The master's degree is coming to an end and this naturally raises the question for every student: What follows then? There is a vital and life-changing decision to be made about which direction to take in your career and future. Of course, there are candidates who know what they want to do in the future right from the start of their studies. However, in day-to-day life at university, one often hears the statement: "I don't know yet". Especially in a course that opens a lot of doors for the graduates. In order to be able to call yourself a "Master of Science", you must write a thesis. Many students take the opportunity to gain an insight into practical working life. It makes sense to put something in writing that ultimately makes sense and can be used in practice, doesn't it? The search for a master's project should also be well considered.

How good that you got to know a lecturer during your studies who is happy to welcome students to his company. Behrens project management as a service provider in the pharmaceutical and medical technology industry offers the opportunity to gain an insight into different companies and different areas. The company has already accompanied several theses, whereby the topics are usually linked to a real project with a real customer. Jackpot! So the decision was made: Full of anticipation, I waited for the start of my induction. The anticipation was then slightly clouded: Corona, pandemic, lockdown. Would pharmaceutical companies take the risk and bring a student into the house? Since it was a real customer project, support from Behrens project management was required despite the situation. With that, the master’s thesis was secured!

At the first meeting with the head of Behrens project management and my supervisor, I was greeted warmly and welcomed as a member of the team. Mr. Behrens gave me a rough description of the process for the master's thesis and gave an example of how his previous supervised theses went. Care was always taken to mention that all work was completed with grade 1 (no pressure!). There was an introduction to the company and its services. It was already brought to my heart here that customer and employee satisfaction is the top priority. Of course, the first information about my project was also passed on to me and an appointment was made with the customer. Then there was a small photo shoot for the website to officially be part of the team. The first step in getting to know the customer was virtually. After a round of introductions, my contacts explained the problem and my associated task. In the course of this, a meeting was arranged on site at the company in order to get an idea of the current situation and to be able to obtain as much information as possible.

With concentrated input, I went in search of literature. Unfortunately, all libraries were closed at the time due to the pandemic, which of course made the search difficult. With that, I had to face the challenge and go on the online search. Fortunately, it was still possible to order books from the library and have them delivered. Of course, my supervisor also stood by my side and provided me with the best literature. Armed with all the specialist literature, research into the pharmaceutical-technical background began. After weeks of learning about this topic and project management, I was able to structure the work and FINALLY get down to writing. 

Meanwhile, of course, we still had to get to know the Behrens team. At the monthly meeting I was able to introduce myself to my colleagues and tell them about my project. Here, too, I was welcomed with open arms and I quickly noticed the great willingness to help one another. The relaxed and fun atmosphere among each other helps a new member to feel comfortable quickly. The time for the thesis flew by. It was a constant exchange of information between Mr. Behrens and me. He was always up-to-date and proofread the thesis bit by bit. He always took the time to get the best out of his work when he needed help or needed clarification. He was also always available for help and advice during the preparations for the associated final exam. Ultimately, I successfully completed the very last exam of my master's degree (of course also with grade 1 - Pressure was worth it), whereupon I was rewarded with the employment contract for a permanent position as a project and quality engineer at Behrens Projektmanagement GmbH.