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, graduating in 2014. After that, I worked first in research and then in quality control and technical supervision at a plastics company and a bitumen company. Most recently, I worked as a refinery engineer.
During the coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to change my life and decided to go to Germany, where I enrolled at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg to study process engineering. The master's program complements the degree I already completed in Iran. My arrival was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, so I arrived in Magdeburg as a student in October 2021. Thanks to the support of the student services organization, I was able to move into an apartment in a student residence. I immediately registered for a German course at the university. I also improved my language skills using apps and YouTube, so that I am now at level B2–C1. To prove this, I am currently aiming to take the next German course.
Since there is no financial support for students from Iran in Germany, I quickly found a part-time job and worked as a pizza production assistant in Osterweddingen and as a cleaner in a café.
In June 2023, I took part in the Discovery Days of a global multi-energy company and had the opportunity to spend two days getting to know the company and the career opportunities it offers. Following discussions with the managers there, I was given the opportunity to complete an internship in the security department, which I did for two months. After that, I had the chance to move to the process engineering department.
I then worked three days a week for seven months in Leuna on a large rationalization project alongside my studies. This job was challenging because the commute by public transport took three hours each way. Nevertheless, this experience greatly advanced my professional development. My goal was to find a job in Magdeburg. To this end, I wrote almost 100 applications, received 23 rejections, and got 4 positive responses. I had interviews at three companies in the area, one far away from Magdeburg, and one in Magdeburg.
During a visit to the Returnees' Day in Staßfurt, I had the opportunity to get in touch with Ms. Hilbert from the WelcomeCenter Saxony-Anhalt. She first helped my girlfriend find a job in Staßfurt. During further contact with Ms. Kegel, regional advisor for skilled workers in the state initiative Fachkraft im Fokus (Focus on Skilled Workers), at a job fair in Magdeburg, I realized that I also needed support in my own job search. We agreed on further steps and I got back in touch with Ms. Hilbert. Ms. Hilbert gave me valuable tips on the application process, conducted interview training with me and thus gave me the confidence I needed. This enabled me to finally find a job at a Magdeburg-based engineering and plant construction company for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries as well as the energy sector. Here, I will be working 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 at the State Initiative Skilled Workers in Focus and the WelcomeCenter Saxony-Anhalt for their support. Magdeburg is an attractive city with lots of green spaces, a friendly atmosphere, and a peaceful environment. The city is beautifully located on the Elbe River, offers excellent housing options, and has a diverse business landscape. My girlfriend and I feel very comfortable here and plan to stay for the long term.
