Ida Sofie Szymanski Niemann had made up her mind when she graduated from the BEng programme in Global Business Engineering in January 2020. She was going to enroll in an MSc programme when she had finished the maternity cover position she had just been offered at Novo Nordisk.
But after only a month as a data analyst with them, she changed her plans. Because the learning curve at Novo Nordisk was steep, and the tasks satisfied her creative urge.
“I’ve always had an urge to create something, and the job as Business Partner at Novo Nordisk gave me the opportunity to do so. It feels extremely satisfying to be able to do that with just one university degree,” she says.
Ida has no doubt that the BEng programme has given her a good and unique foundation for landing a job straight away.
“My education has given me a slightly nerdy technical understanding combined with good market knowledge, and it has been highly useful in my working life.”
A foretaste of working life
The BEng programme in Global Business Engineering is a very versatile programme. For example, Ida already had a good basic understanding of project management when she graduated. She also highlights the interdisciplinary and mandatory Innovation Pilot project in the BEng programme as an important part of the students’ preparation for working life:
“Innovation Pilot was without doubt a foretaste of the everyday life I have at Novo Nordisk, namely working across staff groups and creating products together. DTU has done great in creating a course that really matches corporate reality.”
Innovation Pilot is mandatory in all study programmes under the BEng programme, giving all students the opportunity to prepare for the working life that awaits them.
The students will also do an internship during their studies, and when it was Ida’s turn to find an internship, she chose Novo Nordisk. She ended up with an internship, a student job, and the offer of a maternity cover position when she said goodbye to DTU’s campus in Ballerup after 4.5 years of studies.
Studying at DTU is a culture
According to Ida, DTU has a unique study environment, and looking back, she has only good memories:
“Everyone is so open to everyone else. Everyone is welcome, there is a cozy and welcoming atmosphere, no snobbery, and joint skiing trips were organized every year while I studied there. When I think back, I’ve never had a bad experience as a student at DTU.”
Ida comes from a family of engineers, all of whom have studied at DTU, and they still talk about their student days:
“My father and his friends still talk about their time as students at DTU, and it’s very clear to me that studying at DTU is a culture. What you experience here, academically, professionally and socially, you carry with you in life.”
In conclusion, Ida has a message for everyone who is considering studying for a Bachelor of Engineering degree and for the students who are already enrolled in a BEng programme.
“I hope my story can inspire others. I can only recommend that you try to find a job when you’ve completed your BEng programme, and if it doesn’t work out, you can always continue your studies until you find the right position.”
