“I challenge myself with every new project” –
An interview with IT consultant Theodor Geist

I have been with Lufthansa Industry Solutions since September 2017 and I am currently working as a business analyst in requirements management in my first customer project with VW in Wolfsburg. I am helping VW’s specialist department to relay its individual requirements for a software product to the development team by explaining the requirements more precisely to the team. This means that I have to keep an eye on the big picture while still being able to pass on details to IT – I am, so to speak, the interface between the business department and the IT team that is developing the software. My tasks also include project scheduling and test management, where we check to see whether the software that has been developed meets the desired requirements. 

The first time I came into contact with Lufthansa Industry Solutions was at a job fair in Berlin. I did my bachelor’s in business administration, focusing on logistics, and had had little experience in software development by that point. But, at the same time, I had always had an affinity for computers and data analysis. I wanted to increase that knowledge. I then gained a more diverse overview of IT issues during my master’s studies in information management in Scotland, where I learned a lot of what I use in my job today. This includes, for example, Scrum software development – an agile project management method that I wrote my master’s thesis on. 

I really like the project environment. Each project has a time limit and you do your best to bring it to a successful conclusion. The next project usually involves different main tasks, and you have to get used to completely new project objectives, which means that it’s never boring. I also have the opportunity to take on various roles in my different projects – which means that I am continuously developing and permanently challenging myself. I think it's great that I can be part of this Automotive project in Wolfsburg, even though I’m actually employed by the Logistics business unit in Berlin. It means that I get to learn more about completely new areas of business. 

Independence and flexibility. There will always be phases during the course of a project where it is more intensive, where you are challenged to stay on top of things. But that, in turn, also means that you have to be able to organize a lot yourself and work independently for the most part. Alongside meetings with my colleagues at Lufthansa Industry Solutions, I also have regular meetings with customers. I manage to do both. I also organize and motivate myself and carry out my work on time.

It is also important to develop a broad knowledge base. You should be interested in learning new things so that you can keep pace with technological advances and the accompanying changes in customer requirements. You need to keep reminding yourself that you are working for the customer and that customer satisfaction is the primary objective – ideally, you anticipate the customer’s requests.

Although Lufthansa Industry Solutions is currently pursuing huge growth targets, I feel well supported by the company and like I really belong. New employees receive a personal contact person when they join the company who shows them the ropes of the project and is there to answer any questions they might have about the job. You don’t feel like a stranger at events either; you feel very welcome. I think that’s great.