Successful partnerships often begin by chance. Samuel Mangold applied for a full-time job with ABNOX five years ago, even though he was looking for a part-time position. “I wanted both: A job, and to pursue my studies,” the newly minted Development and Project Engineer says in retrospect.
Fortunately he applied to ABNOX even though the workload at the time was too high to meet his needs. Company management promptly satisfied his wish, reducing the job by 50 per cent. “Training and continuing education are part of our core values. We support our employees by agreement when their education is in the company’s best interests,” explains Benjamin Iseli, Head of Sales & Marketing.
“I want to work here!”
Just because younger people may have definite ideas about their job does not mean they are unmotivated. After Samuel mainly worked with sheet metal construction in his apprenticeship, the skilled designer looked for practical experience in a new field that fascinated him. He wanted something to do with mechanics, hydraulics or pneumatics. After the interview at ABNOX, he knew right away: “I want to work here!” The friendly atmosphere and casual environment appealed to him immediately.
Aside from flexible working hours, ABNOX offers annual working time models, home office work and part-time employment. Benjamin Iseli continues: “We cannot complain about the shortage of skilled workers, and then fail to accommodate our job candidates.” Putting flexibility into practice pays off for the company as well: Samuel has been able to contribute and put into practice in the company what he learned in his studies.
Studying for five years while working at the same time is by no means easy. Often he was at Lucerne University well into the evening. But thanks to the flexible working time model at ABNOX, Samuel was able to balance it all. “My boss and I treated each other with respect and that helped me a lot.”
Diploma thesis on material pressure regulators
There was one thing Samuel valued in particular: Aside from smaller project tasks (that earned him ETCS points), the Development and Project Engineer was able to write his diploma thesis at ABNOX. “That’s not a matter of course,” the 26-year-old emphasises. Thus he helped with the development of a new version of the Material Pressure Regulator. Aside from market analyses and other tasks, he modified the design to improve the damping of lubricant pulsations.
Samuel Mangold earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering this summer and now works at ABNOX full time.