Why I started an apprenticeship at an IT company
Over and over again on my train commute I hear people saying: “IT companies are the future”. Although I only recently started working at Anexia, I would not have known even a few weeks ago what these people were talking about. There are so many terms that you’re not taught in school: What in the world is managed hosting or a conversion? It is really interesting to listen to people, even if it is tedious at times, especially in the morning. It starts with a heated topic and finally it ends in a loud discussion about programming languages. And then there are the kids, who are blasting out Bibi’s Wap Bap song and jumping around to it. Only one thing helps: Headphones in and back to sleep. I’m speaking from experience: Every morning I spend two hours on the train on the way to work, because the company that is training me is far away in Klagenfurt. But I’m happy to deal with the journey, and the discussions and the children jumping around, because I wanted and want to do an apprenticeship at an IT company.
Why is it worth all the effort? It’s really difficult to find an apprenticeship in Carinthia. In the newspaper, you read: “Unemployment rates are really low and there are more apprenticeships than ever.” I know what you’re thinking: Offline media is a thing of the past; no one reads them anymore. Still, I am one of the few people who still grabs a newspaper and flips through it now and again when half asleep. The newspapers are right: there are a lot of apprenticeships, but they’re mainly in gastronomy and retail. Everyone has their own wishes and dreams, and it’s not everyone’s dream to work in those fields. I went to a school with focus on gastronomy and I didn’t particularly like it. I mean, I’m not a terrible cook, but do my guests really want to eat burned pudding? I don’t think so! That’s why I am all the happier now that I have found something I like. As of June 19th, I can call myself a Junior Marketing Manager in training at Anexia! When I read the job post from Anexia, I immediately wrote up and sent an application, and then waited, hoping I would be invited to an interview. Everything worked out and two weeks later, on my birthday, I was accepted. What a nice surprise for my birthday.
I find it really interesting doing an apprenticeship in IT. “IT is the future”, and it isn’t just the people on the train who say that. Now I’m learning a lot of new things and getting a completely different view of things. To be honest, I never really gave much thought to where a website is stored, or how much work goes into an app. It’s not enough just to know which content is well received by which audience. You should also have a good understanding of the technology behind it, and the best way to get this understanding is at an IT company.
I am still pretty new to it, but I can already say: I would definitely apply to Anexia again. I like challenges, and I always find them here; and not just on the long train ride. Even just proofreading or sending packages means: I have responsibility and am trusted to manage this area. Thus I am also a part of the team and a small cog in the machine that keeps the shop running. This is very important to me when choosing a job. I am often asked: “How do you like it at Anexia? Isn’t it exhausting having to travel so far every day?” All I can say is: There are always things that you won’t like, no matter where you are. And riding the train is not so bad: you learn a lot, you can relax, and you end up with funny train stories to tell.
