After working in the aircraft industry in Germany, Oriana Menabue (27) from Caracas, Venezuela is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management in Hamburg. How did she find her way to Germany? What’s good, bad, and just plain weird about her new home? She shares this and more in an interview with Employland.
Employland: So tell us: Why Germany?
Oriana Menabue: l am from Venezuela and believe me, Germany is not the first place that comes to mind when asking myself, “Where should I go?” Especially because we don’t hear much about Germany back home other than beer, Merkel, and cars. However, I have been living in Europe for a while and Germany started sounding more and more interesting to me.
The final push to move to here came when I decided to study a new language (German) and planned to do an internship in Hamburg working for a company in the aircraft industry.
Employland: What is your professional background?
Oriana Menabue: I studied Business and Management in England (UEA). After graduating, I moved to Madrid to work on marketing below the line, and after moving to Germany, I switched to the aeronautical industry. I fist started working on the internal communication of the aircraft-company, which I mentioned above, and soon I was managing improvement projects in regards to electrics, mechanics and hydraulics to improve quality and ramp-up.
I have recently decided to stop working and instead pursue a Master degree in Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management in Hamburg, and that is what I am currently doing.
Employland: How did you learn German, and when?
Oriana Menabue: I had my first lesson one month before coming to Germany, and then when I arrived I did an intensive course for four months before starting work. After a while, I could understand German but I only dared speak it at work.
Employland: Can you name three things that you like about Germany or Germans?
Oriana Menabue: I feel safe, there are a lot of working opportunities, and I’ve met some great people. Oh! and the weather (the old joke, haha).
Employland: And three things that are very different from Venezuela?
Oriana Menabue: Order, safety, and the fact that we are a lot warmer…
Employland: Let’s explore that. What are three things that are strange about Germany and/or Germans?
Oriana Menabue: Hand shakes, the language/ the grammar (CRAZY), bureaucracy.
Also on our blog: Naked greetings in the sauna, a bakery on every corner, and – ha – German buses do run late! Megan Lester, a 23-year-old from Portland, Oregon (USA), shares her experiences from spending the past 7 months in Germany. The 26-year-old Romanian, Diana Stanica, had a hard time finding a job in Germany after finishing her studies in France and moving to Berlin. In her guest commentary she shares what problems international professionals face within the German job market and what aspects of the BeuthBonus program helped her to get the job.