Thomas Stölzle
Study programmes: Business Studies (BA) / Master of Business Engineering at Steinbeis Hochschule Berlin
Employer: PEC project engineers and consultants GmbH
Position: Site Management, Senior Consultant, Competence Field Management COST
Contact: LinkedIn-profile (opens in a new window)
What tips can you give young people who are looking for the right degree programme?
Be curious! Find out in advance what you can expect in which degree programmes. And above all, what you can do with your degree! What do you really want to do? Are you ready to jump in at the deep end? Do you want to do "the same thing" every day or are you the type for constantly changing topics? Do you want to take responsibility later? (i.e. be held responsible for what you and your team / department deliver)? Build up a network as early as possible and ask people why they like the job. And check whether it fits your ideas! Then try yourself out accordingly - internships and holiday jobs give you a first insight! --> No Pain, No Gain!
What experiences during your studies have had a particular impact on you?
For my current job, I was particularly influenced by the time I spent on my internship and during my bachelor's thesis. In international strategic purchasing at Daimler Trucks, I was able to combine the knowledge from my focus areas of supply chain and controlling in an excellent way. Being curious pays off for later. Even if the extra step is often difficult and you often only have the motivation to learn the bare minimum, the extra mile paid off. If you learn it in your studies, it's easier in your job.
What tips would you give to students in your degree programme?
Learn how a company works. How and where does value creation take place, how does product development work? Where do costs arise and how do they arise or can they be controlled? Always seek proximity to technology! Take courses, do student jobs in development, etc., so that you understand what the other person is talking about. It sounds far-fetched at university, but in practice it will catch up with you faster than you can count to three. And it's imperative that you learn Excel and PowerPoint. This is YOUR job, not the job of the company you will later work for. Take advantage of e-learning opportunities to expand your knowledge even further during your studies. You will (hopefully) have little time for this in your job!
What is your advice to all graduates who are looking for their first job?
Don't get stuck - keep an open mind and look for opportunities in smaller companies. But above all, one thing is important. No pain, no gain! This is the price the company has to pay for you every month - find out what you are "worth"! If you ask for too much without the corresponding knowledge and experience, you will be sorted out. Think in advance what you want to do and what you don't want to do. You should have been in your first job for at least 2 years. And do it as well as possible, otherwise it will be difficult to continue your career.
Please describe your everyday working life. Which projects do you work on and which tasks do you particularly appreciate?
For me, no day is like the other. My days are very full and peppered with many different topics. Client projects (strategic consulting in product development) with many different people, from different cultures in different languages with different challenges and to-dos. As a site manager, I also deal with many other topics. Recruiting, job interviews, sales, existing customer management, administrative tasks such as writing offers and invoices, through to staff interviews and internal technical issues - there are virtually no limits. The flexibility, the trust and the chance to work with people every day are the most outstanding things about my job.
How would you complete the following sentence beginning?
HNU... "is a excellent university with a lot of potential in one of the strongest regions in Europe."
