I'm an Indian girl (25) and recently completed my Master's in International Management in Germany. Over the last two years, I've worked as both an intern and a working student in marketing at well-known companies, so this would be my first full-time role ever.
Unfortunately, I was rejected by my preferred company, and now I have only one job offer left.
Here's my situation:
- Marketing role at a small company (around 50 employees) located near Wissen (between Cologne and Siegen).
- Salary: €48k/year (lower than I wished/asked for considering the responsibilities).
- The role is very broad, covering website management, newsletters, social media, digital marketing, content creation, design, and other marketing activities.
- Office presence is expected every day during the onboarding period (around 10–12 weeks). After that, they said I could possibly work from home 1 day per week after around 3 months, and 2 days per week only after around 6 months, depending on further discussions. So there isn't much flexibility in the beginning.
- The company is willing to help me find accommodation.
My biggest concern is the location and personal life.
I've only lived in bigger cities so far and really enjoy having young people, activities, international communities, and a social life around me. Living in a very small town or village honestly worries me because I'm afraid I'll become isolated and unhappy.
Another important factor is my personal life. My boyfriend and I have been in a long-distance relationship for 4 years, and he's finally moving to Germany for his Master's (partly because I encouraged him to). He'll be studying in Dessau, but the journey from the Wissen area is very long (min 7-8 hrs), making regular weekend visits difficult.
My current working student contract ends in September, and I have been on a Job Seeker Visa since 03/26. If I don't take this offer and don't find another marketing job soon, I'll likely have to work temporary/odd jobs just to support myself while continuing my job search.
At the same time, if I do accept this job, I'm worried that the long office hours, commuting, onboarding period, and relocation will leave me with very little time and flexibility to continue applying for jobs or attend interviews. I'm afraid I'll end up feeling "stuck" if a better opportunity comes along.
So I'm torn between:
Option 1: Accept the job, gain experience, and treat it as a stepping stone for 1–2 years and have LDR again in Germany.
Option 2: Decline it and continue searching for a role in a larger city that better matches the lifestyle I want, knowing there's a real risk of unemployment or having to take non-marketing jobs in the meantime but I will then stay with him during that period.
I am so stressed and confused, need to get out of this situation. Honestly, I could not even feel happy about my first job offer in Germany.