In our #InsideAT series we regularly present introduces new employees. Today it's Philipp Mathäus Müller's turn. He is starting with us as a Data Engineering Trainee - in this interview he tells us what drove him to join, what his background is and how he likes to spend his life outside of work.

What position will you take on at [at]?

I am starting at [at] as a trainee in data engineering.

How did you find out about [at]?

Since I live near Frankfurt am Main and there are a lot of IT jobs in this city, I specifically looked for job ads for trainee positions in Frankfurt. One of them was an ad from [at]. After taking a closer look at [at]'s website and projects, I knew that I wanted to start there.

Why did you choose [at]?

Through my previous career, I derive pleasure from working with data and programming. This initially lends itself to many companies. Versatile and varied projects are important to me. In addition, I value modern company structures and pleasant colleagues. In all aspects, [at] made a very positive impression, which has continued and strengthened through the application process and until today. The decision to start at [at] was therefore made quite quickly.

What are you looking forward to the most?

Before I started, I was looking forward to exactly two things: my new team colleagues and my job as a data engineer. The former have already welcomed me very well. I immediately felt in good hands and am looking forward to spending more time with my team. I am also looking forward to my first projects and the fact that I will be able to learn and master a lot of new things. I think that I will develop very well in the trainee programme.

What did you do before?

I studied chemistry. More specifically, in the fields of physical chemistry and biochemistry. Considering my current position, my career path may certainly be surprising. It was through the scientific work, which was very much characterised by measurement technology and data, that I started programming in the first place. First as a hobby and to automate my everyday lab work and later within lab projects on a larger scale. One of these projects was, among other things, a pipeline for protein data evaluation for the collaborative work group server. But that leads too far here. Besides my studies, I also worked as a programming and robotics teacher. Hence the career start in the field of data engineering.

Where were you born and raised?

I am a native of central Hesse. I was born in Gießen and grew up in the countryside near Gießen. I studied in Marburg and have now arrived in Frankfurt, Hesse's stronghold. So you can say that I know my way around here very well.

What do you do in your spare time?

This is a question to which I have many answers. Universally, you can say that I love learning new things. And that results in many different hobbies. Here are a few of them: When the weather is nice, I like to go for a ride on my motorbike through beautiful central Hesse. To relax, I unpack my camera and lenses and go out into nature to take macro photos. You can hardly believe how much life you can find on one square metre of earth if you just take the time to look. Before the pandemic, I started playing the harmonica. To this day I often take it with me and play regularly. And about a week ago I had my first, albeit small, fishing success. I got my fishing licence last year. If you'd like to hear more, you're welcome to talk to me in person over a cold drink of your choice, because otherwise this would go beyond the scope of this article.

What was your dream job as a child?

Ever since I can remember, I have been drawn to the skies. My dream was always to become a pilot. Even if nothing came of it professionally, the dream remains in my private life. As a child, I wouldn't have said no to a job as an astronaut. Aeronautics and space travel still inspire me enormously today.

What is your favourite film / series?

I've liked Star Wars in general since I was a kid. Mainly the old trilogy and the prequels, but not so much what Disney is doing with it now. Although Rogue One is also quite good.

What used to be your favourite subject at school?

Maths and chemistry. Both became my advanced courses in the Abitur, and that was also a decisive factor in my choice of studies. I also liked computer science, but the computer science classes at my school were rather poor.