Christoph: What advantages does the dual study with BE-terna offer?

Christoph, what did you study and why? 

I studied Business Informatics with the focus on "application management" from 2016-2019. My dual studies program offers the opportunity to gain initial work experience during my studies. Practically a combination of training and university degree. This also fits well into the profile of the "business information systems" degree. The combination of software development with a management view is really interesting and i love the mixture of theory and practical experience. 

Why did you choose BE-terna as an employer and partner during your studies?

I discovered BE-terna as one of the medium-sized companies among the dual partners. The diversity of activities and the spectrum of customers awakened my interest. However, what finally convinced me was the personal interview. 

How does your degree help you in your position as an application engineer?

Beside the technical content, the practical work-experience is particularly helpful. After 6 semesters, you are not thrown into the deep when you first enter the professional world. This is also the case if you have the chance to stay with your employer after your dual study. The lectures are much more practice-oriented than they would be in a regular study program. This way I benefit additionally from the knowledge and experience of the lecturers, who mostly come from relevant companies themselves. The learned contents are always applied in the job. Even topics that may seem theoretical and abstract in the lecture can contribute to the solution of a problem in daily tasks. 

What do you like about your work as an application engineer?

The variety of tasks. They range from the conception of new products, to the execution of customer projects, to real puzzle tasks in programming. We are at the forefront of topics such as SaaS, Modern Clients and Business Intelligence.

What did you achieve at BE-terna that makes you proud?

When I experience my own work in action. I am especially proud when colleagues or customers thank me because their work has been made easier by my solutions. Already during my studies I was involved in the development of an interface between Microsoft Dynamics Business Central and our solution for mobile data entry BE-Mobile. Today this interface is used by many customers from industry and trade in the context of logistics and production. Since August of this year, BE-Purchase Quote Management, an extension for Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, which I helped to develop, is also available in the App Store. 

What do you particularly appreciate about your employer BE-terna?

The friendly relationships. At BE-terna everyone is treated the same way regardless of their position. Among each other, everyone is open and helpful, even when things become stressful.  

Why should students of Business Informatics students decide to work for BE-terna?

BE-terna offers various positions in different subjects, which can be combined with a wide range of study programs. For example, you do not necessarily have to be a programming god. There are corresponding tasks for many different interests. In addition, there is the large spectrum of clients, be it industry, retail or service. The possibility to be taken over by the employer after your studies is also attractive. 

What do you do in your free time?

I have a great enthusiasm for technology in my private life. This is not only limited to software, but actually everything about electronics and mechanics. I passionately pursue everything that has to do with PC hardware. When it comes to cars, I am particularly passionate about Japanese ones from the 90s and early 2000s. If I find the time, I also play the piano, but I don’t practice enough to be able to brag about it.