Marco – master of data analysis

A native of Oberlenningen, Marco joined pragmatic minds in May 2019 as a Data Scientist and in the IT Operations department. With his motto Kriag mer na (For non-Swabians: Let’s get it done.), he brings a lot of motivation and determination to his daily work.

Before pragmatic minds, you had already been through a number of professional stages. Would you like to tell us a little bit more about it?

I am an (un)classic career changer. Starting with a secondary school diploma via the second educational path with detours into electrical engineering, commercial vocational college and studies in economics, I have been able to see and try out one or the other. During my studies, I discovered my enjoyment of data analysis. For a while, overlapping with my master’s studies at the University of Hohenheim, I was employed as a student trainee at the Institute for Energy Efficiency in Production at the University of Stuttgart, which is affiliated with the Fraunhofer Institute. There I further developed a system for automatic data processing and reporting functions. After some trials and tribulations, I came across pragmatic minds GmbH, where I have been working with satisfaction ever since.

What made you decide to join a startup?

I have already been able to gain work experience at some large companies and those that function according to similar structures and have decided for myself that they are not right for me in my current phase of life. Working in a startup allows me diversity and freedom that would be difficult to achieve in traditional businesses.

So I assume you like the work and work culture at pragmatic minds/ industries. Could you describe that in a little more detail from your perspective?

We are a very communicative team and problem support is held in high regard. Especially during the last few weeks when investigating problems, this was very noticeable. We maintain a very friendly and considerate work culture, which I personally really like and find important. The team spirit is clearly recognizable and even if some things do not always run optimally, at least the will to improve is clearly recognizable. There is a clear understanding that people are people and ways are found to accommodate this while moving the company forward.

In this form, this is unique for me in my previous work experience.

Is the work what you thought it would be?

The classic data science focus is less strong than I originally thought. However, my additional tasks have helped to expand my knowledge in general, especially in terms of software development, which can be very helpful for various applications. And so I can also contribute my strengths and skills. If a topic is interesting for me, I am able to learn it quite fast. This allows me to keep track of and adapt to my rather sprawling task areas.

Do you pursue hobbies in your free time?

I am an avid pen & paper roleplayer, read technical literature in the field of data science and enjoy listening to audio books from various fields while driving.

Thank you, Marco!