Welcome to the team, Nina!
From Cat Toys to Diodes
Published 28/10/2026
If the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “laser” is a red dot that sends a cat racing across the living room, you’re not alone. Nina Hartl used to think the same way. Since September 1, Nina has been training as a precision industrial mechanic at our Teisnach facility. And her idea of lasers has changed quite a bit since then.
“Before I started at IMM Photonics, I thought of lasers as the ones you see in cat toys.“
Two Internships, One Decision
Nina first met us at a career exploration event in Regen. What followed wasn’t a quick decision, but two internships: one in April and May, and another from mid-June through the end of July, working two days a week until summer break.
Plenty of time to figure out whether the work was right for her. And, to be fair, plenty of time to discover if it wasn’t.
Nina decided to join us anyway. We take that as a pretty good sign.
Her First Diode and a Whole Lot of Questions
The first component Nina ever held in her hands was a diode. Someone explained what it was and what it was used for. But it didn’t all make sense right away.
“At first, I was a little confused and had a lot of questions,” Nina recalls.
Those questions were answered, one by one, until the pieces slowly started falling into place.
That might sound like a given, but it isn’t. When you start an apprenticeship, there’s a lot to take in all at once: terminology, components, and technical connections that experienced coworkers barely think about anymore because they’ve known them for years.
That’s exactly what surprised Nina the most: how much you can learn in such a short time. And how rewarding it feels when something that seemed like a complete mystery just three weeks ago suddenly makes sense.
Her First Workpiece
Before Nina gets to work with optics or lasers, there’s something entirely different on her schedule.
This week, she’s been doing a lot of filing. Her project is a metal cube, and the file doesn’t particularly care how much she already knows about diodes.
It’s all part of the process.
Precision mechanics starts with hands-on work, developing a feel for tools and materials. At our production facility in Teisnach, there’s a good reason for that: much of what we manufacture can’t simply be automated. And some of the expertise involved can’t be captured in a set of written instructions. It has to be passed down, from one pair of hands to the next.That little cube is her first step.
Explaining Things Until They Click
Most of Nina’s training comes from her instructor, Christian Bielmeier. What she appreciates most about him isn’t just his knowledge. It’s his patience. He explains things as many times as it takes for her to truly understand them. Not twice, followed by a quick “just look it up again,” but for as long as she needs. That patience, Nina says, makes her feel more confident in her work.
And when Christian isn’t around, there’s always someone else willing to help. “There’s always someone ready to help when you have questions,” she says. For Nina, that’s what a positive work environment is all about. You ask a question, and nobody rolls their eyes.
Still Plenty to Learn
Of course, Nina is just getting started, and she’s refreshingly open about it. “Since so much of this is still new to me, there are always things I don’t fully understand yet.” She has three and a half years of training ahead of her. Her cube isn’t finished, and it’s far from perfect.
But she’s learning something new every day. And in these first few weeks, that’s all anyone expects. After all, that’s what an apprenticeship is about: gaining experience, learning, understanding, and putting that knowledge into practice. Step by step, processes become familiar until tasks that once required careful thought eventually become second nature, just as they are for Nina’s experienced coworkers.
And for Anyone Still Thinking About an Apprenticeship…We asked Nina what advice she would give students who are still unsure about starting an apprenticeship. She didn’t have to think long.