My Journey into German Tech: The Check24 Junior Full-Stack Role

Ein Neustart in Berlin – und ein bisschen Code

Okay, so here I am. Three months in Berlin, and let me tell you, it’s… a lot. The language, the culture, the sheer amount of amazing food. But I’m pushing through, and honestly, landing an interview for this Junior Full-Stack Entwickler role at Check24 feels like a massive step in the right direction. It’s a really interesting mix of AI, digital innovation, and travel – something that genuinely excites me.

The job description popped up online – you know, that URL: Read More – and I thought, “Okay, this could actually work.” I’ve been trying to build my German, and this role seems to need someone who’s willing to learn, which is perfect.

First Impressions & the Interview Prep

The whole thing felt a bit overwhelming at first. I’d spent the last week mostly just trying to order a Kaffee and Brot without accidentally asking for a full dinner! I realised I needed to ramp up my technical German, and I started digging into some of the questions they listed online – the B2 interview questions, especially. It’s helpful to see how they’re expecting me to talk about things like React or RESTful APIs.

I’ve been practicing with some basic questions. Like, they asked, “Beschreiben Sie Ihre Erfahrung mit modernen JavaScript Frameworks wie React oder Angular.” I just explained that I’m starting to learn about them, and I’m really interested in how they can make web development faster and more efficient – “effizient,” I learned, is so important here. And I explained that I use a lot of Github for my smaller projects back home.

The Conversation & Some German Reality

The actual interview went pretty well, surprisingly. The guy, Steven, was really friendly. He explained the role – basically, they’re building web applications and databases for their online platform. He said I’d be working with JavaScript, React… all those buzzwords! He even said they use DevOps practices, which sounds… complicated, but in a good way, I think.

There was a moment where I stumbled over explaining the difference between SQL and NoSQL. I said something like, “SQL is… like a spreadsheet, and NoSQL is… more flexible?” Steven just smiled and said, “Ja, das ist eine vereinfachte Erklärung. Wir werden das im Detail besprechen, wenn Sie anfangen.” (That’s a simplified explanation. We will discuss it in detail when you start.) It was a nice reminder to not get bogged down in technical jargon. I realised it’s more about understanding the principles.

I also had to explain my understanding of responsive design. I told him I understood that websites needed to look good on alle devices – phones, tablets, computers – and that it’s not just about making the text smaller. “Es muss anpassen!” (It has to adapt!).

More Than Just Code – Teamwork & Learning

What really stood out was the emphasis on teamwork and learning. They mentioned they use agile methods – “agile” seemed to mean working in short bursts, adapting to changes, and constantly getting feedback. And they stressed the importance of good communication. “Wir müssen gut zusammenarbeiten und klar kommunizieren.” (We need to work well together and communicate clearly.)

I even had to explain my understanding of the difference between the frontend and backend. It’s still a little confusing, but basically, the frontend is what the user sees, and the backend is what makes everything work behind the scenes. I said, “Frontend ist das, was ich sehe auf der Website, und Backend ist das, was ich nicht sehe, aber was alles macht!” (Frontend is what I see on the website, and backend is what I don’t see, but does everything!)

The Next Steps & the Future

They offered me a structured Einarbeitung (orientation), which is amazing. It means they’re not just expecting me to know everything right away. And they talked about some really cool projects – integrating AI models into their applications. That’s what I’m really excited about!

Honestly, it’s still a big step, moving to a new country and starting a new job, but I feel like this role at Check24 could be a great opportunity for me. And who knows, maybe I’ll even start building a travel app using all these new skills! I’m definitely going to keep practicing my German – I even managed to order a Bier (beer!) without any problems the other day. That’s a small victory!

Resources for Learning

Here’s the link again, just in case: Read More