Spotlight on Florian Holzinger, Software Engineer

1. How was your first year of working at DPM?

To summarize my first year at DPM, I would say: Interesting projects with the opportunity to learn many new things, great colleagues always supporting each other, valuable company culture where not only claims and phrases are stated but the people really live for them and of course a lot of fun. After the onboarding phase, I joined my first project team for the implementation of a hybrid app for a nonprofit organization that supports families in crisis and thereby we were able to support our client to create a real social impact for the families and their relatives. Likewise, the entire tech department went to Barcelona in the summer for workation and there were countless unforgettable evenings of partying or playing some thrilling games of table tennis. I can truly say I am very happy working here at DPM and looking forward to all the exciting projects to come.

2. Did you stay true to your career plan after school?

I didn't have a career plan after school. For me, it was important to start working and to become independent. I got my first job at a career information event, where my future company introduced the profession of architectural draftsman and, after a short internship, I was offered an apprenticeship at this architectural office. During this apprenticeship, however, I already noticed that I was more interested in the technical aspects of drawing on the computer, as well as modeling and rendering 3D models than in the practical aspects of the construction site. Likewise, I already became familiar with small programming tasks, such as the redesign and administration of the company's websites.

To deepen this interest with an academic education, I caught up on my high school diploma and then began my media computer science studies at LMU Munich. And until now, the fascination of creating visual experiences with high usability for users out of simple text-based code has been growing ever since.

3. How do you balance work with your personal life?

For me, it is crucial to have the opportunity to work together with my colleagues in one office. On the one hand, you have closer teamwork and on the other hand, you have a clear separation between work and private life.

4. What makes DPM different from other companies?

For me, it was really different from the way I experienced working in the project business during my time as an architectural draftsman. At DPM, it is very important and welcome to be part of company decisions. The whole management team is very transparent and always has an open ear for suggestions or opinions about certain topics. Also, the way all colleagues are offering their help on any occasion and thereby meeting always on eye level is a matter of course here at DPM. This is why I felt very appreciated from my first day on. I also have to mention our Fridays, where you can educate and develop yourself, work on internal projects, or simply exchange with other departments.

5. If you could switch your job with anyone else within DPM, whose job would you want?

UX Designer because besides all the visual and design aspects of designing a product or a user interface, I also find the psychological aspects (human-computer interaction) very interesting. For example, why do different target groups understand and operate with a product differently and where does this come from (mental models). This was also part of my studies at LMU Munich, and I really would like to dive deeper into such topics from a designer's perspective.

6. Is there any advice you could give anyone who’s thinking about applying at DPM?

If you're looking for a great team with interesting projects in a value-driven company, this is the place to be. And even if you decide it's not the right fit for you, the insights and feedback you get during the application process will always help you.