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Alexander Pierer found his hobby, course of studies and dream job in the field of electrical engineering – he wants today’s pupils to take an interest in his occupational field
Finding your way through the jungle of study courses and finding your dream subject is not always as easy as it sounds. However, Alexander Pierer managed to find it at the Chemnitz University of Technology seven years ago. He settled for Electrical Engineering as his field of studies, an industry sector that needs young engineers. Retrospectively he thinks that was the right decision.
Many of those who have just done their A-levels seem to be somewhat intimidated by this field of studies with its long tradition. However, for Mr. Pierer it was simply turning his hobby into his vocation: "Since my early schooldays I’ve liked handicraft works and building models. Mathematics and physics lessons at school produced further interest. Electrical engineering was one of my main interests and the demand for young engineers in that sector finally endorsed my decision to study the subject at university." He picked Chemnitz University of Technology for a good reason: "Living expenses in Chemnitz are unbeatably low. Additionally, the university has a good reputation, especially in the technical field. That made my decision very easy."
Mr. Pierer finished his studies within the normally-scheduled time frame at the end of 2007. He was especially pleased with the equipment of the laboratories and computer rooms, and the good organisation of his programme of studies. "The student-to-teacher ratio in the field of Electrical Engineering is very good in Chemnitz. The personal contact to many professors and teachers is one of the elements of the pleasant learning and research environment," he explains. Last year, he was awarded the University Prize, which is worth 1,000 €, for his final thesis. The thesis was the result of a collaboration with his present employer, Hegewald & Peschke Meß- und Prüftechnik, a medium-sized company in Nossen. "I started my professional career coming straight from the university. This demonstrates that the education and training at a technical university include by all means professional qualifications and not just academic knowledge lacking in practical relevance as it is always accused of," says Mr. Pierer. At the moment, he is concerned with the programming of the control and application software for testing machines, which are then employed in material testing and quality assurance. "In this field, my main focus of studies, automation engineering, comes in handy because it serves as a link between electrical and mechanical engineering. Multidisciplinary thinking and solutions for wide areas of applications are important in order to make your everyday work diversified and challenging," he reports. When looking for a job, Mr. Pierer was especially interested in small- and medium-sized companies: "Everything is done on a personal level and decisions are reached quickly."
His most important advice for high-school graduates and freshmen is not to be afraid: "Of course, a study course of engineering is demanding, especially in the fields of natural sciences and mathematics. But it starts off on a normal level and becomes harder gradually. And the professors and teachers in Chemnitz are always glad to help if there are any problems. Thus, the study of Electrical Engineering is also a good choice for those who are interested in engineering but are still not exactly sure what to study." So, if you still need help for finding your dream course of studies and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology might be an option for you, get in touch with the student advisory service. The advisor at Alexander Pierer’s former faculty is Dr. Jürgen Bräuer, phone +49 (0) 371 531-35093, e-mail Juergen.Braeuer@etit.tu-chemnitz.de. It is also possible to take a look at the Faculty’s different fields of activity in a 2 week long internship for pupils.
More information can be found here www.tu-chemnitz.de/studium/schueler/forschendlernen/
(author: Nicole Leithold)
Mario Steinebach, 05/02/2009
