Chemnitz_zieht_an_Magazin_2024_englisch

and not here,” says the 38-year-old. So
impressed, she decides to learn German
at the Goethe-Institut in Kiev while
studying marketing. This fun comes at
a cost. Olena works for it. She uses her
German skills privately. Nothing more.
But she can’t let go of Germany. The
desire for change keeps popping up.
“It’s now or never,” she thought when
she was on parental leave with her second
child in 2018. From Kiev, she sends
unsolicited applications to various
companies in Saxony, on the recommendation
of her German brother-inlaw.
He, in turn, is firmly convinced that
“anything is possible” in Chemnitz and
that the city has real potential. Ayari
also sends her CV to KOMSA, but does
not know the company. “How could I?
VW, Siemens, Bayer, etc. These are the
brands that are local and well-known
in Ukraine,” she says, describing her
situation. “If you’re in a third country
like me and then get invited to a job
interview, it’s like winning the jackpot.
Because it’s really difficult to find
a job in the EU from abroad.” She is
convincing, receives her employment
contract and has to wait. Without a visa,
of course, there is no entry, no first day
of work. This bureaucratic hurdle tests
both sides’ patience. Meanwhile, Ayari is
sitting on packed suitcases, struggling
to get her diploma recognised and not
knowing when she will be able to move
to Hartmannsdorf without her husband
and children. The time will come in mid-
February 2019. She flies to Germany.
Three days later, she starts at KOMSA.
You can’t drink coffee together in English
in Saxony.
But you can in German.
„The first few days were really exhausting.
From one day to the next, I only
spoke German. Processing all the
information in another language... In the
evening, when I was lying in bed, the
sentences were still running round and
round in my head. And KOMSA is big. It
takes months to understand the structures,”
she recalls. What irritated and
impressed her at the same time was
the question: How are you? Colleagues
and managers keep asking her this. “In
Ukraine, nobody at work asked me how
I was doing. Why should that be of interest?
I’m here voluntarily; I can manage.
And if I was feeling bad, I wouldn’t say
so. At some point, I realised that I really
meant it.” She realises that people tick
differently in Germany and experiences
a small culture shock. “In Ukraine, what
counts is what expensive handbag you
have. You have to impress with your
appearance. Here, managers are completely
relaxed about wearing shoes
under 100 euros. It doesn’t matter what
iPhone you have. I was accepted for
who I am. What counts is how open and
hard-working you are. And whether you
can learn quickly and work well.” She
approaches her job at KOMSA with ambition,
discipline and courage, constantly
improving her German and familiarising
herself with the job. Her husband
and children join her after a good three
months; the family is finally complete
again. There are still a few hurdles to
overcome: driving licence from scratch,
recognition of her husband’s physiotherapy
diploma, waiting for the integration
course, etc. Olena Ayari is not discouraged.
On the contrary. Her motto is: Don’t
get scared. Keep going. Keep learning.
Don’t give up. Most things come with
experience and time.
Many different characters make a great,
multi-faceted whole
On the road to internationality, KOMSA
remains true to itself. There have never
been any special recruitment campaigns
and probably never will be. Recruitment
takes place via the internet, social media
channels, networks and by word of
mouth. What has changed over the years
is the time window in which you have
to react. “Speed is the be-all and end-all.
Today, we are the ones who introduce
ourselves to applicants. We have to show
what we are actually like. The diversity of
our employees can be a key reason for
choosing us. Different perspectives and
openness towards each other make us
richer and more considerate as a team.
Without these skills, we run the risk of
becoming rigid,” summarises Andrea
Fiedler-Braunschweig.
A perfect match then. For Olena Ayari
and the company.
WEITERE INFOS:
KOMSA AG
chemnitz.jobs/komsa
We have employed people of the
following nationalities:
Albania, China, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, New Zealand,
Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania, Syria, Czech Republic,
Ukraine, Hungary
Applications in German or English to:
jobs@komsa.com
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