Foreigners are always accepted more difficultly and I wanted to leave

Introduce yourself in a few sentences. What does your work as daily commitments involve?

Hello from Aachen.

My name is Ina Ivanova-Georgieva and I am an assistant in “Human Resources” at Edi Stobart Logistics Germany. The company is a leader in the field of logistics and transport, specializing in the transportation of general cargo. With a strong focus on both domestic and international transport. My work is mainly related to the work of the drivers, from signing the employment contracts, through health and social insurance, applying for child benefits and other social benefits, to termination, payment and everything related to these activities. 

In which country and city do you currently live and how did you end up there?

I live in Germany, the city is Aachen. It is located on the border with the Netherlands and Belgium. An extremely key location for the field in which I work. 

I ended up here exactly 6 years ago, completely unaware and without a single word of German language. I came to live with my husband, who has been here for more than 12 years at this point.

What were the biggest challenges you faced at the beginning of your stay?

The challenges were too many at the beginning, but they were mainly related to the lack of knowledge of the language, and the inability to communicate and understand people, the environment and everything else. The feeling of not being able to express yourself the way you want is really unpleasant and takes away a large part of the opportunities for development, both professionally and purely socially. For this reason, I enrolled in German language courses. 

The other challenge turned out to be the clash with discrimination, which is not often talked about, but is felt very strongly when you are here, especially when you do not speak this language. Now I no longer feel it that way, as I speak German, and people accept me as part of them, but in the first years this tormented me very much. And I have wanted to leave more than once. 

How did you overcome the language barrier (if there was one)?

As I mentioned, this was the biggest challenge for me. I overcame it with a lot of effort, learning, and dedicating time to it. The first two years here I only studied the language, I didn’t work anything else. This was my job, to learn German. I managed, I would say, wonderfully. At the moment I have a B2 level certificate, which is considered quite a good level here. It opens many doors. I am grateful to the immigration office that helps people from Bulgaria who want to learn the language and sponsors half of the training, which is not cheap at all. 

What resources or networks (local communities, colleagues, organizations) Inand helped you adapt?

Fortunately, in Aachen there is a huge Bulgarian community. I immediately connected with them, I wanted to be part of them. But actually, my job helped me the most with my adaptation. Since the company has an office in Bulgaria and a large part of my colleagues are Bulgarians, with whom we communicate in Bulgarian, this gave me wings. I believe that, to a large extent, this helped me not to feel alone, far from relatives and nostalgia did not arise in me, despite all the challenges here. 

What are the main differences between the work culture in the current Inand country and that in Bulgaria?

The differences are palpable, especially for me, as part of an international team. The work culture in Germany, or at least in this part of Germany where we are, is slightly slow for me and people are constantly placed in frameworks, limitations, and stereotypes. What I mean? If you call any institution and ask a question outside of their competence, the person on the other end has no chance of providing an answer, guidance, or redirecting you to another more competent specialist. There is a lack of flexibility, at least in my opinion and my experience. This greatly hinders working with them. 

What values and practices in the workplace impressed you the most?Inand impressed you?

Of course, there are also many positive aspects of the work practices here. Punctuality, precision, attention to detail, and above all, attention to the person. Here everyone has importance, and you always feel cared for. They don’t make you feel like the last train, on the contrary, they always connect with you with a lot of attention, a lot of interest, and a lot of relationship, respond to letters, inquiries, etc. This for me is their huge plus. Apart from that, there is really very good organization in every place you encounter. Institution, bank, hospital. There is always a strict order for everything, you don’t wonder, you don’t wait, you don’t feel hopeless. On the contrary, this gives a lot of security and satisfaction. 

Have there been situations where cultural differences have Inand caused difficulties?

Only in situations related to my children and their health. In other situations, rather not. 

How finding a job differs in the present Inand the country compared to your homeland?

It would be difficult for me to compare these two things, as I have worked for 10 years in state administration in Bulgaria and I have not had to look for another job. My observations about Bulgaria are rather from my acquaintances there, who have told me that it is difficult to find a good place to work. Here, it was extremely difficult for me to find a job. I suppose it was more luck than anything else. And I am very grateful to fate. 

Overall, it is very difficult for foreigners to find good work here. Unfortunately, this is the truth. 

Did you have to go through any additional qualification courses?

At the moment no, but they are coming up. I think it is very important to develop and to get acquainted with the laws, processes, and procedures here. Everything is organized very differently than in Bulgaria and one has to learn quite a bit to gain competence.  

Have you encountered prejudices or obstacles because of your foreign origin?

As I mentioned before, yes. Unfortunately, this is still felt even here, where there is an extremely large number of different ethnicities, nationalities, and types of people. Especially if you do not speak the language. This is key.

What would you advise people who want to take a similar step?

They must emphasize the language before coming. And maybe, to be sure that they can live in a colder and rainier place than Bulgaria :)

If you could go back, would you choose the same path?

Thousands of times, yes. I feel infinitely happy here, especially at my workplace. I love my job. 

What is most Inand missing from your homeland in a professional and personal sense?

In a professional sense, I am not missing anything at the moment. In a personal sense, of course, my family. My close friends and especially Sofia. I love this city. 

Have you considered returning and under what conditions would you do it?

Some time ago, I considered returning if I found a better job or a place where we could live. Unfortunately, over time this desire completely disappeared, and I now prefer that we stay here for the sake of my children. They deserve more opportunities and I believe that here they will have them. Moreover, we feel happy and calm here, and that is the most important thing.

What do you think about money? What is its influence on your life? What is your advice to people who often ask themselves questions related to money and how sufficient they are?

Money is part of life, it cannot exist without it, but for me personally, it is just a means to have peace of mind. As we like to say, one can manage with 2 and with 200, but personally, I believe one should not settle for 2 and always fight for 200. 

I would tell people that both here and in Bulgaria they could earn enough to be happy. But for me, the huge difference is that in Germany you always feel that you have enough, while in Bulgaria, it always feels like it is a little and not enough for something.