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Electronics engineer Diaa Alameen: »I want to get even more people with a migration background interested in trades«
Photo: Kathrin Jegen / ZWH eV
The start of working life is exciting, exhausting - and often completely different than planned. In the series "My first year on the job", young professionals tell how they experienced this time. This time:
Diaa Alameen
, 28, works as an electronics technician.
»I make sure that fires or accidents don't happen in the first place by checking devices and electrical systems for damage.
However, I was late for an order in a hotel.
Two days earlier, a guest had been electrocuted by a hair dryer - some copper wires were exposed and he had accidentally touched them.
He ended up in the intensive care unit for observation for several days.
Luckily he survived.
As a child, I didn't imagine becoming an electronics engineer.
But sometimes everything turns out differently: Because of the war in my home country Syria, I had to flee.
In Germany it would have been very complicated to have my Syrian university entrance qualification recognised.
I didn't even try.
I preferred to earn my own money quickly instead of studying for a long time.
I was most interested in IT, but there were no vacancies for apprenticeships.
Then I did an internship in electronics and immediately applied for the apprenticeship.
I liked working independently and the challenge of dealing with different electrical devices or systems.
The training lasts 3.5 years and is dual.
During this time, you are in the company for three weeks and at school for the fourth week.
There are subjects such as electrical engineering, but also politics.
There are different disciplines for electronics technicians.
I learned building technology, but am currently working in electrical testing.
When it comes to crafts, many people think of dust and dirt.
But it's rarely dusty in my job and it's not physically demanding either.
Occasionally I have to crawl under a table to the power strip.
Travel a lot, often alone
As an electrical tester, I travel all over Germany.
I have a company car, a laptop and a telephone from my employer.
I get the new locations from the salesperson via email.
In the first six weeks, I accompanied a colleague to get to know the processes better.
I have now been working in the company for almost 12 months and travel a lot alone, only sometimes with several colleagues for larger orders.
Once a month I meet the team for an online meeting.
Then we exchange ideas, for example, about technical innovations such as new test devices or connections.
There are regulations for companies as to how often they have to have their electrical system checked, which can be annually or monthly.
They make appointments with my employer and I then check everything from the lamp in the hospital to the toasters in the hotel.
It's a job with a lot of tension - and by that I don't just mean electrics.
Thanks to my job, I can go to places that I would otherwise never be allowed to enter: large industrial halls, clinical universities or bank vaults.
The other day I was at a police academy and was able to see the evidence room and learn about evidence preservation.
Shut off power, check for damage, measure voltage
Before I begin, I consult with the company about which area will be taken offline.
Because it would be fatal to simply switch off the electricity in the entire hospital.
It could also be expensive for IT companies if this leads to a breakdown.
The employees must be informed in good time so that they can back up their data or bridge the failure with replacement devices.
Sometimes I can tell at first glance whether a device is damaged.
Then the cables are chafed or the plug is cracked.
I sort out such devices immediately or give instructions to have them repaired.
I also carry out a complete measurement with a measuring device and check the voltage, for example.
Based on the measurement result, I can see whether the device or the electrical system complies with the prescribed limit values.
My job poses a certain risk.
If I touch a wrong spot, I'll get an electric shock.
That can be very easy.
In rare cases, this can even be fatal.
I always have to be wide awake and make sure that there isn't still any tension on the device.
But I'm not afraid.
So far I haven't been electrocuted.
Other jobs are also dangerous.
Depending on the size and distance of the job, I sometimes spend the night in the hotel.
I don't mind being away for a few days, maybe it would be different if I already had a family of my own.
I'm in Wuppertal right now, last week I was in Cologne.
In the evenings I sometimes walk through the streets and look at the cities.
I earn around 33,000 euros gross a year – but I get paid for the accommodation and there is also a meal allowance.
Even before the pandemic, I wanted to win the championship.
But because of the pandemic, many courses were cancelled.
Hopefully they will start soon now.
I'm happy with my job, but my dream is to be self-employed.
Then I can take on even more responsibility.
I'm now even an ambassador for crafts and I'm trying to get even more people with a migration background interested in crafts.«