It has already been six months since I started my traineeship program at Bilfinger. In that time, I have been a part of the mechanical department. Being a trainee is all about exploring the organization and discovering what you enjoy in the work field. In this blog, I will share what my traineeship at Bilfinger Tebodin is like.
Initially doing a traineeship was not my plan. I was considering starting my career as a mechanical engineer at an engineering firm. A colleague of mine told me that traineeships are an excellent way to be introduced to an organization and learn all the different facets that work within it. This is what convinced me to choose for the traineeship program.
The program at Bilfinger in the Netherlands consists of four different projects. Currently I am working on a project related to hydrogen. After each project, I will move on to a different department. That way, I get to experience what the work is like in many disciplines within the company. Of course, there are also smaller tasks and projects in between that I assist with.
The wide variety of work is great for me as there are many things I love doing. However, this also makes it difficult for me to choose the department I want to work in after my traineeship. For example, during my traineeship I discovered that while I do enjoy mechanical engineering, it is not something I can see myself doing for the rest of my career.
What I like most about my work is that you feel like you can make a real contribution. At other companies, you run the risk of fading away among the masses of employees. It is very difficult to get any sort of recognition by the higher-ups. Bilfinger isn't a small company by any means, but it is large enough to provide interesting projects while it does not make you feel insignificant. I quickly felt at home after joining the team.
Probably the most important thing I have learnt during my traineeship is that engineering is all about applying proven concepts and not necessarily reinventing the wheel each time. At university, the picture was painted that you are supposed to innovate with every single endeavor, but it turns out that this is not the case in practice. There is a lot of reliance on proven knowledge and previous experience. Of course, this does not mean there is no innovation happening, but it is fine to rely on existing methods if they are suitable.
After finalizing my traineeship, I hope to have a better understanding of what I like to do in my work. Project management is something I have an interest in as well, but it remains to be seen if that is actually something I want to do in the long term. Additionally, I am eager to learn more about putting the theory I learnt from university into practice. Luckily, there are enough opportunities and disciplines within Bilfinger to make the next step in my career.
One memory that I think about often is when I was in office for about two weeks. I was afraid that I did not know enough, and that I would not get on the required level of expertise. My colleague told me not to worry. When you ask anyone for help, they are happy to give you an on-the-spot lecture about any given topic. This is because everyone at Bilfinger is passionate about their work and shares heaps of enthusiasm. No matter who you ask, they will take time to help you.