“What I especially liked about KHS was the fact that it’s such a large company with a top position in its branch of industry.”
A few years ago I started thinking about signing up for a dual work-study course. After finishing my high school diploma last year, I then decided to go for a program like this. I did some research and found there was a degree in business information technology. As I wanted to combine business administration with information technology, this was a good choice for me. I then started to look for positions in this field in my local area and came across KHS. What I especially liked about KHS was the fact that it’s such a large company with a top position in its branch of industry, giving me the chance to gain a good impression of what it’s like to work for an international company. That’s why I applied here.
I’m studying for a degree in business information technology and am an apprentice IT specialist for application development. I’m currently in the second semester of my degree course and in my first year of training. The apprenticeship usually lasts three years but I can shorten it to two-and-a-half if I achieve a certain average grade.
I’ve always been interested in technical subjects but hadn’t really done much programming in my free time. However, I started studying information technology in the eighth grade and have thus been able to gain a certain basic knowledge in this subject in the last few years. As I have an affinity for technical subjects, I’m finding it easy to learn and apply new programming languages at university and build up my expertise in this way.
I’ve been given a training plan and, just like all the other apprentices, I also work my way through the different departments. I’ve already spent time in Controlling and Cost Accounting and now I’m in the various IT departments for a few months before moving on to Purchasing. This gives me a good mixture of economics and technology and I gain a comprehensive insight into KHS’ business processes.
I’ve not long started my course of training and so would first like to see how things progress. This field is extremely diverse and it’s hard to opt for a certain specialist area so early on. However, I’m tending towards aiming for a job as an SAP consultant. The advantage of my business information technology course is that it’s extremely varied and that I can later cover several areas with it. For this reason, a number of avenues are still open to me in this respect. In the course of my degree program I’m also gaining lots of experience in programming and other areas of information technology which is beneficial to both me personally and to my development.
The definite challenge of my program is settling into the different departments, with these sometimes changing every month and with school on top. You have to quickly find your feet in a new environment and familiarize yourself with new tasks – and then also be able to perform these tasks reliably. What’s good about my particular training model is that I’m regularly at the company and therefore don’t lose touch with the practical side of things; I’m also often at school where I can improve and build up my theoretical knowledge. Timewise, my studies have proved very comfortable to date and are easily manageable in my opinion. You have to organize your time very well, of course, but it’s all perfectly doable.
“My tip for applicants: preparation and authenticity are everything. First impressions count.“
Preparation and authenticity are everything in my view and in my experience. A good resumé and confident manner, while staying true to yourself, can take you a long way, for first impressions count.
In my spare time I like to play tennis and am generally keen on sports. Sometimes I go running or to the fitness studio. I play tennis as part of team; it’s always fun to train or enter tournaments with my teammates. My friends are also very important to me and I spend a lot of time with them. I also love to travel when possible.
I think I’d spend a lot of the time traveling but also take time out for my friends. I’d like to travel to Africa or Asia, with Tokyo certainly one of my top destinations, for example. I’d also like to see Australia because it’s very diverse. The list is definitely a long one!
More experience reports
Nathalie Ahrens
Industrial clerk | Department: Purchasing | Hamburg, Germany
Fenja Braun
Dual work-study student | Department: Mechanical Design Engineering | Kleve, Germany
Niklas Lampar
Dual work-study industrial engineering student | Department: Technical Support | Dortmund, Germany
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“This exciting branch of industry and the good chance of being hired by KHS had me convinced.”
“As a dual work-study student you’re integrated into the company processes really quickly.”
“The insights you have into all departments allow you to build up your knowledge very quickly.”
“The dual work-study program is all about gaining work experience early on in your career and having quick practical reference to the theory. This was important to me.”
“As a mechatronics engineer you have good future prospects and in time can specialize in a certain field.”
“What I particularly liked about my training course was that you’re free to develop your skills at KHS.”
“Even as a little boy I always tried to repair everything myself – and was usually successful.”
