Hi, my name is Maja and I am the first volunteer at European XFEL. At 18, I graduated from high school, unsure of what to do next. My biggest question was: How do you choose the right path in life? That's why I decided to take a gap year as a volunteer. It offered me the chance to gain practical experience in a potential career field while also giving me more time and inspiration to figure out my next steps.
As I mentioned, I wasn’t ready to choose a university or a major just yet. My dad often used to say, “Choose a profession you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I knew that this was my goal, but I couldn’t seem to find a job that combined all my interests in the right way. For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought about who I wanted to become, but when I graduated and had to make a decision, nothing felt right. To help clear my mind, I decided to take a gap year.
That’s when I came across an Instagram post about the FJN program at XFEL. I had never heard of FJN before and didn’t realize a volunteer year could also be an option in a scientific field. I immediately knew that this was the perfect opportunity for me, since I have always been interested in science and also wanted to do something similar in my future. I reached out to the relevant people, and within just a few weeks, my future was starting to take shape.
With that, my voluntary year started with the beginning of September 2024. I got to know the staff of the Communication Group quite fast in the beginning and was pleasently surprised by the casual and positive work environment. Everyone is really nice. I was used to strict authorities and rigid rules from school, which is why I felt much more comfortable at the FJN right from the start. Everyone treated me as an equal, and from the very beginning, I was given a lot of trust and freedom, even as a young and inexperienced volunteer.
Of course, getting used to an 39-hour week was new in the beginning and it's a challenge to handle a full-time job and all the hobbies and other chores, but it's an experience worth doing before going off to university.
Since I am placed in the Communicaion Group, I am mainly helping with external stuff like the Xcool Lab.
Because the building for the Xcool Lab was newly opened, I was there for the move into the new building and had the opportunity to help set up the new labs and prepare the courses, as the first classes didn’t start until a month later. This gave me plenty of time to get to know the different buildings and programs, as well as familiarize myself with the experiments.
One of the first major projects I was assigned to was to create instructional videos explaining the function of our pipettes and how to use them properly. This was an exciting opportunity as it gave me creative freedom and also responsibility. I worked on this with one of the tutors to produce two videos, which were later incorporated into the course materials. The tutors, typically university students, come in once a week to work at the Xcool Lab, which is enhancing the positive work environment.
The other tasks ranged from preparing materials for the courses and testing out the experiments, coming up with new course offerings to inventory, learning to be a tour guide and much more.
At the end of September, the first seminar week took place. The organization ijgd hosts five seminars during the year as part of the FJN program, each running from Monday to Friday. During this first seminar, I had the opportunity to meet around 60 other FJN participants who are placed at various companies and institutes across Germany. It was a great chance to connect with people who are doing the same kind of work as I am.
For the next three seminars, the group was split in half. We visited a different city each time, and the activities mainly involved exploring various museums and visiting the work places of the other volunteers. In addition, we had a lot of time for connecting when we cooked our own meals together or played games in a common room. With the exception of the first seminar, we also organized the seminars ourselves.
I can confidently say that choosing to spend my gap year with the FJN was definitely the right decision. I have learned a lot, both in terms of knowledge and skills. For example, I have had the opportunity to contribute and challenge myself by suggesting my own projects or by being given the freedom to explore different areas and acquire new knowledge. At the same time, whenever I encounter challenges on my own, I always receive great support.
It’s especially fascinating to be able to witness and share such unique research up close. Many people don’t realize the top-level research being conducted right here, near Hamburg, in Germany. Being able to work at a place where future Nobel Prize awardees are shaped is incredibly inspiring, and it’s also fulfilling to see how the theoretical knowledge we learned in school is applied in real-world contexts.
A significant part of my positive experience can be attributed to my colleagues, as there is a strong emphasis on equal and constructive communication here. This creates an environment where you feel comfortable, clearly understand what is expected of you, and can also raise topics that are important to you.
During the voluntary year, I met a lot of new people, of whom many work in a scientific work field. This helped me a lot with figuring out what I want and everyone gave me ideas of possible careers, whether I want to pursue them or not. Not only have I learned and grown a lot, but this year has also helped me a lot with finding out what I want. I figured I really like the scientific work but also need the feeling of helping people and doing something good. This is what I am looking for in my future.
