Viktoria (rechts) an ihrem Arbeitsplatz in der Oskar Kämmer Schule in Wernigerode gemeinsam mit Gabriela Nagler, Foto © Landesinitiative Fachkraft im Fokus
I studied German, English, and world literature at the University of Kiev. I completed my master's degree in December 2021. Unfortunately, war broke out in Ukraine in February 2022, which fundamentally changed my life. In May 2022, I fled to Germany and arrived in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania at Lake Müritz.
I had already worked there for two months in 2019 as a waitress on a work and travel program to improve my German. Fortunately for me, my boss at the time contacted me when the war broke out and offered me his support. My mother and sister decided not to flee with me, but I came with two friends.
My boss helped us with the applications and offered us a job at his hotel. This opportunity allowed me to improve my German skills considerably, as I lost my fear of speaking. However, the job was only seasonal, so I worked at a hotel in Ilsenburg during the winter season. The following summer, I returned to Müritz and spent the winter of 2023/2024 in Ilsenburg again.
My colleagues from Ilsenburg had prepared a furnished apartment for me and I worked part-time shifts, so I hardly had any time to deal with bureaucratic formalities. In January 2024, I finally decided to make use of my diploma. I began researching how to get my diploma recognized and tried to have it translated, which proved difficult and resulted in several rejections. Through internet research, I came into contact with the WelcomeCenter of the state initiative Fachkraft im Fokus (Focus on Skilled Workers). In February 2024, I made an appointment with regional advisor Gabriela Nagler to get help with the recognition process. My goal was to become a German teacher. At that point, Ms. Nagler already recommended the Oskar Kämmer School to me. Since there were no vacancies there at the time, I continued working at the hotel and searched for suitable job openings at the same time.
In the summer of 2024, the Oskar Kämmer School in Wernigerode was looking for a teacher for integration courses. My application was successful and I was offered a permanent position starting on August 1, 2024. Now I hope that I will be able to apply for my Blue Card in the future.
In the meantime, I have moved to Wernigerode with my boyfriend and am very happy with how things are going here so far. I have great colleagues, excellent contacts in the school administration, and wonderful students in my German classes.
For a foreigner, the bureaucracy is a big challenge. The hurdles are high and it is often difficult to find the right contact person in the relevant authority at the right time. The ZAB assessed the equivalence of my qualifications quickly, but I am still waiting for my diploma to be recognized.
Life in Germany is not easy and you have to work hard to earn a living and achieve your goals. Nevertheless, I am very happy and very grateful to everyone who has supported me.
I can very well imagine a future in Germany and am looking forward to the coming years.
Viktoria
