Settled in: Max Stapf and Armin Reichert

Max, Armin, can you tell us what your studies were and how you came to working at Deutsche Börse Group?

Max: After my Bachelor’s in business studies, I studied Controlling and Finance. I have been interested in the exchange and in stocks before and had already completed an internship at the Stuttgart exchange before becoming a student assistant here. That’s why Deutsche Börse has always been on my radar. I got the hint about the position at Eurex Clearing by a friend of mine and thought this would be a unique opportunity to gain deep market insights and to complement the theory with practical experiences. 

Armin: I also received a tip from a friend that Deutsche Börse is an IT company. I immediately applied. Although I’ve always had an interest in stocks, my major focus were my computer science studies. Luckily, the team was looking for someone with exactly this kind of background.

You started working as student assistants in two teams within the same section in Summer 2016 before joining the Quality Management & Control Unit in 2017 as permanent employees. How did you experience this change?

Armin: First of all, it’s extremely motivating to see that, in many cases, dedication and commitment leads to a permanent job. Of course, you feel a bit as if you have to grow out of one role and into another – but I think that’s something that is more in your own head than that others really see it that way. We already took over very responsible tasks. And, on many levels, there were no differences made between permanent employees and students in our section.

So it’s a good place to grow and develop further.

Max: Definitely! The fact that so many former students become permanent employees or even team leaders shows that our section also is a “talent pool”. The Heads of Unit and Head of Section are aware of this and thus integrate newcomers from the beginning. You’re sometimes being pushed in at the very deep end – but there was always someone who would support us in case of questions. Our mentors always knew what they were doing and fostered the strengths and potentials.

The tasks of your team are pretty diverse – from quality management to the second-level support for Clearing Operations in Prague to the support of Group-wide initiatives. What does this mean for your daily work?

Armin: Our work has a lot of variety, and we’re constantly facing new challenges. From this, we learn a lot, can develop further and can bring forward our own ideas – so it’s never getting boring.

And if you look back: do you have an advice for other student assistants or interns?

Armin: I used to be rather quiet and cautious at the beginning – but I soon realized that it is important to actively approach others and to request tasks and feedback. You should also be open if you want to stay with the company and directly approach the people that might have an interesting job opportunity.

Max: That’s right, networking is very important – with fellow students as well as with further contacts in the company. Being an intern or a student assistant can really be a stepping stone here. Also, working as a student or intern can be a great time to get to know one’s own competences and potentials and to specialize in something. Make use of these opportunities the best way you can.