From engineer to math teacher: "Fear of wasting all these years"

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At the crossroads: Lorenz * first had to go through a severe crisis to find his dream job

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CVs don't have to be straightforward, biographies have breaks - that's what makes them so exciting.

In the series

“And now?”

People tell of turning points in their lives, of moments in which they made decisions and made something new.

This time: Lorenz *, 27, decided to study industrial engineering after finishing school, but fell into a serious crisis.

Today he works as a teacher - and is happy.

“My family is a real dynasty of teachers, almost all of them are teachers or university teachers.

Even as a child, I loved standing in front of people and explaining something to them - regardless of whether they were my classmates or grandparents.

Nevertheless, I decided against studying to be a teacher.

Go back to school right after school?

I wanted to do something different.

For some reason it was very important to me during my high school graduation to earn a lot of money later and have a secure job.

I attended training fairs and trial lectures.

I heard a lot of good things about being an industrial engineer, so I signed up.

I was sure I was making a very sensible decision.

"I felt out of place, little things upset me."

After just one semester, I noticed that something was wrong.

I felt out of place, little things upset me.

Once the lecturer miscalculated several times on the blackboard.

Not really a huge problem, but I was so tense that I had to leave the classroom.

I didn't know anything like that about myself.

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My mother wanted to help and organized me a job as a math tutoring.

A nice gesture, but at the moment the wrong thing for me: I was 19 and responsible for up to a dozen young people who were not at all interested in learning something from me.

After this experience, I was even more convinced that teaching was not for me.

So I stayed close to my original course and went on to study a similar, technical course - so as not to lose any time.

I even had fun in math and physics.

I was just less enthusiastic about the job prospects.

With part-time jobs and internships, I tried to find out whether there was even a job that interested me.

I worked in medical technology, as a tutor, in civilian drone development, most recently as a student trainee at an automobile and engine manufacturer.

The feeling of being stuck in a dead end

"The way to university became an insurmountable obstacle, I couldn't even get out of bed."

My mood there deteriorated over the months.

I had nice colleagues, and the salary was very good for a student job.

But I felt out of place.

I saw no point in what I was doing.

Instead of people, I dealt with engines.

I was sitting there in my little office in front of the screen - and couldn't anymore.

I was scared that I had wasted all these years.

The feeling of being stuck in a dead end never went away.

The way to university became an insurmountable obstacle, I couldn't even get out of bed.

Then there were panic attacks, tinnitus and insomnia, and finally even self-harming thoughts.

I was about to do my master’s thesis.

And at the same time in front of nothing.

Lateral entry into the teaching profession

During this time, I kept reminding myself of playing the teacher as a small child - and being happy.

I knew that you could also become a teacher as a career changer, I had heard that earlier.

At that point in time, however, I was not stable enough to make this life-changing decision.

I first attended probatory sessions with therapists and finally found a coach.

She helped me stabilize my life first and then make a plan for the future.

The hope of still being able to become a teacher helped me out of the depths - although I couldn't even be sure that I would be accepted at all.

At the beginning of 2020, I completed my master’s degree and immediately sent the certificates with the application documents to the responsible ministry.

In order to increase my chances, I started to work as a temp at a high school.

"Tears ran down my face for the next 15 minutes."

The ministry replied three months later.

I still remember exactly how it was: I opened the email and saw that my application was successful - tears ran down my face for the next 15 minutes.

I would become a teacher!

Another three months later I started my part-time legal traineeship at the school where I had previously worked as a temporary worker.

As a career changer, I have more teaching hours in my state than the normal trainee lawyers - despite the content that I have to catch up on.

Because I couldn't do it in terms of time, I reduced it to part-time.

The task is challenging, but I know I belong here.

Looking back at the crisis

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I would wish others not to worry so much about wasted time or money.

And when choosing your career path, not only to listen to reason, but to your heart.

For a long time I was afraid of not being straightforward enough.

It is our crises and mistakes that make us who we are.

Without them I would never have had experiences that help me today: My experiences make it easier for me, pupils

to stand by your side empathetically in crisis situations.

Of course, as in any job, there are things that are not ideal: the lack of digitization, discussions with some parents and the high workload from digital teaching during the corona pandemic.

But when I stand in front of the children, I feel fulfilled.

Then I feel that my decision was the right one. "

* The protagonist wants to remain anonymous, his name is known to the editors.

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