Bonding - More than materials | Herrmann Ultraschall

TRAINEE SUCCESS STORIES. Growing Up MAXIMILIAN NAGEL GROWING UP WITH THE COMPANY His career began in 2010 with his apprenticeship as an Industrial Management Assistant. Beginning in 2014, in addition to his job, he studied commercial business adminis- tration through the VWA (Verwaltungs- und Wirtschafts- akademie, a private educational institute for administration and business). As difficult as it was to have classes in the evening three days a week and to cram the material at weekends, it was very cool to be handed a diploma on a stage at Karlsruhe City Hall upon graduating. “I then went via Product Management into the demand- ing Technical Documentation.” He quickly realized that he lacked academic basics and opted for a master’s course in “Technical Communications and Media Management.” This is a correspondence course with in-person classes weeks at the Tecteam education institute in Dortmund. “I actually managed to get two parking tickets in one day in Dortmund once – at the same place,” he laughs. Money he is happy to pay, as all the fees for this further education are assumed by the company, which pleases and motivates him. He will complete his master’s in October 2021. “I find it fun to be a part of product development through Technical Documen- tation and thereby make the life of the future machine opera- tors easier,” he says. On a more personal level, he is very grateful to his men- tor from his beginning at his job, Volker Aust, from whom he learned a lot, as well as the entire TDO team, who are always available to help him. When it comes to social engagement, the project “Weihnachten im Schuhkarton” (Christmas in a shoe box) is very important to him. For the upcoming Christmas, he wants a team from Herrmann Ultraschall to work in the Christmas workshop of the organization “Samaritan’s Purse,” the initiator behind “Weihnachten im Schuhkarton.” SELINA KIEFER SPREAD YOUR WINGS Following her apprenticeship as an Industrial Management Assistant at Herrmann Ultraschall from 2011 to 2014, Selina Kiefer now works as part of the in-house staff under Sales Direc- tor Marc Glabisch, who she considers to be a good teacher. It is above all the extensive contact with customer in the projects that she enjoys, but also organizing events and trade shows. “Trade shows are always exciting and intense,” she says. “Entirely according to my taste.” In 2017, she traveled to America for the first time for vacation. As soon as she landed, she already had a feeling of freedom and fell in love with the country: the expanse of it, the nature, the friendliness of the Americans. On her return flight, she shed a few tears and in her was born the dream of living and working in America. After talking with Marc Glabisch, Michael Leipold, and Uwe Peregi, President of the American Herrmann Ultrasonics branch near Chicago, she applies for a job in technical Inside Sales there. The visa takes a long time to arrive, and so it is October 2019 by the time she packs three bags and embarks on her journey with a one-way ticket. Again she sheds tears, this time out of pain of parting mixed with anticipation and anxious excitement. The team at Herrmann Ultrasonics in Bartlett near Chicago takes her in like in a large family. She is grateful for the nice reception and the first social invitations, such as to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at a colleague’s house at the end of No- vember. She finds the job fun and even the initial language barriers are quickly overcome, though not without a few amusing little mistakes along the way. By now, she has already been promot- ed to the position of team leader. What she misses most: German bread! And the possibility to simply hop on a bicycle to get her errands done quickly. That is really not possible in the expan- sive suburbs, such as Schaumburg where she lives. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic hits her with full force when it comes to contact with her family. “Never have I gone so long without seeing my family and friends!” As a socially-aware person, she cares about people who are struggling finan- cially or in terms of health. “The social system in America is not as extensive or robust as in Germany, and many fall through, living in very poor conditions or even on the street, even children.” She would like to become more in- volved in this area once the pandemic restrictions have ended.