My Career

 

My career journey can be summarized as follows:

My father, a locksmith by profession, taught me how to power an electric motor with a 12V battery and mechanically weld it with a sprocket to a postal bicycle he found at work. And with this, he inspired me. I was amazed that a battery, a switch, some wires, a bit of solder, welding skills, and an inventive idea from two minds could give someone the power to create things that bring joy.

 

With his well-equipped basement, my own moped, and the electrical devices he brought me from scrap at his workplace, the whole spectacle began.

I tinkered with my moped, took it apart, and it stopped working. I then worked on it until it ran again. I disassembled electronic devices, such as HiFi amplifiers, soldered various components together, connected them to the numerous 12V batteries in my father's basement, and monitored the voltages on the individual components with a multimeter.

In hindsight, it was only a charge building up on a capacitor, but that sparked the crucial idea that led to my success today.

 

What lies behind it...?

 

I never had the best starting conditions. In elementary school, I was held back because the teachers felt I wasn’t ready yet. After that, due to poor grades, I was placed in a lower-tier secondary school (lower secondary school) because my parents thought a higher level would be too much for me. And then... my father showed me these things in his basement. That’s when the question started to take root in my mind! This was around 8th grade when I realized how important it was for me to get a good education to have the opportunity to learn these things. I was so eager that by 10th grade, I earned a higher-level school certificate (secondary school diploma) and even got myself books on mathematics.

After achieving this milestone, I wanted to pursue the next higher qualification that would open the door to studying at a university of applied sciences. This was the Fachabitur (advanced technical college entrance qualification). However, I didn't just want to obtain the advanced technical college entrance qualification at any school. No, I wanted to continue following the question:

"What lies behind it...?"

and continually satisfy my thirst for knowledge in electrical engineering. So, I chose to pursue a vocational qualification alongside the Fachabitur at a vocational college, specializing as an electrical engineering assistant. I chose this path because I was always interested in applying theory to practice, which I could then incorporate into my hobby projects that I showcase on my blogs.

As an electrical engineering assistant, one can later support an electrical engineer in implementing various tasks in the industry. But I didn't want to help an engineer execute ideas they had come up with. I wanted to develop ideas myself, so after successfully completing my vocational training, I continued with a bachelor's degree at a university of applied sciences.

Unfortunately, during my studies, I realized that while I had developed a solid foundation in electrical engineering, my knowledge of mathematics and physics was lacking. This almost led me to abandon my dual study program, which I had chosen for practical experience and financial reasons. But then, that persistent question

"What lies behind it...?"

drove me once again. I couldn’t answer this question in many areas of electrical engineering, so I pulled myself out of the slump. I started studying for 8 hours a day, in addition to my lectures, often working until 10 PM. I also focused on learning how to learn, how to stay calm during difficult exams using meditative strategies, and I managed to turn things around... at first.

However, after two years in my dual study program, where I had a boss with anger management issues, I eventually broke down from this strategy. I decided to extend my studies by one year. Through my extensive research on learning, I realized that pressure is absolutely detrimental when trying to learn something deeply and fundamentally—especially for someone like me who, in my future career as an electrical engineer, always wants to be able to answer the question,

"What lies behind it...?"

whether it's for a client or a young intern. 

I then began researching opportunities for educational funding and was fortunate to secure a summer job in electronics development in the city where I was studying. This allowed me to supplement my €650 monthly Bafög with an additional €200, bringing my total monthly income to €850. After paying rent for my 18-square-meter shared apartment room, I was left with €150 per month for food and study materials. But that was enough for me. I had my hobby, my studies, which I could now extend by a year, and the motivation to finally answer my beloved question,

"What lies behind it...?"

After 4.5 years and completing my bachelor’s thesis, which I conducted alongside the company where I had worked during the summer, I graduated with a top grade of 1.0 for my thesis and colloquium, and an overall grade point avarage of 1.7 for my degree.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company couldn’t offer me a permanent position. In hindsight, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as my supervisor had connections to the company where I now work in development as an engineer for custom power electronics.

In this company, I can draw on the experience of numerous seasoned engineers, who constantly inspire new

"What lies behind it...?"

questions within me and help me find the answers. As a result, today I am an engineer with a total of four years of experience, having successfully completed three projects, and my thirst for knowledge remains unquenchable!