German unemployement adventures
I've had to register to the Arbeitsagentur to prepare to for my contract ending, and so far it's quite a mixed bad of emotions. They called me by surprise (bad) but spoke english (good) and were nice (good) but corrected my name and gender to my legal one (bad), and they asked for a Sozialversicherungsnummer which I have no idea about and my group secretary either.
German unemployement adventures
Next week they will call to interview me for an hour by phone, without guarantee that they will speak something else than german (I asked), and I have to prepare my CV and other papers. I'm wondering how they want to look at my CV by phone.
I can apparently also upload those papers on their website but it's an unclear mess and I don't see anything remotely called Dokumentenablage 
German unemployement adventures
I'm waiting for the phone call of the unemployment agency and I don't know what they will ask me or in which language so I'm very stressed 
German unemployement adventures
They asked what they could do for me and I was like "I don't know? I was asked to get an appointment so you tell me what to do?"
I was only understanding half because I'm not really familiar with bureaucratic german, I think they said I need to go there personally and the call was optional, if I need advice 
German unemployement adventures
And they explained that I need to register on the jobböerse website, because they see I don't have an account.
That's the website where I uploaded my documents because they linked to it in their email, through?
But they said there are two jobbörse accounts, one to find a job and one to get unemployment benefits, and I'm very confused but I couldn't formulate my confusion so I just said "ja" and "ok"
German unemployement adventures
They mentioned during the call that them accessing my username would change my password, and yeah, after an hour I can't log into the Arbeitsagentur website anymore 
Last time them changing my data to my legal name activated the account before I received the activation letter so my conclusion is that their website is a joke.
But they said I should receive a new password and an explanatory brochure within an week, so let's see 
German unemployement adventures
My contract ends in two weeks (or at the end of the month? Different people at my institute don't agree), so I thought it's time to deal with that!
I skimmed the 100 pages brochure in german from the Arbeitsagentur, good thing I spend spring 2020 on german youtube otherwise I would have had no idea what it says 
German unemployement adventures
The brochure says I just need to go there with my passport and proof of regitration, but internet says I need a lot more papers, so I guess I'll listen to internet and bike there way too early tomorrow (because they close at 12).
Looking forward to have to explain in bad german why my papers have two different names on them
German unemployement adventures
I did wake up early enough to finally go to the Arbeitsagentur today, I just needed to leave already in the past 
German unemployement adventures
Or, since I was supposed to leave 45min ago, what if I just have a second coffee and go there some other day 
German unemployement adventures
And again, time to leave if I want to make it there early and I didn't shower, aaaahh 
German unemployement adventures
I did it! There wasn't much wait, and the german was not too technical so I could understand everything (except when they asked if my contract had been prolongated, didn't know the word) and they were quite nice.
It was good I brought all the paperwork internet said to, because they asked about it and were happy I had the pension and tax numbers with me.
German unemployement adventures
I asked them how much I needed to be looking for another job while I'm still a student and writing my thesis, they were not sure and said they'll call me later, let's say half time so far. Let see what my professor says to that 
German unemployement adventures
I had just asked the group secretary about how much time I should be able to spend on my thesis, she said to ask for the same distribution as my contract say (half time work and half time thesis, which always confused me since all work might end up in the thesis)
Then the Arbeitsagentur counseller called me, said I should work full time in addition to the thesis, candidate to one job per week and accept the first position which accepts me 
German unemployement adventures
They asked how much I was currently working, and I made confused german noises, tried to remember how much the contract says we're supposed to be working (before the pressure of doing 2-3 hours more every day) and totally forgot what the secretary had just said 
German unemployement adventures
I'm getting a face-to-face appointment next week, so hopefully without the added difficulty of a half-broken phone I can try to explain I can't work 40 hours and graduate, I already burned out enough for this thesis
German unemployement adventures
I successfully clarified (not by talking but by showing the paper) that my phd contract states I work half-time (even if, in practice, work time and phd time are mostly the same), so now I only have to look for jobs up to 20 hours a week.
I asked what kind of jobs, they asked if I knew python, so I guess I'm going to be a part-time programmer next year
(I don't know, maybe I enjoy it)
German unemployement adventures
Maybe it could be a kind of low-pressure discovery time when I can try stuff and figure out what I want to do 
German unemployement adventures
If I'm going to not be able to empty my letterbox minimum once a day I have to ask the authorization first (which is already some ironic double-standard because their invitation letter to Thursday's appointment took a week and arrived after the appointment).
So I tried to register that I will still be away for a couple of days when my unemployment start, but I can't do that. They write that I ask for an absence more than 7 days in advance, it won't be approved.
German unemployement adventures
I'm still missing paperwork since the HR people who can fill them were already in holidays when I got them, so anyway I'm not losing anything by not being home. But still, why would it be bad to register an absence more than a week in advance, I don't get it
German unemployement adventures
@Yulran glad you’re okay!
German unemployement adventures
@vidak Thanks friend :D
German unemployement adventures
Also I'm glad to report I didn't slip on the decaying leaves on the bike path, I was quite afraid of it after I fell two days ago when trying to do a narrower turn than usual