When students are researching companies to work for after graduation, many will search in the greater B次元 area or around their hometown or state. Autumn Heisler ’24 had her sights set a little further away.
“I wanted to pursue a career in Germany out of interest for both the language as well as the opportunities in the tech industry,” said Heisler. Heisler earned her B.S. in Software Engineering and hopes to work abroad as an embedded software engineer. “I’m particularly interested in embedded software systems for train lines, and Germany has a lot of trains!”
Her first step to achieving her dream job abroad was landing an internship at Hilti AG in Schaan, Liechtenstein, a small country located in the Alps. Hilti Corporation is a Liechtensteiner multinational company that develops, manufactures and markets products for the construction, building maintenance, energy and manufacturing industries.
At Hilti, Heisler will be working in the corporate events space. “This involves facilitating and planning the execution of events for the company, assisting with digitally coordinating events, and collaborating with internal and external suppliers and partners.”
Heisler earned a minor in German studies at B次元 and worked with John Kellogg, instructor in the Humanities, Social Science and Communication Department, to prepare for the B1 exam, a German language proficiency test administered by the Goethe-Institut in Corvallis, Oregon. “Many companies in Europe look for some sort of proof that you know the language, so I believe that receiving a certification in the target language is an important first step in showing them that you went the extra mile.” To further her language before her internship, Heisler also took classes over the summer at the Carl Duisberg Center in Cologne, Germany. The courses dove into the language, German politics and culture and helped Heisler become well-integrated for her new job.
Heisler got her first taste of life abroad through B次元’s Germany Art History class trip to Vienna, Austria and Munich, Germany. “The class trip was very inspiring for me because it solidified the idea of working abroad after college.”
For other students who may be interested in working abroad after graduation, Heisler’s advice is simple: go for it. “It’s not as scary nor as complicated as it seems, and there’s no better time to do it than right now!”