Andreas Feil
Study programmes: Information Management Automotive (BSc) / Master Business Management (MSc) at Steinbeis School of Management and Innovation
Employer: Evomotiv Ulm GmbH
Position: Development engineer
Straight or via detours: How did your school career run and what interests did you have as a younger person?
About the second educational path: After primary school and the first year of secondary modern school, I realized for myself personally that I wanted to achieve more later. After secondary modern school, I successfully graduated from technical high school and trained as a car mechatronics technician. Afterwards I was faced with the decision: University studies with an academic degree or a further professional title by a master craftsman at the HWK.
After successfully completing my studies at the HNU, I decided to take up another part-time course of study in the "Management and Innovation" program at the Steinbeis School of Management and Innovation. This year in April I finished my master thesis.
Despite the goal-oriented further education and the "red thread" in my CV, I am very proud that I have always remained true to my private interests as well. I still have a great curiosity for many new topics. I am interested in start ups related to sustainability and upcycling as well as automated Python code in the automotive industry. In my spare time I take part in further training for my hobbies: Be it an avalanche course in Switzerland for winter sports with skis, snowboard and crampons or further training up to diving instructor for the summer.
What tips can you give young people who are looking for the right course of study?
Be sure to take your time! The decision should mature in a sustainable and qualified way and only be made after many nights of sleeping on it. If possible, a course of study should be selected according to personal talents, preferences, its main focus, later perspectives and the desired professional field.
Courage to correct! Failing in a course of study is not the final destination. However, the lack of courage to correct it would be detrimental to the vita. Recognising what you are not good at is often more valuable than a false ambition that makes you unhappy in the long run.
What experiences during your studies have had a particular influence on you?
Instead of the first, I started my studies in the second semester, because there were too few enrolled students at that time. The number of students was nevertheless very manageable. But it was also an advantage, because I was able to make contact with fellow students with study experience. Many of these fellow students are still close friends today.
Throughout my entire studies, I was influenced above all by the views and pedagogy of Professor Dr. Dehnert. After hard exam periods, the HNU parties and events in summer and winter on our campus were also very well received by me.
Please describe your daily work routine. Which projects are you working on and which tasks do you particularly appreciate?
My daily business depends on various projects. As is usual for a service provider in the automotive industry, projects can change at short notice. Often I have to familiarize myself with completely new topics for this purpose. After my studies I specialized in topics related to the functional safety of components in high voltage systems. My project experience ranges from disciplinary project support to the development of fully automated test cases in the high voltage laboratory of the same company in Munich. In my current project I am developing a test strategy for an e-scooter of an Indian motorcycle company.
What I particularly appreciate about my tasks is that my work is mainly concerned with the further development of safety and comfort for end customers as well as increasing the economic efficiency and innovative ability of my company.
Exhausting or child's play: What did your internship semester look like and what tasks did you take on?
Wonderful effort: At very short notice during the exam phase in the winter semester 2015/16, I received a phone call asking me whether I could imagine accepting an internship in the United States in eight weeks at the latest. To be more precise, in Spartanburg, South Carolina at a German automotive group based there. After a very exciting and short-term application phase for my visa, I was actually on site in time for the start of the project in early March. In the following six months, I visited 19 of 50 states, both professionally and privately, and met a great many interesting people. The activities focused mainly on assisting the project manager. As a trained automotive mechatronics technician, I was often allowed to work on the project myself and, at the same time, to program a cloud-based system for vehicle registration with barcodes in order to load the vehicles onto large container ships at ports such as Miami, Portland or Newark.
What is your advice to all graduates who are looking for their first job?
"Just start walking": Maybe your first job doesn't immediately fit like a glove. Nevertheless, it is important to sow your wild oats quickly. During your studies you still enjoy a little nest warmth. Goals should be ambitious and achievable. I asked myself the question "Where do I want to be in two years?" The path there should be clearly structured and at the same time have enough room for possible surprises.
What did your first job look like and how did you find out about it?
In my bachelor's thesis I described how the digitalization of the automotive industry, using the example of car sharing, demands exponential growth for the way of thinking and corporate culture. Shortly afterwards, I took over disciplinary project responsibility for the IT backend of a car sharing service of an automobile company. A particular challenge here was the 24/7 support, i.e. the worldwide managed operation of the system around the clock.
Which experiences from your studies at HNU have proven to be valuable in your professional life?
"Nothing is eaten as hot as it is cooked": The rigorous preparation by various lecturers and professors for the exams was very valuable and important in order to always put theory into practice. It was precisely the uncertainty of what could be tested in an exam that forced us students to transfer. I see the advantage of a course of study in the fact that topics often overlap and are therefore interdisciplinary. The same applies to my project experience.
What professional goals do you pursue for your future?
I would like to remain true to myself: The goal is that I continue to work in the project business at my current employer, as I enjoy the environment and want to continue to play an operational role in shaping the development of mobility.
At the same time, I will put the business plan from my master's thesis into practice. For this purpose I have developed an upcycling product and a platform. With my start up and the proceeds from the sale I would like to draw attention to aid projects which are committed to the welfare of humans, animals and the environment.
It is especially nice that I am in contact with HNU again in this context and can use the professional start-up advice.
How would you complete the following sentence?
HNU... "offered me the opportunity to grow up, to make friends for life, to develop my talents outside of my own building through various electives and to complete a course of study of which I am still very proud today."
