A comment like this might help OPs friend "I think it's great you are learning to live for yourself, and I totally get that you might need to overcompensate to unlearn pass behavior until you find your middle"
I feel the same. I've been wanting out from tech since AI started being big. My current job is sorting through a mountain of slop to uncover all the bugs. It's a nightmare, but it's not my creating. I've taken to just pushing the problem up. It's not my fault managers created this problem, so why should I suffer.
But honestly, I don't give a fuck anymore. It's just a job to pay for my food. We are part of the assembly line and go home.
That said, I think it might be time for large tech unions.
A lot of these clauses might be illegal under German labor law. Check with a lawyer. Also ensure there is a clause saying they have to sponsor your blue card. Many countries allow employers to cancel residence to "fire" in violation of labor law.
If the clauses are unenforceable, my suggestion would be to take the contract, get through the trial period and then mention the unenforceable clauses. That's to say if you really want to go to Germany.
It would be cool if they're was some kind of list of companies that are scummy 😂. I could see my recent bike rides being very therapeutic