Luke House

Study programme:  Information Management Automotive (BSc)

Employer: it-novum GmbH, Fulda

Position: Sales Manager Big Data Analytics & IoT


Why did you decide to study at HNU?
First of all, HNU is very well located for people in the Ulm/Neu-Ulm area. Furthermore, the campus is not too big and not too small and with the sports facilities on offer (football field, table tennis, basketball court) you can spend pleasant hours in your free time. I find this positive distraction very important in everyday university life. It was also important to me that the university offers degree programmes that are innovative and unique, with a strong focus on the English language, which will only be an advantage in later professional life.


Straightforward or via detours: How did your school career run and what interests did you have as a younger person?
Actually, it was not all that easy. I always loved going to school and I also knew that secondary school was not the end of the line, even if my performance at school was usually a bit poor. After secondary school, I made up my subject-related higher education entrance qualification at the FOS Neu-Ulm and then decided to study at HNU, although after the FOS, my thoughts tended to turn more towards training as an IT or industrial clerk. But I've always been interested in the latest technologies and cars, which is why the Information Management Automotive (B.Sc.) course of study seemed and was very exciting for me.


What experiences during your studies have had a particular impact on you?
During my studies I very quickly and painfully realised that you really have to want to do it: Nobody - like parents and sometimes teachers at school - "forces" you to study and pass your exams, but you are responsible for yourself and your achievements during your studies. In my degree programme, it didn't matter how often you attended the lectures and did your "homework". In fact, you should take every task you do in your studies home with you and work on it, because they all make the exams at the end of each semester easier. I'd hate to start the first semesters again in this way and write a lot of re-exams, because the stress factor is usually very, very high.


Exhausting or child's play: What did your internship semester look like and what tasks did you take on?
I completed my practical semester at Daimler Buses in Neu-Ulm (Product Testing / After Sales). Here - at this dream company - it was really interesting. I was given a lot of responsibility by having my own fuel tank department, where I picked up on any faults that arose and followed up on how high the damage rate was here. In close cooperation with the development department, solutions for these faults were then found and, in the best case scenario, they were corrected. Controlling the measures was also part of my job, as well as presenting the errors and working out solutions in meetings.


What is your advice to all graduates who are looking for their first job?
It is important not to get stuck on a particular employer, as entering the world of work is usually more difficult than many graduates imagine. It is primarily important to gain first experiences. The first employer will never be the last.


What did your first job look like and how did you find out about it?
The first job was with a small software manufacturer/IT service company for applicant management software. The company has grown a lot in a short time and I was able to gain my first experiences in the working world here as a sales representative and later as a customer manager. In this way I realised what is important and less important for me in my professional life. I became aware of it through the classic internet portals.


What are your professional goals for your future?
In the next few years I would like to take on more management tasks with personnel responsibility and expand my career. To this end, I want to continuously improve processes in the company.


How would you complete the beginning of the following sentence?
HNU... "is the perfect local contact point for young people who want to work in management positions."