An unusual career path
After graduating from secondary school, Tim initially decided to train as an IT specialist instead of going to university. Although he is now very successful professionally and has already traveled to 42 countries, he still feels that he often has to justify not having a university degree. One thing he would do differently today is actually go to university, as he openly told the students.
However, his path shows that you can get far without studying if you are prepared to remain curious, be flexible and constantly face new challenges.
Tim gave the students three valuable pieces of advice for their own path:
- Be curious! Stay open to new things and keep learning.
- Be flexible! Life's path is rarely straightforward, but every twist and turn offers new opportunities.
- Ask questions! If you ask curiously, you will gain knowledge and experience that will take you further.
In addition to his demanding job, Tim attaches great importance to his family. He is the father of two children and emphasized that it is important to him to make time for them despite his professional commitments. His wife also works and manages an even larger team than he does.
In the Q&A session that followed, the students were particularly interested in the personal aspects of his career path. One question was whether he had to make many sacrifices for his success. Tim admitted that professional success sometimes comes with sacrifices, for example in terms of leisure time or personal relationships. When asked whether he regrets a decision, he answered honestly: "I would have liked to have studied."
The students also wanted to know what his day-to-day work looks like. Tim explained that he spends a lot of time planning and implementing projects that involve developing companies' digital capabilities. His everyday life is varied and often international, as he works a lot with teams from different countries.
His open and honest exchange showed that success can have many faces - and that even supposed detours can bring valuable experience.
We would like to thank Tim for his visit and his inspiring insights, which have certainly given many of us food for thought!