Daniel Hobohm
What did you expect from the FEP?
My motto is “get real”: I wanted to learn and use finance skills that are normally associated with consulting or investment banking, and apply them in a real firm that actually produces things that have a global impact.
“Responsibility” is another one of my keywords: I wanted to "grow" into projects and positions where you are responsible for actual results and people - in other words, to do more than just consult or analyze. "Learning to lead" is equally important to me, especially by watching how my assignment managers and mentors lead.
Please give us an insight in your FEP experience.
The introduction was overwhelming, but great. I joined a team with aspirations and opportunities to have an impact. The first night the whole team went straight to the Erlanger Bergkirchweih, a big beer festival. This gave me the impression that Siemens works hard, but also knows how to have fun.
It felt good to see that the entire infrastructure was in place on day one – laptop, desk etc. This makes you feel that you were expected and welcomed. I joined a small team doing pretty exciting things: essentially, building and investing in hospitals in developing countries. This is a real test-bed of all your skills, be it finance, social interactions, project management, learning, and using Siemens structures and much more. A very steep learning curve!
The work is accompanied by some very good leadership seminars that are tailored specifically to the FEP. Quite a fast-track way of getting you to think about leadership, interactions, responsibility.
In terms of networking it is crucial to understand that what you make of it really does count. The opportunities to meet fantastic people are there – but you also have to act on them. Take charge of yourself. Among FEP people: We regularly meet privately in Erlangen and hang out or discuss problems at work. At the same time, as the FEP participants are spread out across interesting divisions, they are already good contacts for work-related issues as well.
What do you like about working for Siemens?
I was surprised to learn just how much the Siemens name counts when interacting with customers, project partners etc. They really expect Siemens to deliver high-quality work. This makes life at times easier, as they treat you very respectfully even if you are new, but it also means that you have to deliver real quality.
Work-life balance is a bonus: you work hard, but if you have some regular things to do, like Spanish classes or team sports, you can communicate this and everyone accepts it. I could not have this fulfilling lifestyle working for a consulting firm where I am on the road every single week. In addition, the company really understands if there are times when you need some breathing space – e.g. how colleagues respond when you have a child and need to take care of it.
My personal statement
Only those crazy enough to think they can change the world – did.
Origin
Germany
Sector, Division
Energy Sector, Smart Grid Applications
University and Degree
LMU (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) – PhD