From tinkerer
to technician

Today, the field service technician looks after light microscopes in the Göttingen area. They are used in a wide range of applications such as in science where microscopes are used in research into Alzheimer's disease or to analyze plant structures. In industry, microscopy is mostly used during quality control. In addition to standard routine maintenance, Robin also carries out complex fault analyses. “The researcher reports a problem with his microscope. I then go to him, familiarize myself with the problem, find out what it is and solve it. He can then continue with his work. There's a sense of achievement in it for both of us,” he says.

Even after more than a decade, his job is still exciting because systems are changing. The traditional tinkering with hardware is on the way out and software is becoming increasingly more important. Assignments in Israel, Dubai and France allow the tinkerer to think outside the box. “The best thing about my job is that I never know how the days will pan out. In addition to exciting tasks, I get to meet interesting people. I have responsibility and, at the same time, the freedom to plan my own weeks,“ says Robin enthusiastically.