Foto: Vahid Nooriniya © Privat
In my home country of Iran, I completed a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Chemical Engineering/Process Engineering at the University of Tabriz, which I completed in 2014. I then worked first in research and then in quality control and technical monitoring in a plastics company and a bitumen company. My last job was as a refinery engineer.
During the corona pandemic, I had the desire to change my life and decided to move to Germany, where I enrolled at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg to study process engineering. The Master's programme complements the degree I had already completed in Iran. Entry was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, so I arrived in Magdeburg as a student in October 2021. Thanks to the support of the Studentenwerk, I was able to move into a flat in a student hall of residence. I immediately registered for a German course at the university. In addition, I improved my language skills through apps and YouTube, so that I am now at level B2-C1. In order to be able to prove this, I am currently aiming for the next German course.
As there is no financial support for students from Iran in Germany, I promptly looked for a part-time job and worked as a helper in pizza production in Osterweddingen and as a cleaner in a café.
In June 2023, I then took part in the Discovery Days of a global multi-energy company and had the chance to spend two days getting to know the company and the career opportunities there. Following the interviews with the managers there, I was given the opportunity to complete an internship in the security department, which I did for two months. I then had the chance to switch to the process engineering department.
I then worked for seven months, alongside my studies, three days a week in Leuna on a large rationalisation project. This job was demanding, as the journey time by public transport was three hours each way. Nevertheless, this experience helped me a lot in my professional development. My goal was to find a job in Magdeburg. I wrote almost 100 applications, received 23 rejections and 4 positive responses. I interviewed at 3 companies in the neighbourhood, one far away from Magdeburg and one company in Magdeburg.
During a visit to the Returnee Day in Staßfurt, I had the opportunity to get in touch with Ms Hilbert from the Saxony-Anhalt Welcome Centre. She initially helped my friend find a job in Staßfurt. During further contact with Ms Kegel, regional advisor for skilled workers in the state initiative Fachkraft im Fokus, at a job fair in Magdeburg, I realised that I also needed support in my own job search. We then agreed on further steps and I came into contact with Mrs Hilbert again. Mrs Hilbert gave me valuable tips on the application process, conducted interview training sessions with me and gave me the confidence I needed. In the end, I was able to find a job in a Magdeburg-based engineering and plant construction company for the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and energy industries. I will be working here as a project manager for process engineering. In order to be able to stay in Germany permanently, I have already applied for the "EU Blue Card".
I am very grateful to the regional advisors of the state initiative Fachkraft im Fokus and the Saxony-Anhalt WelcomeCentre for their support. Magdeburg is an attractive city with lots of greenery, a friendly atmosphere and peaceful surroundings. The city has a beautiful location on the Elbe, excellent housing options and a diverse business landscape. My girlfriend and I feel very much at home here and plan to stay for the long term.
