Being a student and working at Semcon.

Jacob Enetjärn is studying at Karlstad University towards a master’s degree in industrial engineering and management. Parallel to his studies, he works at Semcon in Karlstad. Here are his thoughts on working at Semcon and the benefits of combining work and school.

It all started with my participation in the universities Formula Student team, a project with aims to build a two-seated race car. I was a part of the sales and marketing group where I had a lot of contact with the current team manager in Karlstad. One thing lead to another and before I knew it, I started my journey at Semcon.

Being part of the team

I first started at Semcon to gain practical experience in my field of studies and to get to know a possible employer for when I graduate. Getting to know Semcon during the last year has been a pleasure and I’ve felt as a part of the team since day one. I have had the pleasure of working with fantastic and inspiring colleagues and to be a part of the development of Karlstad’s in-house department.

Flexibility is required

As a student balancing studies and work, prioritizing and flexibility is key. Since school most often is prioritized, time spent at Semcon can differ a lot from week to week. Most weeks result in around 15-20 hours of work whilst other weeks, when the workload at Uni is overwhelming, come out empty handed. In order to make it work, I need to have full control over my schedule and have flexible assignments. This flexibility makes it hard to find suitable projects since most projects require years of experience and a full-time commitment.

However, there are alternatives. I spend my time at Semcon with sales, branding and wherever else I can pitch in. I believe that working with sales is a perfect start for gaining experience and insight in the world of consulting. You need to know if and how we can solve the customer’s problem and if the required competences are available. For me, this has created a general knowledge for the surrounding industry, and it has allowed me to grow as an engineer.

Facts
Name: Jacob Enetjärn
Title: Sales / Design engineer / Brand representative
Education: M.sc In industrial engineering and management, B.sc in mechanical engineering.
Worked at Semcon since: August 2018
I have most fun at work when I…: get to challenge my own perceived limits of what I can accomplish as an engineer.

About Semcon Stories
A series of articles for everyone wondering what it’s like to work at Semcon. With Semcon Stories our employees get to highlight certain exciting aspects of their jobs.