What do the two working students think about the company and CHARGE-V as an employer?
The two working students Mario (picture: left) and Manuel (picture: right) started as software developers at CHARGE-V on 01.07.2021 and 01.07.2020 respectively. How the two computer science students became aware of the company and what challenges they encountered is revealed in the following interview.
1. How did you become aware of CHARGE-V?
Manuel: Since I already did a lot of programming in my free time, I wanted to expand my knowledge with technical skills regarding software development, which is why I was looking for a working student job for the fourth semester. CHARGE-V particularly caught my eye, as the company was looking for developers for the programming language C++, in which I wanted to further my education. Furthermore, the opportunity to work in a start-up with a flat hierarchy convinced me. For this reason, it was not difficult for me to choose the company.
Mario: Since I will be doing an internship as part of my studies in the coming semester, I exchanged information with fellow students about potential employers. Due to various recommendations, I became aware of CHARGE-V. In order to gain some practical experience in advance, I was allowed to start as a working student a few months before the beginning of my internship semester.
2. What makes CHARGE-V an attractive employer for you? Why did you choose this company?
Manuel: For me, CHARGE-V is characterised by the fact that students are also allowed to participate in a large project. Right from the start, I was allowed to take on projects independently, design new systems and contribute my own ideas and what I had already learned in my studies. In addition, there are always helpful and friendly colleagues to turn to. Thanks to the small and really very nice team, every single working day is incredibly fun, with interactions with colleagues ranging from discussing a bug to cosy Schafkopf evenings.
Mario: What convinced me the most was working in a team. No matter if team leader or working student, at CHARGE-V everyone meets each other at eye level. I am also very interested in the area of sustainability. For example, I worked on some sustainability projects during my studies, which is why this aspect was also important to me when choosing an employer. Furthermore, I chose CHARGE-V because I really liked the areas of work that were presented.
3. What does your typical working day look like? What are your tasks?
Manuel: Since my primary task is the development and maintenance of our CI/CD pipelines, my day usually starts with a look through our code repositories. In doing so, I have to check if anything has failed from our daily "4am builds". After that, it's the turn of our Daily SCRUM, where we discuss what we've done since the day before and what we have planned for today. Then the normal working day begins, in which we independently develop new features, discuss bugs with colleagues and jointly design new systems. We spend lunch together as a team in the company canteen and fortify ourselves with coffee and fruit for the rest of the day.
Mario: A typical working day usually starts with our daily meeting. In this, we discuss things in the team and share the most important information with each other so that each team member gets an overview of the current situation in the team. Afterwards, I continue working on my tasks, which we set every fortnight in our sprint. At lunchtime, we go out for lunch together and exchange ideas on a wide variety of topics. After we have had a delicious coffee as a finale, we go back to our office and continue working on our respective tasks.
4. What challenges did you face and how did you deal with them?
Manuel: The biggest challenge was designing a scalable and maintainable CI/CD pipeline system that automates as many tasks as possible without requiring a developer to do them manually. We iterated through several approaches until we finally created a perfectly functioning system that not only relieves the developers of work, but also opens up completely new possibilities.
Mario: Especially the first days in the company, when I was introduced to the project, were a challenge for me. In my studies, a project is started from scratch, whereas in a company the project may already be at an advanced stage. However, I was able to master this challenge very well because my colleagues were always there to support me and I could turn to them with questions at any time. With the help of this support, I was able to gain a certain overview in a very short time and was thus able to quickly get involved in the project.
5. What is your tip for all students who are also interested in working as a student trainee?
Manuel: My tip for computer science students or enthusiasts is that you already deal with this matter in your free time and gain some experience, for example in the context of your own project. From programming a small app to a full-fledged computer game, you will learn a lot and know directly in which direction you want to go in software development. The best thing about it is that you can convince your application with your expertise and get started straight away.
Mario: If you are looking for a working student position with a collegial relationship and a flat hierarchy and you enjoy working in a team, CHARGE-V is the perfect place for you. If you haven't decided on a specific company yet, choose one where you can learn a lot of interesting things. Especially in a start-up, you have the opportunity to work on larger projects and take on responsibility. This allows you to bring in your own ideas and implement them directly in the project. In summary, I would advise all students to gain practical experience and deepen their specialist knowledge.
Has the interview sparked your interest in getting to know CHARGE-V and its field of activity better? Then you now have the opportunity to gain practical experience in our software team alongside your studies.
We look forward to receiving your application!