What comes after your studies?
If you want to grow both personally and professionally, if you value solution-oriented work, and if you want to be supported and challenged, you should definitely apply to Bilfinger. "
Now that you’ve completed your studies and submitted your thesis, what comes next? A lot of graduates ask themselves what happens once they’ve graduated and what kind of career opportunities are available to them. One possible path forward is to join Bilfinger during or directly after your studies and start what is sure to be an exciting and multifaceted career. Michelle and Meryl from the Bilfinger team in Darmstadt demonstrate how this can happen.
In May 2021, Michelle began her career at Bilfinger in Darmstadt as a bachelor of biotechnology student. After she submitted her bachelor’s thesis in November, she was hired on a permanent basis as a project engineer in December of the same year and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree while working. But how she ended up at Bilfinger was by sheer coincidence: “A friend who was a working student at Bilfinger brought the position that was available to my attention.”
Meryl joined Michelle's team as a Master’s student in November 2021 and was hired as a permanent employee in the summer of 2022. With a Master’s degree in chemical technology, Meryl is now working as a project engineer in the qualification team and is also involved in project management.
Their day-to-day tasks include conducting qualifications in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries, as well as overseeing large-scale GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) projects. In terms of the qualification of production facilities, they check whether the technical equipment that manufactures pharmaceutical products in the GMP environment is appropriately designed and installed. This is achieved through the preparation of various risk analyses to assess potential process failures and define risk reduction measures in collaboration with plant operations. By reviewing and requesting the appropriate documentation, including manufacturer documentation, commissioning documents and calibration reports, it is possible to determine whether the equipment is suitable or what measures need to be taken before the equipment can be put into operation.2 In the area of project support, coordination and management, it is absolutely vital that appointments with customers are properly managed and organized. Customer requirements must be taken into account and implemented. Qualifications of mobile equipment, systems, media networks and rooms are also part of the daily business. Media networks comprise piping systems and ensure that the plants are supplied with and connected to the various media (water, nitrogen, product, etc.) during operation. Compact qualifications are carried out as well as risk analyses and reviews. Equipment is reviewed and compared to existing P&I's (piping and instrument flow diagrams) on site.
Overall, the job as a project engineer demands an excellent level of organizational skills, the ability to coordinate and communicate, as well as the ability to respond to the customer's requirements and deliver high-quality results.
Both colleagues appreciate the excellent team spirit that prevails at Bilfinger, the close customer contact, the variety and the technical focus of their work. They report very open interaction within the team and an excellent feedback culture at Bilfinger as a whole. “Writing a thesis at Bilfinger offers an excellent opportunity to get to know the company as well as to gain insights into the industry and working with customers”, agree Meryl and Michelle. “At Bilfinger, you also get to know many different processes and industries, which makes the work very varied.”
Of the six-person project team in Darmstadt, four are women. Michelle emphasizes that working at Bilfinger is not just for men and that women are just as capable of doing the job. Michelle and Meryl have been warmly welcomed by all team members, and flat hierarchies mean that problems and questions are always addressed and clarified openly. “We are a very young team that gets along well outside of work. Most of them started their jobs directly after graduation. We regularly organize team events such as foosball tournaments, visits to breweries and go-kart races and will often include the other teams in the Rhine-Main region when planning these events. This way, we grow even closer together as a team and get to know a lot about what our colleagues are doing.”
The two see the submission of their theses and permanent employment at Bilfinger as a major milestone in their careers.
A career at Bilfinger is not only exciting, it also offers outstanding opportunities for personal development and growth, as Michelle and Meryl impressively demonstrate. “If you want to grow both personally and professionally, if you value solution-oriented work, and if you want to be supported and challenged, you should definitely apply to Bilfinger”, according to Meryl and Michelle.
If you are also interested in a career at Bilfinger, visit our job portal and discover the many opportunities that are available!