really the only thing I've learned since coming to Germany is that stereotypes are the most truest things that have ever been invented (and not in the true dogg kind of way, but in the certain, undeniable, handed-down-from-God kind of way). As my internship winds to a close, the Deutsche Bank requires my boss to fill out a "Beurteilung" on how well he thinks I did. In case your German isn't as wunderbar as mine, Beurteilung is literally the word for judgement. It's a four-page long document consisting of various aspects of intern performance (knowledge, social skills, quality of work, etc) and a grade is given for each aspect. Basically the German Gods have come forth to evaluate my self-worth. And in case you think that's a bit extreme, I go to Princeton, grades are everything.
For those of you who've forgotten, these are Germans we're talking about. They don't pussy around with their opinions: If you suck, they're gonna tell, and they're not going to be concerned about your self-esteem when they do. Needless to say, I was a little nervous about my value as a German worker. Thankfully, they don't get bogged down by the details like, "you showed up 30 minutes late every day," "you were severely displeased when you had to stay past 8," or, "you took your aggression towards our entire country out on the other intern." Unfortunately this left time for more glaring flaws in my interning: "you know nothing about finance. or math.", "you can't speak German", and "I have the feeling that you're smart, but I have no proof."
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