School trajectory?
Kraichgau Realschule Sinsheim (secondary school leaving certificate); Johannes-Gutenberg-Schule (training as offset printer); FU Heidelberg evening school (entrance qualification for university of applied sciences); HS Mannheim majoring in mechanical engineering.
Why study - and why this particular degree?
First of all, I learned the profession of an offset printer at HEIDELBERG I always enjoyed this job, but I wanted more in my life and to develop professionally. My goal was and still is to have more responsibility and therefore more direct influence on events and business development. For this reason, I decided to take a dual study program. I chose mechanical engineering because I was sure that my knowledge of printing technology, combined with my mechanical engineering studies, would provide me with the perfect basis for my future career at HEIDELBERG. What's more, a mechanical engineering degree provides a broad and solid basis for various professional activities and tasks.
Why HEIDELBERG?
I had done my printer training at HEIDELBERG and therefore knew that the training at HEIDELBERG was very good. Furthermore, HEIDELBERG's corporate structure gives students the opportunity to work in many different specialist areas. This enables the student to gather knowledge from different areas and also apply it in real projects. Even during your studies, you are given a lot of responsibility and are integrated into the current business.
What is special about studying at HEIDELBERG?
The fact that students can plan their practical phases independently offers enormous added value. At the end of the day, it's up to each individual to decide what and how much they take away from it. In any case, the variety of projects and areas at HEIDELBERG offer plenty of scope to discover and develop your potential. You are given responsible tasks and are treated by your colleagues as a "full-fledged" employee. This reinforces the feeling that you are already an important part of the company.
Most interesting project during my studies?
The most interesting project was my semester abroad in Qingpu (China). My task was to relocate the production of rollers for machines from Qingpu from Germany to China. The central issue was the qualification of a new supplier. In short, regular tests and quality checks had to be carried out with the help of which a final decision was made on how to proceed. Another extensive task, which I worked on in parallel, was the construction of an assembly device. This device was to be used for the assembly of the rolls delivered in individual parts. During this project, I was able to gain a lot of insight into design, quality assurance, procurement and many other areas. At least as important was the experience of working with people from another country and a completely different culture. Last but not least, I was also able to improve my English skills and even learn some Chinese, which I still do to this day. All in all, this stay was an incredible experience where I was able to develop not only professionally, but especially personally. I am very grateful for that.
Current job?
Currently, I am a Senior Project Manager in the Digital Ecosystem department within HDU. As a project manager, I am responsible for PAT (Performance Advisor Technology), a type of artificial intelligence, and for connecting our partners and competitor machines to the HEIDELBERG IOT Cloud. I also support the development of our new HEIDELBERG Customer Portal ecosystem and take care of the rollout and support of our markets. In my job, I particularly like the fact that we are able to develop new products / functions in a very short time and make them available to our customers. I also like the close cooperation with our international subsidiaries and the direct contact with our customers.
How do I see my future?
The position as Senior Project Manager is already the second stop after my studies. I would like to do a good job here as well and continue to advance.
My tips for prospective students
Studying can be very exhausting and stressful, especially if you are doing a dual degree program. It's important to always have a goal in mind and believe in yourself, even if things don't always go your way. Anyone who believes in themselves and doesn't give up on themselves can make it and will not only have gained a lot of new knowledge in the end, but will also have developed a lot personally. It's also not a bad thing if you don't know from the start what field you want to work in later on. HEIDELBERG offers students the opportunity to look into many different areas of the company. Students should definitely gain an insight into as many areas as possible. This is the only way to find out which work/areas suit you best and which you enjoy. This will make it much easier for you to decide what to do after graduation.
