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STEM talent meets career prospects – Felix’s thyssenkrupp journey
When Felix Ewering started his professional career at thyssenkrupp, he already knew the technology company quite well. Very well, actually. As a member of the “MINTalents@tk” (a program focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics talents) cooperation between thyssenkrupp and TU Dortmund University, he had already learned a great deal about the company. The young process engineer has been responsible for international asset procurement at thyssenkrupp Bilstein since 2023. We reveal how MINTalents@tk helped him to launch his career and why he highly recommends thyssenkrupp to young engineers.
In collaboration with TU Dortmund University, thyssenkrupp has created MINTalents@tk – a programme that brings companies and students together at an early stage and provides the latter with valuable guidance for when they graduate. But that’s not all: MINTalents@tk represents a unique opportunity for students to spend a year getting an exciting look behind the scenes of a large company and making valuable contacts. The cooperation is aimed specifically at young STEM students at TU Dortmund University, and 30 highly committed talents are accepted onto the programme each year.
Building connections: Felix Ewering, Process Engineer at thyssenkrupp Bilstein, reflecting on how programs like MINTalents@tk foster valuable early career insights and networking opportunities.
Exciting events and valuable contacts
Regular, exclusive events are at the heart of the programme: Participants are provided with a wealth of opportunities to get to learn more about the technology company – from management training delivered in the form of a business planning simulation, inspiring lectures, career talks, guided tours of thyssenkrupp’s headquarters (the ruhr tech kampus essen) and its Duisburg steelworks through to networking events with thyssenkrupp employees and recruiters. Participants can even prove themselves as pizza bakers at the end-of-programme party in the canteen. These events, the establishment of personal contacts, and continuous communication allow participants to remain closely connected to thyssenkrupp – and some of them even find their way into the company as new hires or student trainee via our talent pool.
When Felix Ewering was accepted onto the programme, the then TU Dortmund University student was already on the verge of completing his degree in mechanical engineering. “I found out about MINTalents@tk through a circular email,” recalls Felix. “Of course, it was very interesting to me as I was nearing the end of my degree, and because thyssenkrupp has a wide range of engineering positions available, especially in the Ruhr region.”
From program participant to new hire: Felix Ewering at his desk, a testament to how direct conversations with recruiters, facilitated by MINTalents@tk, can lead to a successful career launch at thyssenkrupp.
MINTalents@tk: “A great supplement to my undergrad degree”
Felix liked the events: “The varied programme - from factory tours to business simulations - was a great supplement to my undergrad degree. But it was the conversations I had with recruiters that proved most valuable. You just can’t get that from a simple job description”, says the former mechanical engineering student. “It’s easier to make your application stand out from the crowd if you’ve been able to speak with recruiters directly.”
What makes Felix so sure? Well, he can look back on a 100% successful application rate: A single application translated into a job offer. And this is how it came about: “At the same time as the MINTalents@tk programme was underway, I visited the international careers fair at TU Dortmund University and this is where I met the thyssenkrupp Bilstein recruiter Rita Skinderyte-Tirella.” The HR specialist told Felix about the opportunities available at the specialists in chassis technology – as well as about a current vacancy in process engineering.
Felix met Rita again shortly afterwards, at a MINTalents@tk event held at the thyssenkrupp site in Essen. “I took the opportunity and approached her about the vacancy,” says Felix. This really got the ball rolling: “The entire process – from receiving the invitation to attend the first (online) interview, the face-to-face interview through to signing the contract – took less than a month”, says the TU Dortmund graduate pleased.
Felix Ewering genießt die Freiheit und den Spielraum für Innovationen in der Verfahrenstechnik bei thyssenkrupp Bilstein und freut sich über die vielfältigen und internationalen Projekte an denen er mitwirkt.
A diverse job in an international environment
Felix joined thyssenkrupp Bilstein in 2023. Since then, he and his team have been responsible for asset procurement and optimisation. This soon turned out to be a very international job. As a newly qualified process engineer in the MPP (Manufacturing Process Planning) department, it wasn’t long before Felix was able to get himself stuck into the practical side of things. “After a brief onboarding process of about two weeks, I was allowed to visit our site in Sibiu, Romania. I then spent a month in Mexico, and this was around four weeks after joining. There were a great many trips abroad straight off the bat. This allowed me to integrate myself into the team straight away, and I was able to hit the ground running.”
Today, Felix is happy to have joined thyssenkrupp via the MINTalents@tk programme – and is convinced that he made the right move by going to work for the technology company. After all, his job is challenging and diverse. “We are in close contact with our suppliers, our factories as well as the product and quality departments, and lay the foundations for new system concepts,” Felix reports. “Once the machines have been commissioned at the production site, we bring the project to maturity so that it can then be handed over to the factory or series production. This is one of the things we do on-site that involves a lot of travelling.”
“Freedom and plenty of room for innovation”
Does that sound challenging? Well, it is. “I enjoy the conceptual work most. It’s exciting having to think through a topic and consider a virtually limitless range of possibilities when you’re developing a concept to be implemented and ultimately turned into a finished product,” Felix explains.
It should therefore come as no surprise that the young engineer is happy to recommend his employer to other engineers and students. “For me, the clincher was that thyssenkrupp provides you with a dynamic environment that requires a lot of commitment and flexibility – while also giving you freedom and plenty of room for innovation.”
Curious to learn more about exciting career paths, innovative technologies, and the people behind thyssenkrupp? Explore more inspiring stories like Felix's on our website!