00:01Moritz Beck is 23 years old and works as a mechatronics technician for BMW.
00:06While friends his age are still at university and getting by with part-time jobs,
00:11Moritz earns around €4,400 per month.
00:16Hi, I'm Moritz. I work here at BMW in electrical rework.
00:19Here's what I do over the course of a day.
00:22Germany is one of the world's leading automotive nations.
00:25Nearly 3.2 million passenger cars were exported in 2025.
00:30But what's it like to start your career at a major German car manufacturer?
00:35We're about to find out in southern Germany at BMW in Munich.
00:41When Moritz is on the early shift, his working day begins at 6 o'clock in the morning.
00:46He's one of 6,500 employees at BMW's main plant in Munich.
00:52In 2025, around 170,000 vehicles were built here.
00:58Moritz's job? Troubleshooting problems with finished cars.
01:02He came to BMW directly after school.
01:06I completed a vocational high school diploma and one of my subjects was electrical engineering.
01:11I had a really good teacher who told me I had potential.
01:14I'd always wanted to work with cars and then I saw that BMW offered a training as an automotive mechatronics
01:19technician.
01:20So I applied.
01:24BMW, or Bavaria Motor Works, has existed since 1916.
01:28The company first started as an aircraft manufacturer.
01:32Its main plant in Munich opened in 1922.
01:35By the late 1960s, BMW employed 21,000 people.
01:39Today, it has more than 150,000 employees worldwide.
01:43But like many German car manufacturers, BMW is now facing serious challenges.
01:49Its profit forecast for 2026 has been greatly reduced and the company is cutting thousands of positions to reduce costs.
01:57But for Moritz, today's priority is finding the fault in this particular car.
02:03The fault here is that the front lighting module isn't working.
02:08First, I'll switch the car on to check whether it really isn't functioning.
02:11I'll start it now.
02:15The lights turn on and here you can see the light on the right-hand side is working.
02:20On the left-hand side, the light doesn't turn on.
02:23To fix the problem, Moritz has to remove one of the car's central control units.
02:28It's not easy to get to the component.
02:34Now you can see that this piece of plastic has broken off and this metal pen has been bent.
02:41That's why we have to replace it.
02:42We'll order a new one from Logistics, they'll bring me a replacement, we'll install it and then the light should
02:48work again.
02:51A good opportunity for a short lunch break.
02:54It's hot in Munich, so a light meal outdoors is enough for Moritz.
02:58He doesn't regret choosing not to go to university after finishing school.
03:02Many of his friends are still supporting themselves with part-time jobs.
03:08Whatever path you choose, part-time jobs are also perfectly fine.
03:12Sure, I earn more, but I also work more than they do.
03:15Still, it is nice being able to afford certain holidays and other things that some of my friends can't.
03:22Trade unions are strong in Germany's automotive industry, so working conditions are generally good.
03:29Moritz does shifts, but only four days a week and receives 24 days of paid holiday a year.
03:35Now let's see if the light works. As you can see, it's on now.
03:39Next comes a very important step, the test drive. After that, we'll check whether the headlight is still working properly.
03:47BMW's Munich plant is located right in the middle of the city, so space is limited and everything is built
03:53close together.
03:54It's almost like its own neighborhood. The test track is smaller than you might expect. Moritz drives the car over
04:02different types of road surfaces.
04:06Here we're listening for wind noise, so that customers won't experience it later.
04:11The next section is the vibration track. That's where you can hear whether anything rattles inside the car.
04:16It's like driving over old cobblestone streets. Then there's another section with manhole covers.
04:28After the test drive comes the final inspection.
04:33Everything's working, the car is now ready to be sold.
04:38Problem solved. Time to head home. Moritz has been working at BMW for a year now, but he already has
04:44further ambitions.
04:50I want to put into practice at university everything I've learned during my apprenticeship, together with the knowledge I've gained
04:56here.
04:56Hopefully that'll allow me to stand out during my studies. That's my plan for the next four years.
05:04So Moritz's career at BMW is only just beginning.
05:09Would this be a job for you?
05:10What do you do ?
05:13Howzo do you do?
05:13I know.
05:14Time to head home.
05:14Well, come on, what you do.
05:14mines.
05:15When you go to resume.
05:15We all aren't咬.
05:15What you do?
