End of the master thesis – entry into working life

Last year I was looking for a company where I could write my master’s thesis, gain practical experience and earn money. I found the combination program of TÜV Rheinland. I’ll now tell you what happened next for me.

Master’s thesis + job = a great combo

At the beginning of the combination program, the period of one year initially sounded very long. However, this impression was quite deceptive. After an intensive training phase, I was soon working independently on smaller work packages in a wide variety of projects.

Over time, small work packages turned into large ones, and some of them even became sub-projects. Thanks to the large number of different projects (both internal and external for customers) that I was able to work on at TÜV Rheinland Consulting, I was able to gain a good insight into the company and its structures within a very short time. In addition, I made numerous valuable contacts. Despite all the work, I was always given enough time to work on my master’s thesis and also to consult with my supervisor at the company.

My start after the master thesis

Before I knew it, the initially “long” year was rapidly coming to an end. I was told early on that they were also interested in working with me beyond the combination program. This was a perfect fit, because I was also interested in continuing at TÜV Rheinland after completing my master’s degree in supply chain and operations management. Subsequently, all further processes were set in motion very quickly to enable a smooth transition.

Today, I have been working full-time as a junior consultant at the Center of Integrated Management for more than a year and I am very happy that I chose to start my career with the combination program. The numerous experiences and contacts I gained in the first year made it much easier for me to finally start working full-time. I was able to take on even more responsibility from day one.

Personal development never stops

What also helped me incredibly to develop myself further were the regular development meetings as part of the combined program. Every four months (i.e. three times in total over the course of the year), I reflected on myself and the work I had done with my manager on the basis of professional and social competencies from the TÜV Rheinland competency model. The regular feedback pointed out potential areas for improvement so that I could work on them. In addition, I was able to develop a very trusting relationship with my manager, which still helps me immensely today. For me, this is the basis for successful collaboration.

It was particularly nice for me to realize last year that the company and especially my manager continue to promote my personal development through training and continuous expansion of my range of activities. This gives me the feeling that I am far from having reached the end of the line. So despite a difficult 2020 due to the Corona pandemic, I am looking positively to the future with and at TÜV Rheinland.