Stefan from 3Shape: I was fascinated by the company’s fast growth and impressive founding story

When it was time to apply for 3Shapes Graduate Program I was in the last month of my master’s thesis and under quite some time-pressure. My master’s at DTU is called Autonomous Systems and combines Automation, AI and Robotics. So, I paused the process of translating my data into a thesis to write a kickass application for 3Shape because I wanted to start on the technological track of their Graduate program.

Prior to 3Shape I had student jobs in smaller companies, where I was put on projects to drive automation. These ranged from sales forecasting to the deployment of complex machine learning algorithms to the cloud.

Now I am slowly settling in my first rotation out of three. My team is called Cloud Solutions with the job description being DevOps engineer. We bridge the gap between software development and the operations to make the software available. Our purpose is to make it as easy as possible for our developers to release software to our customers. The department makes a heroic effort to constantly adapt the newest and smartest technologies.

How did you end up at the Graduate Programme / when and where did you first hear about it?

A graduate from the first cohort had taken the same bachelor’s degree as I did. So when his LinkedIn profile showed that he became a graduate at 3Shape I made sure not to miss the next recruitment process.

 

➔  Hiring!  3shape are hiring graduates right now. Click here for more details on the programme.

 

What attracted you to the company?

The first time I heard about the organization was through an MIT student who came to Denmark for his internship at 3Shape. Back then I had no idea what 3Shape was but him coming all the way from the US caught my interest. What fascinated me the most was their steep growth that was solely self-funded, which is highly unusual for a niche tech company. (In 22 years from 2 Employees to over 2000)

Why did you want to join a graduate program?

Already before starting on my masters, I wanted to join a graduate program. Firstly, because I was unsure what role would suit me in a company since there are so many options. But mainly because it is a unique option to contribute to solving many different problems within an organization, while developing both professional but also personal skills.

 

What has surprised you the most about working at the company?

3Shape has transitioned from a start-up to a more corporate organization which I was aware of. Nevertheless, the hierarchy is rather flat and senior employees seek our feedback along with taking time to help us if we seek guidance. This enables everyone to have an impact if they come forth with their ideas. This is probably one of the reasons for their success.

3Shape has transitioned from a start-up to a more corporate organization which I was aware of. Nevertheless, the hierarchy is quite flat and senior employees seek our feedback and take their time to help us if we seek guidance.
Stefan Nahstoll

Biggest challenge as a graduate so far?

There are many challenges when transitioning from being a student to working for one of the world leading manufacturers of Intra Oral Scanners. Personally, it took me some time to settle in my current job rotation. Every day I acquire extremely specific knowledge relating cloud computing. For the first month I did not see how this knowledge would transfer to my next rotations. But when my manager sent me to a conference where some of the greatest minds in the field share their knowledge, I saw the bigger picture. The exchange with knowledgeable professionals showed me that understanding these concepts will be beneficial in all decision processes of a company, that highly depends on software.

 

Advice to other applicants?

In the application process I would recommend being yourself but do not forget to put all the amazing things about you in the spotlight. These do not solely need to be professional. 3Shape values their employees for more than just their work.

A very practical advice is that no matter which track you are applying for, have a look at a consulting case or two ????

I wish you the best of luck and feel free to reach out me here if you have any questions!

 

➔  Hiring!  3shape are hiring graduates right now. Click here for more details on the programme.