Foto: Jeff Manalo Valencia an seinem Arbeitsplatz in Halle © INGenium EMSR GmbH
In my home country, the Republic of the Philippines, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and subsequently worked in the development department of a global company that manufactures printers, scanners, digital cameras, and other electronic products. It has always been my goal to move abroad, since it is difficult to find a job in the Philippines where my qualifications are properly valued and that pays well. Originally, I had planned to go to Canada, since I wouldn’t have had to learn a new language there. However, I had already started learning German at the A1 level at the Goethe-Institut in the Philippines, since this language certificate is a requirement for all long-term visas for Germany.
But after I met my current husband online in 2019, it became clear that I would be moving to Germany. After we got married and found an apartment in Halle, I gradually continued to improve my language skills. Once I had successfully completed German B1, I started a part-time job so that I could have some money of my own. Among other things, I used that money to buy a bicycle.
After getting in touch with the employment agency, I went on to study German B2 for professional purposes and then German C1 as well. But it wasn’t easy to find a job here, because I often received rejections to my applications.
It wasn’t until I attended a job fair—where I came into contact with staff from “Fachkraft im Fokus”—that things started to move forward. In particular, being put in touch with contacts at companies helped me a great deal. To get a job, it’s important to have your professional certificates recognized by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK). That takes a while and costs quite a bit of money, but it’s the most important step toward getting a job as an engineer here in Germany.
Today I work at INGenium EMSR GmbH in Halle, and I’m very happy that my current bosses have confidence in me and my abilities and that I’m an integral part of the team of design engineers. Since 2024, I have been recognized by the Saxony-Anhalt Chamber of Engineers as holding a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering and immediately became a member of the chamber.
For me, my lifelong dream has come true, both professionally and personally, and anyone who really puts in the effort and focuses on finding a job here and building a life for themselves can do it too. My next goal is now naturalization; that, too, is a lengthy process, but I’m very optimistic.
