You have already completed your training at Oevermann. What kind of training did you do? What was the content of this training?
At PORR Oevermann I did an apprenticeship as an industrial clerk. You were deployed in the various commercial departments at the head office at intervals of 2-3 months, e.g. in financial accounting, commercial construction site management, purchasing or in the human resources department. Another part of the training was to be deployed on a building construction site for 3 months. I found that very exciting to understand what the core business of the company consists of and why commercial administration is essential for a construction company.
After your apprenticeship, you decided to study civil engineering. What made you decide to do that?
During my apprenticeship, I learned a lot about the technical side of day-to-day business through my daily work and conversations with colleagues. This made me more interested in the technical field. I would rather be directly involved in the projects instead of only working "indirectly" from the commercial side. I finally made the decision to study civil engineering when I was assigned to the construction site during my apprenticeship. Being on site every day and seeing how a project grows and takes shape over time was and is totally interesting to me. The fact that I can continue to work at PORR Oevermann as a student trainee during my studies is really great.
What are your tasks as a working student? How often are you here?
I work in the warranty management/defect rectification department. When a building is erected and accepted, a warranty period of usually 5 years applies from the time of acceptance. During this period, we as a construction company are obliged towards the client to remedy any defects that may occur - for which the client is not responsible. Our tasks include conceptualising and coordinating the renovation work. Since I have commercial experience through my training, I often take on tasks from this area that arise in our department, e.g. when invoices have to be written or checked. On average, I am in the office twice a week, for a total of 10 hours. However, this varies and depends on whether there are lectures or semester breaks. I can flexibly arrange my working hours to fit in with my schedule.
What are the advantages of working here alongside your studies?
First and foremost, I gain professional experience through my work as a student trainee and lay an important foundation for my career entry after graduation. In addition, you can apply what you have learned in theory in practice or find it again. Another advantage is that I can write my Bachelor's thesis at the end of the degree programme as part of the student trainee programme. This gives me the opportunity to orient the work on a real project and to receive professional support from colleagues.
Why did you decide to work for Oevermann (again)?
Due to the training and the fact that I was assigned to different departments, I know most of the colleagues at the head office and get along very well with many of them. I have always felt comfortable here and enjoyed working here, so there was no question for me to go elsewhere. In addition, I already know the contact persons, the processes and the structures. Of course, this makes my work much easier and has saved both sides an induction phase.
In addition, PORR Oevermann is one of the largest construction companies in Münster and I can work on challenging projects and learn from them.
What have been your highlights so far?
On a construction site, I had the opportunity to climb on a construction crane and watch the crane operator at work from his perspective, which I found very exciting. I was also allowed to operate the crane from below by remote control.
What do you enjoy most about your job/study?
What I like most about the profession is that every building is unique and you are faced with different challenges every time. This gives you a high degree of variety and you never do "the same thing". When buildings are finished, you can see what you've been working on for the past months or years and many remain for decades and longer afterwards. That makes the profession valuable in the long term, and it comes with a lot of responsibility. What I like about studying is that you can find a lot of what you learn in theory in the "real world", even outside of work. I like the fact that in many areas you can solve problems logically through calculations and that it is therefore possible to make clear statements - e.g. whether a structural analysis is sustainable enough or not.
What makes working at Oevermann special for you?
The family atmosphere in the company makes working here special. Because there is a strong and positive team affiliation, I enjoy coming to work. There are also team events, such as the company's own shooting match or bowling evenings, where you can meet up with colleagues outside of work.
Of course, I am also proud of our work. The other day, for example, I took the train past an Oevermann construction site in Essen. At moments like that, I always think it's great to be a part of it.
Thank you very much.
