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Why did you apply to Bentley?

The website gave the impression of a young, dynamic and modern company. I found that appealing. I wanted to take a closer look at Bentley. There was also a job being advertised that suited me perfectly. That was, of course, fortunate for me.

Has Bentley lived up to what the website promised?

Definitely. From the very first time I met the people here. And then the second time confirmed the positive initial impression. I knew a couple of other companies from doing internships there, but what I found here was different. It is truly out of the ordinary that so much is offered here, and the corporate culture is really something special. Yes, the Bentley Style really does exist!

How were your first few days at Bentley?

My new colleagues made me feel very welcome. Everyone here is fantastically open and willing to help, including across project areas. It's a young team that works at Bentley. The project managers are early to mid-thirties and there's a very good overall atmosphere. As someone starting out on their career, people already put great faith in you from the outset. Obviously, I first had to find my feet in the new situation, but then I was immediately given responsibility. And I never had the feeling that I was being asked to take on more than I could handle. I really had no problems settling in at all.

Did you have anyone who was like a mentor for you at Bentley?

At Bentley everyone looks after you. You're immediately fully integrated. If you're starting as a project engineer, the process is fairly precisely set out. You join your project team with your project manager. They take you by the hand and explain everything to you: the project's structure, where it's up to, what's scheduled next, etc.

Did your degree course prepare you well for your work as an R&D engineer at Bentley?

Actually, it was not until I did my Master's at the Institute for Medical Technology in Stuttgart that I dealt with the development and design of medical equipment. Before that I was involved primarily with biological work and cell cultures. So I had no contact with my field of work at Bentley until quite late on. But the fact that my prior knowledge was not that great played no major role for me or the company. If you are open-minded and actively play your part, then you'll do fine. Perhaps you'll need a bit more time for one or two jobs, because you need to learn the ropes on something new.  But Bentley definitely gives you the time for that.

Did you have any specific criteria for choosing your employer?

As a basic principle, I want to work at a company where a good culture prevails. The salary is at first secondary. I want to enjoy going to work everyday. One factor in that is a good working environment that is enjoyable out of working hours too and where people remain calm if things ever get stressful. The good basic atmosphere at Bentley did indeed play a decisive role for me. I have felt welcomed from the start and immediately had a good gut feeling. I didn't have to consider for a second whether or not to accept the job offer. As soon as Bentley agreed to take me on, I stopped applying for jobs. Other interview appointments I had with other companies, I simply cancelled. Incidentally, I recommended to a friend who was looking for a job at the same time as I was that he should apply here too. Now we're friends and colleagues.

Did you already have the career ladder in your sights when you started your job at Bentley?

In the beginning, not really. I first needed to have a good start and familiarise myself with my areas of work. I simply wanted to find this job with a good environment and get settled in. But, yes, after a year or so, I did then ask myself which direction I wanted go in for my personal development – project management or more of a technical focus. At Bentley I'm able to freely say where I see myself. Then we jointly consider the direction my development path should take and how that's to be managed. In terms of advanced training, Bentley in any case offers quite a bit, for example with BeEducated. You can find seminars there to train your soft skills. They deal with subjects such as demeanour, conflict resolution, and communication, which help in everyday life too. Another reason that's cool is that all employees are able to take part. You thus come into close contact with colleagues from throughout the whole company.

What exactly is your role as a development engineer at Bentley?

It covers a very wide range of varied tasks. It includes test set-ups, and then also recording and evaluating data. However, we also design production processes and then get involved in adapting and improving them. Design tasks, such as producing drawings, also fall into my area of work. We generally concentrate on the different jobs on a phased basis, as they are often very time intensive. The quality control department also always keeps a close look on things to ensure that everything is right. This variety in my job keeps me constantly motivated.

So many different challenges – does anything ever go wrong?

Obviously there are setbacks too. But then as a collective we adopt a constructive approach and immediately try to find solutions and alternatives. We go through highs and lows together: if on occasion something doesn't work properly, colleagues then pitch in from other departments and projects too. Everyone makes a great effort to help, including through their past experiences.

Do you have any contact with doctors and maybe even with patients?

No, but the flow of information and the communication at Bentley are very good. We naturally don't have any contact with patients. What we do have is the opportunity to be present during an operation and to see the procedure live. I, for example, was permitted after just two months to attend an operation at a large university hospital.

OMG! That's quite something!

The doctors are very relaxed there. For them it's their daily business. But depending on the procedure you do need to consider how squeamish you are. It's certainly very interesting to be present. When you're watching the operation, what you deal with in the theory becomes tangible: what are the decisive parameters, how does it work, what does it depend on, what are the difficulties? That's extremely helpful for me in further understanding the product and procedure. Every employee at Bentley has the opportunity to be present at an operation using a Bentley product. I think it's a great thing to be offered, so that you can see what ultimately happens with our products.

Are you conscious of the fact that you're actually a lifesaver?

Certainly, but in my everyday life that's somewhat in the background. Then again there are moments in which I'm very conscious of precisely what I and everyone at Bentley do and why we do it. That gives me a good feeling.

Are there also any tasks that you'd happily give up?

It's sometimes tough when you're running a test for three days on the trot. But that's just part of the job. Obviously, some things are more fun than others. You just have to always see the big picture. It's worth straining your staying power somewhat, because in the end you'll have achieved something that brings you forward in the project.

How did you find the transition from student life to the daily working routine?

I came straight from working on my master's dissertation and thought things would simply carry on much the same. But then I noticed that at Bentley I can make things happen. Everything now was real: you develop a product that later comes onto the market! That gave me a huge motivational boost. Student life then ceased to be of any interest.  To be completely honest, I'd have never thought beforehand that I'd look forward so much to going to work.

What does your working day look like?

Generally I'm one of the first in. That's partly because I'm an early riser and partly also, of course, due to the journey from Stuttgart to Hechingen. You can schedule your working hours relatively freely at Bentley between 7am and 7pm. In the morning it's still calm and I'm able to start the day in relaxed fashion with a coffee. If anything has been left undone from the day before, I deal with that and then get myself an overview of the day's tasks. From 9am onwards it's then meetings and briefings. In the afternoons I prepare tests, run preliminary tests and evaluate data. I write reports or devote myself to documentation, draw parts or test set-ups and write test schedules. So, the day is roughly split into two halves: mornings meetings and planning, afternoons concentrating on ongoing processes and the core tasks.

And during your breaks, do you meet your colleagues in the canteen?

Yes, that's cool. You can schedule your breaks flexibly. I don't generally arrange to meet anyone. I just look forward to sitting down with whoever is there. We exchange ideas, maintain our contacts and in the process clear our heads.

Do you have anything like a philosophy for life?

Not really, no. I try to avoid getting stressed. My philosophy is along the lines of always be cheerful, always see the positive side and don't let yourself get dragged down by the general situation. Naturally, there are also times when I'm in a negative mood, but I try to get out of it again relatively quickly. Just look ahead and on we go!

Dear Chris, lovely to have you with us!