On 25 February 2019, the UK Head Office of Hexagon gained two Swedish interns, Filip Jäderberg and Max Kottorp. Filip and Max both travelled to Cobham, UK to complete a three-month internship during a short break in their studies. Both are currently part way through completing a master’s degree at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, studying Industrial Engineering and Management.
In their fifth and final year of their degrees, Filip and Max opted to complete their master’s thesis together and have travelled to the UK to gain additional knowledge and experience that will help them to complete their combinedcase study project.
We asked Filip and Max a few questions as they begin to prepare to exit their internship.
What were you doing before you joined Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence?
M: In addition to studying our master’s degrees, we have each completed other internships to help grow our knowledge; I have done placements with management consultancy companies and investment banking.
F: I worked part-time at an IT consultancy firm and completed an internship at Accenture Technology, an enterprise technology services and IT partner.
How did you hear about the internship?
F: Max and I have several contacts who have previously been interns with Hexagon. They each recommended the company to us and helped us to get in contact with the people who would be in charge of our internship post.
M: We have a mutual friend from our University who completed an internship with Hexagon in 2016. He also completed a combined internship with case study for his master thesis and recommendedwe get in touch with the company.
What are the main responsibilities in your role?
F: The internship is a combination of us conducting a case study of the ongoing smartfactory project as part of our university work and helping with the day-to-day analysis work within Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. The work so far has been centred around financial benchmarking against competitors and conducting market research of areas of interest for various colleagues within Manufacturing Intelligence.
What have you liked most about working at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence?
M: I really like that Hexagon is a truly global company. We have had the opportunity to discuss our thesis project with more than 20 people internally, all of whom have very different perspectives depending on where they are stationed which is somethingI find very interesting.
F: The global presence and huge network we have been introduced to so far has been a great experience. We have had daily contact with peers all over the world.
What did you find to be the most challenging part of your role?
M: In the beginning I found it quite difficult to grasp the organisational structure of Hexagon. We’ve been talking to many different departments and product lines throughout the world and operating in different markets.
F: The organisational structure was a challenge for me too. I’ve never worked in a setting quite like this before, so it was a lot to try to understand in the beginning.
What have you learnt during your time with the company?
F: From a personal perspective, I have learnt to become more confident inreaching out to senior management spread all over the world. I have also gained experience working within a business development field, which has helped to develop my understanding of workflows and improved my presentation skills. I have also gained insights into the CMM Product Line and seen first-hand how the value chain is structured.
M: My experience within the metrology sector was close to zero before I started here, so I have learnt an awful lot about metrology and the industry that Hexagon works within. Hopefully I will learn even more before my stay with the company ends.
What would you say to anyone interested in becoming an intern with Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence?
M: If they’re interested in working in a global company with an open-minded culture and a leading position within a technological industry, I would say they’ve found the right place!
F: I would tell them the work so far has been great, and my colleagues have been helpful, which goes a long way. A lot of the work requires a high degree of ownership, and you need to be confident to run with your own projects, but I believe this is all a great foundation for personal development – it has certainly been key for me.
Max and Filip are both due to finish their apprenticeship with Hexagon on 25May 2019, when they will return to Sweden to complete their final year of study.
“Max and Filip have both been a great addition to the team for the short time they have been with us,” says Oliver Jones, Market Analyst, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence.
“Hopefully they have learnt a lot along the way and will be returning to Sweden with lots of ideas and developments that can go towards their master’s thesis. I would like to thank them both for their hard work while being a part of Hexagon and wish them well in their future endeavours.”
