Hi Patricie, it’s great that we can talk today over a cappuccino in the Spacelounge. I’ve often wondered how you came up with the idea of moving from the Czech Republic to Bremen – tell me, what was your start at OHB like?
Patricie Ondriasova: Very lonely at first, because I spent the first 14 days in quarantine as I arrived in Germany at the beginning of June 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. I drove through the closed border with a trunk full of groceries and knew that I would be stuck in my apartment for the time being. (laughs)
Wow, what a start – how did you manage to find an apartment so quickly?
That went smoothly. OHB had recommended Finkler Relocation. This agency assists with finding accommodation and handling registration, insurance and all other questions relating to the move. Obviously, I simply had to trust that they knew what they were doing, as I didn’t know my way around in Germany or Bremen. But everything went well – except that I had initially rented an apartment close to the central railway station, and the floor vibrated every time a train passed through. (laughs)
Let's take a step back. How did you first hear about OHB?
I remember that day very well: I was sitting in the office on a Saturday. At that time, I was working for a small start-up in the Czech Republic and suddenly I had something of a premonition and thought “hey, I’ll just take a look at the OHB website” because OHB is of course already well-known in the European space industry. And then I saw a job on the careers page that suited me perfectly. The next day I applied and a short time later I had already embarked on my ten-hour drive to Bremen – it was the day of my interview.
Can you tell us exactly what it was that you found so fascinating about OHB?
There are no large space companies in the Czech Republic. We have a few start-ups that supply components for the aerospace industry. But nobody actually builds complete satellites. And that was the decisive argument in OHB’s favor: it is a company where I can work on the development of a complete satellite. As I had studied mechanical engineering in the Czech Republic, I was also very well qualified.
And what happened next?
The day after my interview, I received a job offer from OHB, after which it wasn’t long before I was in Bremen. I quickly felt very comfortable here. I like small cities, so I find Bremen more interesting than Hamburg, and the people here are also very friendly. In the Czech Republic, there is a misconception about the Germans that they are very aloof, but I definitely found this not to be the case. I have met a lot of lovely people here.
How are you coping with the German language, or is everything done in English at OHB?
Here at OHB, English is used almost all the time. Even so, I realized that it would have been good to learn German before I came here. I can only advise others to do this. OHB also provides support and I was able to apply for various German language courses. Some are held in a classroom situation and others online. And the Babbel app really helps when it comes to learning grammar. Learning German is a challenge for me because the melody of the language is different from Czech. But it is also important to keep stepping out of your comfort zone and sticking with it.
Do you have any tips for anyone who would like to move to Germany for a job at OHB?
It is important to make good friends quickly. This is not easy, especially if you tend to be introverted. Here, too, we need to step outside our comfort zone. I now have so many dear friends here, even more than in the Czech Republic. I also think it’s important to look for hobbies. OHB offers a company fitness program with Wellpass and I really enjoy taking advantage of this and attending courses at the gym or going to the climbing hall. We also have a group of young people here at OHB, the OHB Next Gens, which I joined because they also organize a lot of activities outside of work. I also found a group for internationals in Bremen that meets every Wednesday via Facebook. I’ve already met some great people in this way.
It sounds like you feel very much at home here!
Definitely, I believe it is important for everyone to go abroad and expand their perspectives by immersing themselves in a different culture. If I ever wanted to, I could always return home. However, if I don't take the chance, I'll never know if it could have been an amazing experience - and it truly is. I feel extremely secure in Bremen and have everything I require to feel comfortable. There is nothing that I long for.
