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“I’ve found my vocation – teaching German”

The young German teacher preparing for a class.

“I’ve found my vocation – teaching German”

My name is Islam. I’m 24 years old and I come from Beni Suef, a city around 100 kilometres south of Cairo. Even when I was at school, I had the feeling that education isn’t valued enough. I thought about becoming a teacher when I was older. I wanted to teach children better than I had been taught myself.

So I went on to study German at Minia University. The language interested me – I find that you can used it to express ideas particularly clearly. I also took additional lessons at the Goethe-Institut. After graduating, I moved to Cairo and began to apply for positions that matched my education and goals. But I always got rejected, or I didn't get any reply at all. At first I thought this was due to my lack of professional experience. A training course at the Egyptian-German Center for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (EGC) revealed to me that there was another reason.

Better applications, better chances

I first read about the EGC on Facebook in February 2021. I got in touch with the center and registered for a job preparation course. This course helped me to understand that all those rejections probably had more to do with the way I was applying for them. I wanted to work on that.

The training course includes five days of instruction, and is very practical. Among other things, I learned about how a recruitment process usually works. The trainers showed me how to write a well-structured CV and a compelling cover letter. They also explained how to use various online application platforms. We also practised job interviews in the training sessions, which gave me a lot of self-confidence.

Career guidance

German graduates mostly work as teachers, in the translation sector, in call centres or in tourism. I still didn’t know which path I wanted to follow. When I was a student I had explored various jobs. Becoming a German teacher always sounded interesting, but I didn’t have a proper plan.

So just after I did my first course at the EGC, I registered for a vocational and career guidance programme. This teaches participants how to make the right decisions regarding their professional development and career path. Your own interests, skills and knowledge form the basis for these decisions, as well as the options available. I used the various exercises to work on my profile in depth. After that, I was sure that I wanted to become a German teacher.

Islam teaches German at a private language school.

A job that's right for me

In May 2021 I found a job as a German teacher at the “Deutsche Ecke” (German Corner), a private educational centre. This goes well with my career goals and is an ideal way for me to get started. I’m happy to have finally found the right path. I have a job that fulfils me and I’m preparing for my master's degree. I’m also taking part in a course in German as a foreign language and special translation, which the University of Leipzig is offering in cooperation with Ain Shams University.

Studying German has helped me to find my vocation. My work comes with a lot of responsibility. After their parents, a teacher is the most important person in a child’s life. We help pupils to develop their personalities and their personal skills. I’m pleased that my work can make an impact.

As of: 10/2021


The opportunities for advice and assistance described here are offered as part of “Returning to New Opportunities”.

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I’m happy that I’ve finally found the right path.
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