Philipp studied Electrical and Information Technology and Computer Engineering at RWTH Aachen with a focus on Automation Technology. Having started in IT, Philipp now works as a development engineer in bidirectional charging as part of the BMW Group AcceleratiON programme.

Philipp, as a trainee you work in many different departments. Which ones have you been in so far?

I started in IT, where I worked on a major transformation project involving the digitalisation of the BMW sales model. Afterwards, I was in Portugal for this project at our Development Hub and worked there as a developer. I then started my second domestic assignment as a machine learning engineer and am now working in the area of bidirectional charging with a focus on battery ageing.

Sounds very varied. What was the most exciting task or your most exciting project?

I think it would be difficult to choose the most exciting one. So far, the time in Portugal has stuck in my mind the most because I was able to get to know a new culture there and learned a lot from working in the agile and dynamic development teams.

Would you recommend the trainee programme to your friends?

Definitely! The programme allows you to develop both professionally and personally. In addition, there are incredible networking opportunities and colleagues that you get to know through the programme and the various assignments. But also the variety and freedom in the choice of assignments make the programme unique.

When you think about the past year: What is your personal highlight at the BMW Group?

Besides my assignment abroad in Portugal, my personal highlight is the monthly trainee day. There, you can make new contacts with other trainees, get exciting insights into different projects at the BMW Group and learn a lot by exchanging ideas with experienced managers.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in applying for the programme? And what key skills should one have?

The most important thing, of course, is to just try it with an application, because that is the first step into the programme. Curiosity and open-mindedness are the key skills that will help you both in your job and in the trainee programme. Especially in IT, you should also have strong analytical skills.