My story at LEONI
My name is Cynthia, I am a dual-study student in Wiring Systems Development at master's level and have been with LEONI in Kitzingen since April 2021. My bachelor’s degree was in Technological Mathematics. After graduating, I wanted to focus on the automotive industry as part of my master's degree. I came across the degree in Wiring Systems Development at Landshut Technical University relatively quickly – I was immediately fascinated by the complexity and continual relevance of this product for the future of all vehicles.
To get some hands-on experience, I initially applied to LEONI as a working student in the Ideation, Strategy & Intellectual Property department before switching to a dual-study master's program fairly quickly. In the following months, exciting practical phases alternated with intensive theory semesters, which was the ideal combination for my further professional development. I topped off my study with my master's dissertation in February 2022 while working as part of the Simulation team. Thanks to the great network I was able to build during my degree course, the transition from my graduation to my first permanent position was very smooth.
Since October 2022, I have been permanently employed in product development in the Product Strategy & Management team for the Low Voltage section.
This is my job
Here in product development, much of my work revolves around requests for quotations and the associated organizational work in the CTO segment. This includes looking at requests for quotation from a product strategy aspect and the communication in the CTO unit and with Account Management that are behind that. I also support the team for electronic components with regard to product strategy and management. Alongside these tasks, some smaller matters pop up from time to time, such as for product marketing to visualize the products themselves better.
My daily routine
Start of the day
To me, making a good start to the day matters a great deal: my first mug of coffee and a copious breakfast are indispensable. On an office day it takes me about half an hour to drive to Kitzingen, and I can start work at my desk. When I work from home this does not apply, of course, and I can get straight down to work on my laptop. Fortunately, this is handled with a great deal of flexibility at LEONI: mobile working is firmly established and, for me, contributes a great deal to a good work/life balance.
Morning
If I’m working in the office, I start by saying hi to my team members and the other students. Because we share desks, I can share my workplace with different colleagues every day. This brings variety to my workday routine and has often proved an informal way of coming by some information or getting inspiration for a new idea. Immediately afterwards I check my emails and reply straightaway where possible.
Lunch break
I spend my lunch breaks in company with my colleagues in the canteen: depending on who is seated around me at the shared desks. This allows me to cultivate my contacts with a large number of departments in an ideal way, and I get to hear interesting information from the other departments. In the summer, we like sitting outside on the sun terrace and we treat ourselves to an ice cream for dessert. At other times I enjoy meeting with other students for lunch.
Afternoon
After lunch, I feel reinvigorated and go into full concentration mode for 1 or 2 hours to be as productive as possible. Towards the end of the working day, I roughly plan out my next tasks and I set myself the targets for the coming days. My day usually finishes at about 4 p.m. I often go for a walk after work around LEONI's extensive grounds. Sometimes this helps me get more clarity about some projects or ideas, and it also feels really good after all that sitting down.
Evening
I barely get home and I’m back out again. I enjoy being active and often meet with friends or visit my family after work. This allows me to recharge my social batteries, to bring the day to a good end, and it means that I am relaxed in the evening and ready for the next day!
My highlights
My working day consists of a lot of fun and laughter, which in itself has created some beautiful moments for me. Once I had the opportunity to visit one of our plants in Trencin in Slovakia together with my team for four days. Seeing the shop floor and production was great. Equally, I have already worked on projects together with the management team: here, you learn a lot about your colleagues and the product, and you also develop a great deal as a person. Generally speaking, my working day often brings new and exciting subjects for me to work on and that allow me to learn a lot. The most exciting and beautiful moment for me so far, however, has been when I handed in my master's dissertation at the university's office. I knew right from the start that a permanent position awaited me at LEONI after graduating, and so I could enjoy a carefree month’s vacation in complete security and relaxation. And so, the cherry on the cake for me is that LEONI offered me a seamless transition to the world of work and that I could take on a post in production strategy after my master's dissertation. Here I will be able to continue on my professional path – I am incredibly excited to see what this new stage of my life holds and what other doors I will be able to open!
My view of LEONI as an employer
My choice of LEONI as an employer is based on my positive experience throughout ever since first making contact. The warm and pleasant atmosphere during my interview has since then only continued to enhance. The forward-looking suggestion that I should sign up directly for a dual-study master's program broadened my horizons, and the seamless transition from being a working student to being in a dual-study program was indeed smooth. During my training, I enjoyed ongoing support and was able to apply this theoretical knowledge in practice. Building a network was especially valuable as it enabled me to meet many nice colleagues. The work atmosphere, among both the students and in the team, is exceptionally pleasant and contributes to me looking forward to going to work every day.
I feel that the work culture at LEONI, and especially in my team, is very pleasant. From the outset, I have felt like a fully-fledged team member and enjoy comprehensive support in performing my tasks. Regardless of the questions I ask, people always take the time to give me detailed explanations, so that I can understand and remember them. If on occasion my own team is not able to help, colleagues from other departments are open to taking questions and to offering their assistance.
In three words, LEONI is to me: harmonious, success-oriented and showing prospects.
What advice would you give to someone starting at LEONI?
My recommendation to everyone: make the best use of every day during the first few weeks and get to know lots of people. We have so many experts who know their field really well. Every conversation with colleagues advances you further, gives you valuable information, and you get a better feel for and understanding of the product itself. In my opinion, LEONI offers an extremely large number of opportunities for advancement, and you should take advantage of them. To get to know the new job and your colleagues thoroughly I would also use the time at the office and work from home as little as possible to start with. You can't put a price on the personal connection with others.
