ESE GmbH | Mitarbeiterstories, Inside ESE - Christopher

Employee story

Christopher

Christopher found his way to ESE through his passion for computers and software. This was at least as varied as his current job.
You can find out more here.

"Why don't you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your career to date"

My career and how I came to ESE is indeed a long journey. I was already very interested in computers as a child and teenager. We also had one at home that my two brothers would never let me get close to. Nevertheless, I already knew what a computer was and how to use it at elementary school. I had always made my interest known. The only problem was that there was never a real opportunity to get to grips with the subject in depth. I was at secondary school and there was no computer science subject there. There was a technology subject, but we only learned how a computer works superficially. That didn’t help me either. Later, I played a lot on the computer and built clan websites for my clans, which was my first contact with web design. But I didn’t have a tutor for that either, instead I taught myself HTML with the help of the Internet and then published one or two websites.

As the options in the field of computer science were limited, I thought about what other path I could take after school and came across the field of electrical engineering. However, as I wasn’t the most diligent at school and my final grades weren’t particularly good, it was difficult to find an apprenticeship. In Halberstadt, I had the opportunity to complete a vocational training course in electrical engineering at the technical college. However, there were too few participants there, so in my distress I switched to the business department within the school. In addition to the school part, I worked in the office at Edeka and later at Media Markt. So I initially trained as a retail salesman.

However, that was not at all what I wanted to do in my life. So I went back to the basics and then thought about what to do next and came back to electrical engineering. I didn’t even think about computers at that moment. So I thought about how I could become an electrician and what I would need for this and where the journey would take me afterward. Then I came across the technician, where I could also automate and program. With the aim of training as an electrician, I went back to school, attended evening classes and then completed my training as an electrician.

I gained a year’s work experience in my former training company before taking a temporary job in industry. Unfortunately, it ended just as Corona was starting, and the companies could not foresee how things would continue economically, so my employment contract was not extended. I used the time that followed to finally implement my plan to complete further training as a technician. I enrolled for the Teutloff Academy to study electrical engineering with a focus on industrial engineering. It was very business-heavy and involved a lot of employee management, process optimization, quality management, cost-performance accounting and a lot of bookkeeping. I really enjoyed the two years and was able to learn a lot. Something that many people don’t know is that if you pass the state-certified technician, you automatically get a Bachelor’s degree. Therefore, I have a Bachelor of Professional degree as a result of the technician training.

"So, how did you find your way to ESE?"

The reason I came here to ESE is that I rediscovered my passion for computers/software during my further education and my cousin, who works for the DB E.C.O. Group, raved about the rail sector. In general, I think that rail is the future. But so far I haven’t had any more points of contact than the classic “the train is always late” statement.

Here at ESE, I now have the opportunity to combine both my passion for software and my interest in railroads. And I’m slowly beginning to understand the complexity of the rail system, and delays are becoming more comprehensible to me.

I found the ESE using the classic google search, after searching for software, rail and Braunschweig. Then, I spoke to Damian (recruiter) on the phone, and he helped me find a suitable position for me and my interests right from the start. In the end, we found that the validation engineer was the right fit for me.

“You can get involved here at any time, and you will receive a lot of gratitude in return. I am very positive about ESE.”

"Do you remember your first day here at ESE?"

I was very nervous on my first day. So much so that I initially waited in front of the wrong building. Luckily I’m an early riser and was up early, so I noticed the mistake in time and was able to walk from the Valentin-Klein-building, where I was waiting at first, down the street to the headquarter. From that moment on, everything was very relaxed and well-structured. First, there was a detailed introduction to the company in general. Then came a colleague from IT and handed us the necessary hardware, and we set it up together. Finally, we went through safety training and were then picked up by our sponsors.

At the beginning, I always had the feeling that there was so much that was new, how would I ever understand and apply it all. But I have an incredibly great team that always takes the time, to explain things to me and provide me with the best possible support during my induction. They always give me a feeling of security and that it’s not so bad if I can’t do everything perfectly straight away.

"What do you generally like about the ESE, and what would you like to tell outsiders about the ESE?"

What I particularly like about ESE is that you are not expected to have at least 30 years of professional experience, but that they give everyone the chance to just get started. I believe that ESE has recognized the ravages of time and that other companies can take a leaf out of its book. I particularly like the training opportunities here in the building. You not only have external instructors here who impart new knowledge, but also the training videos, which I can watch at any time to understand processes. Especially at the beginning, these videos help immensely and are much more convenient than poring over books. If you are told that you are learning what software testing is, then you are definitely learning what software testing is here at ESE. I think that’s really great! ESE offers me very good qualification opportunities and an incredibly good entry into the software industry, which other companies cannot offer me in this way.

You can always communicate openly and honestly here and don’t have to be afraid that things will somehow go in the wrong direction. Others I started with can only confirm this and have had the same experience. You simply notice a special cohesion here right from the start. The “you” mentality certainly contributes to this. At the beginning, it took some getting used to, as I was used to being on first-name terms with my colleagues and, above all, my superiors and maintaining a certain distance. But it didn’t take long for me to internalize the ‘you’ and I like it very, very much. It lightens the mood and, in my opinion, strengthens the team spirit. I don’t think anything better could happen to you. You can also get involved here at any time, and you will receive a lot of gratitude in return. I am very positive about ESE.

Inside ESE

No one could give a better insight into our everyday life than those who experience it every day. Therefore, we asked some of our colleagues from the various departments to describe their everyday lives and careers at ESE in more detail. This way, everyone can get a first impression of us and our diverse work.

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