My First Two Weeks at FFW Germany - An Exciting Experience
Starting at FFW Germany a few weeks ago was a mix of excitement and anticipation, but also some nervousness. It was my first time in 14 years to embark on a completely new work experience after leaving Cubic.
In my first two weeks, I was impressed by the collaboration with my new colleagues. Everyone was very communicative and eager to help me integrate into the company and its workflows. Although I was not yet able to contribute much to the work, they made me feel like I was already a part of the team.
One of the biggest challenges during my first weeks at FFW Germany was getting used to the organizational structure. The company has kept a lot of its startup mentality, which means that decisions are made quickly and directly, and communication is fast-paced. I also had to familiarize myself with the technical aspects of my tasks, but I feel like I am making good progress in that regard.
One surprise for me was the introduction I had to give at the weekly team meeting. I wasn't prepared to speak in front of everyone, but I was able to manage it. Another challenge has been adjusting to the ticket system and the limited scope for small changes.
Looking ahead to the next six months, I'm excited to take on more responsibility for the tasks at hand and to be involved in the development of software on a new platform.
Overall, my first two weeks at FFW Germany have been an exciting experience. I'm eager to see what the future holds and to become a valuable member of the team.
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Written by
Stephan Hoelscher
Stephan Hoelscher
Born in 1981 in Ludwigsfelde, Germany, I grew up in a working-class family and was always encouraged to be curious and seek out new experiences. During my 11th school year, my teacher introduced me to Java programming and I discovered a passion for software development. After finishing high school, I started studying computer science at the University of Potsdam but dropped out before completing my degree. Because of my wife I went on to Hamburg to work for several software development companies, eventually restarting my studies in 2010 in Business Informatics and earning my bachelor's degree in early 2015. One of my proudest professional achievements was setting up a payment gateway for some large clients in the German public transportation market. On private software development I challenged myself with a personal project, building an app to fill a gap in Facebook Pages post list feature. I believe that the future of software development lies in the use of AI and I want to stay ahead of the curve by being an early adopter of these new tools. If others asks me about a statement in the field I want to encourage them always to be curious, question patterns, and never be afraid of change.