Russian Engineer, German Cashier

Three years ago, a Russian woman left Russia for Germany, to live with the man she loved. Despite being a specialized engineer with proficient German language skills, she is underemployed and still adapting to her new country. Independent outlet Kholod.media recently told her story.

Rimma Zakeva, 30, worked as an electrical engineer for the St. Petersburg metro. She was responsible for ensuring the turnstiles and the machines that issued tokens worked properly, earning R50,000 ($555) a month – a rather competitive salary.

In 2019, Rimma met Vlad while on vacation in Turkey. He had lived in Kazakstan, but moved to Bonn, Germany, 10 years ago. After the vacation ended, the two corresponded via WhatsApp. At first, Rimma thought they wouldn't have a romantic relationship due to the distance between the two. But, the visits between the two became more frequent and they became closer. When the 2020 coronavirus pandemic hit, Vlad proposed to Rimma, so that they could live together in Bonn. In April 2021, the couple got married.

By the end of 2021, Rimma had received a residence permit. The German government required her to take integration and language courses, which her husband paid for. She went to classes five times a week from 8 AM to 1 PM. Rimma eventually achieved a C1 (Advanced) language level in German. She was also able to validate her Russian higher education diploma and to apply for a labor exchange, where she received career coaching from the German government.

Rimma sent her resume to Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national railway company. One day, she received a call from a Russian-speaking woman. She offered Rimma a position in Deutsche Bahn, but in Bavaria, far from Bonn. Rimma had already begun making acquaintances and friendships in her new home. She told Kholod, "I refused because I couldn't survive another move." 

At the end of 2024, a friend of her husband offered Rimma a part-time job restocking refrigerated food in the supermarket chain ALDI. She told Kholod, "Our team is very large: there are young people and old people, and Germans and Russians (late immigrants)." Rimma also noted that in Russia, she would not earn as much as her current salary for the 12 hours a week she works. 

Immigrants in Germany often struggle to find work in their chosen field. Rimma said that fear has held her back from finding a job she is qualified for. She is anxious about establishing work relationships with Germans, since she only interacts with them in stores, medical centers, or government agencies. She doesn't understand how the German rail system works. Since she has a very specific specialization, the job market for her is very small. Her options are tram tracks, the metro, or Deutsche Bahn. "If I'm rejected, I have no other options," she said.

Yet Rimma is not ashamed of being underemployed. "I have no prejudice against this kind of work ... I do not have an inflated opinion of myself, that I, an engineer with a good knowledge of the language, work in a grocery store."