Jaqueline Lauß feels most comfortable when the sparks are flying. The welder works at Bilfinger in Austria ensuring that weld seams on structures such as pipelines remain perfectly tight even under high pressure and adverse conditions. She deliberately chose Bilfinger as her employer at the time:
“I started my training as a welding technician at Bilfinger in Linz in 2012. I was looking specifically for a job where I would not just move with the crowd, but where I would be able to make things happen myself. I didn't want to be just one among many at work. From my very first day, Bilfinger has offered me the opportunity to contribute. That is definitely one of the reasons why I am so loyal to the company,” says our colleague with a laugh.
When she started her training nine years ago, there were no female colleagues in her field. This has now changed significantly. “There is an increasing number of women working in technical careers. It is something that is really noticeable and really great. We have female machinists, locksmiths and electricians and I hope the trend will continue in this direction! A lot has changed, and the fact that more and more women are now taking up technical careers shows that this sector is constantly developing. Although the majority of my colleagues are still male, I feel very much at home as a woman. I am completely accepted, do exactly the same tasks as everyone else, and that's a good thing,” says Jaqueline.
Her activities are quite varied: “I don't just weld all day, there are a lot of other tasks that need to be dealt with. I check pipes, for example, prepare supports and platforms and take care of tasks that arise before and after the actual welding. I am currently responsible for welding pressure pipelines for a project in Switzerland. To be trusted to take on responsibility at this construction site makes me very proud. Depending on the order situation, I work in our own production facility or directly on site at our customers' construction sites. In the workshop, I know where everything is and have my usual rhythm. On the construction site, on the other hand, you sometimes have to be inventive and think around corners. That definitely has its appeal and presents me with new challenges every time.”
What other advantages does working on site at the customer's location have? “Definitely the opportunity to meet your colleagues! In our workshop we always work in our fixed team, but on projects on site we are in contact with many Bilfinger employees from different areas. The exchange of information and with colleagues is another reason why I enjoy working at Bilfinger so much. We have a great working atmosphere, get along great and always stick together. No matter if it's the welding shop, manufacturing, maintenance, electrical or any other unit: we don't think of ourselves as separate individual departments, but as one company.”
Jaqueline and her team are always happy to welcome new employees with open arms. As a former apprentice, the welder can report from her own experience: “If you want to learn something, you should definitely join Bilfinger. Nothing is left out of the picture here. You don't just move with the crowd, but are guided individually and thus have the opportunity to immerse yourself in all areas. We also offer our apprentices support with private or school-related issues. We provide tutors who support our apprentices and have already helped some of them get a good grade in school.”
But the learning certainly doesn’t stop once the apprenticeship ends. Because Bilfinger offers a lot of opportunities for further training, which Jaqueline would like to take advantage of in the near future: her dream is to become a master craftswoman at the company.
“The new experiences and challenges that I am offered every day at Bilfinger mean that my job is never boring. And the job also offers other exciting assignments. Are you patient, willing to learn, enthusiastic and want to take on new challenges? Then a job as a welder at Bilfinger is perfect for you,” says Jaqueline, describing the ideal candidate.