We have reason to celebrate, because our Franz has not only passed his apprenticeship as an IT specialist. He completed it as chamber winner of the IHK Oldenburg. This means that he achieved the best examination result in his apprenticeship in the entire district. An amazing achievement!
We sat down with Franz to talk about his journey, training at erminas and his tips for future IT talents.
The road to success
Interviewer: Congratulations, Franz! You’ve won the Oldenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce. How did you actually take this news? What was your first thought?
Franz: Thank you! I was delighted, of course. But at first I was rather surprised that there was an extra award for good performance. The prize itself wasn’t that important to me. Writing good grades was much more my own aspiration and my personal expectations of myself. The award is of course a nice confirmation of this.
Interviewer: What do you personally think made the difference? What has particularly helped you in your training?
Franz: Definitely the preparation in the team. We got together with other trainees early on and organized weekly meetings. We did this for months on end. This structural distribution of the learning material over the whole time saved us stress. I didn’t have any classic “bulimia learning” just before the deadline. On the contrary, I was able to spend the day before the exam completely relaxed because I knew that the material was in place.
Training at erminas
Interviewer: Describe your first month at erminas. How was the start for you?
Franz: It was challenging, but very pleasant. I was directly involved in the team work. As I already had some previous knowledge, the induction period was short and I was able to work on real projects very quickly. There were hardly any purely theoretical exercises.
Interviewer: You got to know different areas such as IIoT, Frontend, Backend and Business Central. What was it like for you to learn such a broad range?
Franz: It was very instructive to have a look at all areas. I was able to understand what is technically possible. However, it quickly became clear where my strengths lie. IoT and Backend were much more my thing than Frontend or Business Central. But the experience and insight into everything was valuable.
Interviewer: What was the coolest project or the most exciting moment in your apprenticeship?
Franz: I wouldn’t name a specific project. For me, the most exciting thing is when you can build something from scratch. I love these so-called greenfield projects. My dream environment is to experience the start and to plan and control the software architecture.
Interviewer: Hand on heart: Did the weekly meetings with the management make you nervous at the beginning?
Franz: No, that didn’t actually make me nervous at all. You’re on first-name terms with the management here anyway, which makes dealing with them very relaxed. They also support us directly with technical problems. We simply have a very relaxed and informal working atmosphere here, so there’s no reason to be nervous.
Development & future
Interviewer: When did you realize that backend was simply your thing and what do you like less?
Franz: That actually came about through the process of elimination. After the first front-end project, I knew immediately that UX design wasn’t my world. And I didn’t really warm to Business Central and the Microsoft environment in that context either. In the backend, on the other hand, I simply feel at home, it’s just my thing.
Interviewer: You stayed with erminas after your apprenticeship. Was that already clear to you during your training?
Franz: Yes, I had the plan from the outset that I would like to stay. For one thing, it simply looks better on your CV if you don’t change jobs straight after your training. But the main reason is the atmosphere here. It’s always pleasant and the pay is good. So why should you leave? I had hoped to be taken on and I’m pleased that it worked out.
Tips for new talents
Interviewer: What would you say to someone who is considering training to become an IT specialist?
Franz: To be honest, I have to say that you should study the topics privately before you start your training. You can find all the content online for free these days. You just have to invest the time. If you don’t enjoy doing this voluntarily in your free time, you shouldn’t do the course. The field is developing so quickly and you constantly have to learn new things yourself. If you don’t enjoy it, you probably won’t be happy in your job either.
Interviewer: What tip would you give a new trainee at erminas?
Franz: There is no one-size-fits-all tip or perfect way. People are individual in their learning behavior and have to find their own methods. But my offer stands. Anyone starting a course at erminas is always welcome to ask me personally.
Interviewer: Thank you for the interview, Franz, and congratulations again on winning the chamber!
If you’d also like to start an apprenticeship at erminas, apply here.
