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Jim and Jana give an overview
Online shopping is convenient and time-saving, but can't it be much more? We create shopping experiences for our customers - and our trainees help shape them right from the start.
What matters during an apprenticeship
Why are curiosity, exchange and feedback discussions important in addition to the specialist knowledge to be learned? Jim (software developer) and Jana (trainer in the apprenticeship support team) answer this question today in an interview on the subject of IT apprenticeship at OTTO.
Moin Jim, what are you doing at OTTO?
Hi, I am a software developer and have been with OTTO since 2017. After studying physics, I trained as an IT specialist at OTTO. In the meantime, I am training myself. Together with my team, I take care of the personalization on our site otto.de.
And what are the main focuses of the IT specialist apprenticeship?
There are four different specializations for the IT specialist apprenticeship program. At OTTO, we train three of them: application development, system integration and data & process analysis.
What makes up which specialization? What is special about it?
Over time, computer science has become an increasingly broad subject. For this reason, computer scientists today specialize in various areas:
System integrators , for example, deal with the infrastructure that is necessary to run programs.
These programs are classically developed by application developers. Data and process analysts look at the flow of data into and out of the programs.
But it must be said that in these processes the boundaries between the areas are blurred.
Thanks for this overview, Jim.
Moin Jana, is it possible to change the focus during the apprenticeship program?
Moin, the focus can be changed in the course of the training, yes. It should be noted that the focus must be determined by the time of the intermediate examination at the latest. In this way, the trainees and dualis can use the first part of their training as part of their practical assignments to try out their inclinations, interests and skills and to orient themselves in the process. They get to know different areas, teams and their working methods and then decide what suits them best.
In the second part of their apprenticeship, they then have the opportunity to become experts in their areas of specialization. They learn all the relevant skills and profile topics, which then prepare them optimally for their career entry.
Jim, what are the responsibilities of an apprenticeship/dual student in your department?
Here, I would again break it down by area to give you an overview:
- System integrators support us to a large extent in the configuration and development of cloud infrastructures.
- Application developers develop programs in Clojure, Python and Scala, for example, which process large amounts of data and bring it into context.
- Data and process analysts accompany experiments on new features and analyze data for our artificial intelligence systems. They also assist with their data supply.
In general, all trainees and dualis have the opportunity to think outside the box and get to know the other areas of responsibility.
In our team, the roles are not divided sharply, on the contrary. To avoid knowledge islands, we regularly emphasize that we can and want to work beyond our roles. The projects also have different focuses, so that, for example, sometimes more and sometimes fewer colleagues slip into the role of analyst.
Interesting. And with regard to otto.de, and online shopping in general, what exactly does a fully trained IT specialist do?
Modern online stores like otto.de are mostly located in a cloud. As system integrators, you deal a lot with the cloud infrastructure (what systems are there? How can applications be implemented in it? ...)
Application developers design and implement a variety of programs that communicate with each other to provide customers with an inspiring shopping experience. Today, such features are driven by large amounts of data. Analyzing and processing these is the job of data and process analysts*.
What are the top 3 qualities I absolutely need for this apprenticeship?
I would like to answer this question once per focus and then talk about general characteristics that will help you in all three areas.
- Application developer: Logic! You should be able to enjoy technical trickery, then your motivation is inexhaustible.
- System integrator: If you have a fascination for hardware and what you can do with it, this is certainly something for you. You won't be working on hardware, but you will be looking after the IT infrastructure and planning and configuring IT systems.
- Data and process analyst: For this area you should have an interest in statistics and data in general.
In general, a certain amount of stamina and frustration tolerance are important. Rarely do all work steps work out on the first try, you have to be able to learn from your mistakes.
In addition, curiosity also helps: The working world of IT does not stand still. You will constantly be dealing with new technologies, and curious behavior will help you in this.
And what are the top 3 things I learn during an apprenticeship?
You will definitely learn the following three things in all three focus areas during your apprenticeship:
- Programming
- Communication
- To grasp correlations
What do you think is the biggest prejudice against this apprenticeship?
Application developers don't work quietly and secretly in a basement office. We work in mixed teams and communication is very important.
System integration does not mean setting up computers and screens and recommending a reboot on the phone. Rather, it is about setting up the technical basis for gigantic systems and configuring them for the future.
Data and process analysis is more than just a bit of statistics. We are moving into data volumes that can no longer be processed by individual computers. This requires specially distributed systems, which are an exciting challenge.
What are the biggest misconceptions about IT departments?
You might think it's just a store where products are offered for sale. But under the hood, there are many exciting things happening. We use artificial intelligence to find matching items; we build robust data streams to process a huge amount of clicks without losing any. And there are many more challenges for which interested and motivated computer scientists are needed 😉
How do you see IT professions changing over the next five years?
In computer science, change became commonplace years ago. Programming languages are changing to create large systems more easily and efficiently. Hardware is becoming more powerful and the amount of data processed is growing every day.
In 5 years we will still be "problem solvers", but the tools we work with are constantly changing.
Where is the best place for IT professionals to keep up to date? Do you have a recommendation for us?
I wouldn't say there is one source for this that is to everyone's liking. Personally, I get inspired by YouTube channels (e.g. Professor Messer, Simplilearn or Eli The Computer Guy). If they talk about an interesting topic, I go deeper into the subject via Google.
And how can I continue my personal growth at OTTO?
In IT, you grow with the projects you work on. Besides that, individual training is also supported at our company. So, for example, if there's a special event in your subject you want to attend or a book you want to read, just talk to your team or manager.
Thanks Jim.
Jana, what do you think makes your journey at OTTO special?
At the start, our apprentices and dualis receive an overview of all relevant and current technologies that they need to know at OTTO in a 4-week tech boot camp. This includes the basics of programming, IT security and also cloud technologies that we use. These are all topics that can be learned well in a group and at the same time provide a technical introduction.
And then it's off to the first assignment. The apprentices and dualis always have the opportunity to contact their teams with questions. We also offer them tutorials. These are conducted by colleagues from the department and help them to acquire more in-depth knowledge. In addition to Spring Boot and functional programming, there is also the IT Lab tutorial. The IT Lab is a special place on our campus: The trainees and dualis can carry out their projects here, write their theses and work independently on IT content and work with the hardware available there. They get the chance to try things out in a protected environment.
And what does the future look like for apprentices and dualis at OTTO? Do they have a chance of being taken on after their apprenticeship
With the profile training, we ensure that each apprentice/dual learns all the content relevant to the apprenticeship program, as well as all the future competencies for starting a job at OTTO. Halfway through the training, there is an interim training session, followed by an interim feedback session. In this way, each trainee and duali has enough time to think about their future career. And about the time after the training/study. This orientation phase is closely monitored by the training team and the recruitment department. In addition, we prepare all apprentices and dual-trainees for a job at the latest six months before the end of their apprenticeship/study program as part of application training and interviews, and discuss their main areas of interest and possible job profiles together. There is no guarantee of being taken on, but there are good chances of being taken on.
Thank you for your time!
During their IT training at OTTO, the trainees and dualis not only go through professional development, but also personal development. Due to the different teams they work with during their time at OTTO, they adjust to new people, working methods and circumstances every time. They have to be flexible, spontaneous and open to new things in order to get involved. Encouraging this way of working is very important to us, because the personal development of our trainees and dualis is also close to our hearts.
If you are now interested in finding out more about apprenticeships at OTTO, we have more input for you here .
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