16/09/2014
Interview of the month: Commissioning engineer hydropower stations, Voith Hydro
Maximilian Wernstedt is a commissioning engineer at Voith Hydro. In today's interview he talks about his start and his first experiences at Voith.
Why did you decide to start your career at Voith?
There were numerous reasons why I decided to start my career at Voith. I already completed my dissertation at Voith and, while I was still looking for a suitable company to write my graduation paper, I made sure from the beginning that I could imagine this company also as a possible future employer. Since I wanted to work in the field of regenerative energies and because hydropower has such a rich future in energy utilization, Voith was highly interesting for me. It is important for me to be able to say about my job that it fulfills a useful purpose and creates added value. In addition, I wanted to start out in a large company that is globally active and internationally represented.
It was a friend who also works for Voith who gave me the idea of working as a commissioning engineer. While I was still at university I realized in various student jobs that I do not want to spend all my time in an office and rather build up a broad knowledge of the entire plant. This is why this job is really perfect for me as a career start.
How was your first day at Voith?
My first proper working day was, of course, very exciting, but since I spent six months in a different department writing my dissertation, I knew Voith already quite well and everything was a little more relaxed. After a general one-and-a-half-hour induction in the HR department I moved to my future office. Everybody was really friendly and helpful. During my job interview I already got the impression that the department is very open, and this was confirmed at my first day at work.
How do you see the solidarity among colleagues and the working atmosphere at Voith?
It is really good. As a commissioning engineer one is, of course, away a lot and therefore does not have regular contact to the colleagues in Heidenheim. I am generally very satisfied with the working atmosphere and there is a good rapport with all hierarchical levels. The climate among the commissioning engineers is friendly and open.
What are your main duties and activities in everyday working life?
We represent the final stage when a hydropower station is sold, and we commission turbines, mechanical components and hydraulic control systems of newly built or modernized hydropower plants. Our task is to hand the completed and fully functioning plant including all documentations to the customer. During the commissioning process, failures that have occurred in upstream processes become visible. In this case we find suitable solutions and thus ensure the overall quality of the system.
As a first jobber there is still a lot to learn. How are supervision and feedback by superiors governed at Voith?
I can contact my line managers or my colleagues at any time with queries, and I have access to a vast collection of documents to prepare myself for the work at the plant. After the first three months of joining Voith I got the personal impression that one should never shy away from asking questions and showing initiative. This is the best way of developing further and learning new things. As a commissioning engineer, you learn the most from your colleagues at the plant who bring in years of expertise. Recently, I spent three weeks on site in Switzerland where I was able to learn a great deal.
So far I have not had any feedback, but my employee dialogue is due next week, during which we will talk about job satisfaction, goals and working progress. In addition, there will be a goal agreement meeting after a few months, during which my performance will also be assessed.
Which personal characteristics should you possess for a successful career start at Voith?
You should possess openness and passion and be ambitious and enthusiastic about your respective line of work. Especially in the beginning you need to be patient and show inner calm to familiarize yourself with many processes and form your own impression.
What is your advice for a first jobber?
You should be proactive, approach people and build up an internal network. Always try to get to the bottom of someone else's opinion and make your own experiences. In addition, you should approach your duties optimistically and with a lot of good will. It is also important to quickly understand the structures within the company, in order to know who is in charge of what. Another vital aspect is to know how the individual departments are interconnected.
From university to working life - what about the work-life balance in your job?
With my job I have opted for traveling a lot and not lead an easily plannable working and private life with fixed office hours. But this is exactly what I want, and this is why I find this job so interesting and exciting. At the moment, my job comes first. But during my phases in Heidenheim I still have time to pursue my hobbies at the weekend.
In summary I can say that I have about the same amount of leisure time than during my time at university. Very soon I will participate in projects for which I have to be abroad for half a year and more. Then my everyday life will look totally different. But this is exactly what I wanted and I find that this scenario is just right for the start of my career.
You have taken the first step by entering working life. What are your plans for your further career at Voith?
I presume I will do my current job for the next five to eight years and then I can imagine moving into a senior position. A change to design and development would also be quite attractive from today's perspective. In addition, I find Voith Ocean Current Technologies (VHHC) very interesting and, depending on how things develop, I can see myself getting involved here, too. All in all I would like to build up a broad knowledge of hydropower plant technology, in order to drive future innovations.
Many thanks for the interview!
