do the math on figuring out what times you’re talking about.

          Most Americans have no clue that 13:00 is 1:00pm because 12+1 is too difficult, and God help you if you say 22:00, because 22-12 might as well be euclidean geometry.

    • BigBen103@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Maybe you don’t need the language for work. But you will need te learn the language eventually for other day to day interactions.

        • Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Don’t know about other countries, but in Norway you always have the option of getting websites and government information in English. Everyone speaks it including cashier’s, cleaners etc.

          The same thing is not true in Germany and Spain.

          • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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            1 year ago

            but in Norway [:] English. Everyone speaks it

            Scandinavia is absolutely killing it for bilingualism, among so many other ways they’re killin’ it – no, really, other countries should just study them for clues in general. My experiences (just Sweden, Denmark and bonus Iceland, so far) is that they say Hej and listen for your “hello”, flipping over into beautiful and perfect English without hesitation. Their language programmes are just fucking astounding, really.

            Spain’s fine in the touristy spots, but Spanish itself is VERY accessible as a language, so it’s kinda moot like France.

            In Germany I will have to rely heavily on the kindness of strangers as I will never grok the language.

            • Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              They’re exposed to English every day from multiple sources. You aren’t allowed into university unless you can read and write English to a high level. Your text books are in English at university and classes open to exchange students are taught in English. All English media is subtitled. And school lessons in English start when they’re 6. No mystery, just practice.

          • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            1 year ago

            My experience is purely based on Germany and I hate it even as a native. Plus having ADHD and paper being a chore doesnt help at all

            Also most folks (in my experience of south west Germany) of age >40-50 have little experience with English and can’t converse beyond the most basics.

          • IuseArchbtw@feddit.de
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            1 year ago

            I would most certainly disagree that every person speaks English. Especially older people don’t, but in general many people here do not speak a good english

          • Redredme@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Dutchie here, we do the same. Everybody speaks (some form of) English, almost everything is also available in English.

            • Jazard23@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              This is true but also keep in mind that Dutch is still leading in most cases. E.g. if you have a contract that’s both in English and Dutch, if issues arise the Dutch translation will usually be the one that is followed

              • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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                1 year ago

                Dutch is still leading in most cases.

                Sint Maarten should check-in and tell us about the English-Dutch separation and the class system it all but foments. It’s 90% fascinating if 10% disappointing.

          • ezures@lemmy.wtf
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            1 year ago

            For some reason France really doesn’t like giving english (or any other than french) options on their gov sites. Every other country in the eu are fine.

            • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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              1 year ago

              In France, I feel French is heavily a part of their identity; and contrary to Americans fairweather-jeering their best revolutionary ally, the French do not surrender lightly. It feels like that’s the one thing even the poorest French person has, and taking away one iota of that will be met with a resistance we’ve learned to respect.

    • jigsaw250@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Seven hour day with an hour and fifteen minute lunch. What kind of magic is this? What’s the catch?