Engineer Erik Björk has recently chosen his fixed placement after having completed his three internship periods that are part of ABB’s trainee program. Being placed within anything but ABB’s power segment was never on the table.
As Erik reached the end of his studies at university it became time for him to apply for a trainee service. Since his studies at KTH Royal Institute of Technology had focused on energy and environment with emphasis on electrical power, ABB seemed like a natural choice.
“I heard people talking about ABB during the entirety of my studies since they are among the world leading companies in the field of electrical power technology – and since everything in Ludvika revolves around my field of studies, ABB became very interesting. I also saw a trainee service there as a good opportunity for me to challenge myself and broaden my knowledge by trying different roles”, says Erik.
After Erik submitted his application, the recruitment process begun, which ended with him being accepted to the program in March.
“Once the process had started there was rapid movement between the different steps. When you apply, you can specify if you want to be placed in Ludvika, Västerås or if you’re interested in both cities. The process starts with submitting your application containing a personal letter and resume, then you must undergo some tests and after that a video interview awaits. The fourth and final step consists of something called an Assessment Day which is a whole day consisting of different kinds of tests”, says Erik.
The process was not entirely without concern for Erik. In fact, when he was about to sit down to do his video interview, his neighbor began working on a home project.
“When I was about to begin my video interview, my neighbor began drilling in the wall, which didn’t really make the process go any smoother”, says Erik.
Roles that are challenging and innovative
However, the process still ended happily for Erik who was offered a trainee service. He chose to be placed in Ludvika and for the first of his three internship periods he decided to work for purchasing at HVDC, where they work with transmitting electrical energy over long distances.
“I chose an internship there because I wanted to do something that was completely outside of what I’d read in school. After that I went on to work on production development at Transformers. It was interesting because I had insight into the technical requirements of the transformers in the electricity grid through my studies, but I didn’t have much knowledge about how it was produced. For my third and final period, I went back to HVDC, but this time I chose model design because I wanted to try something that was very similar to what I had studied.”
“You could say that my most challenging role was my last at HVDC, while my role at Transformers was the one where I got to be most creative and innovative”, says Erik.
In its entirety, the trainee program consists of 3 internships that extend over 10 weeks each and then a fixed placement is chosen. The program also includes international internships of 3-6 months, which remains for Erik to complete.
An opportunity to try new things
“The program's layout was good, it was very free and provided an opportunity for me to do what I wanted. It is up to you to find and decide which department and role you want to be in during your three internships. You also get help and guidance from managers and colleagues to make it easier to decide where you want to be placed. You get so many good opportunities that it can be difficult to decide. Then it is up to you whether you want to challenge yourself or not. But it is a unique opportunity, be sure to make the most of it!”, says Erik.
As a trainee, you are part of a group that during the trainee period can do a lot of different things together - everything from joint dinners and trips to going on study visits and having meetings with prominent people in the industry.
“We have great fun and spend a lot of time together. Since many are new residents, we do a lot together – like going skiing, spending a weekend in someone's cabin and once we went home and had lunch at one trainee’s grandmother.”
In addition, the trainee groups may also go on study visits and arrange dinners where they invite company leaders or other people whom they find inspiring. For Erik's part, the highlight was the meetings with senior ABB executives.
“The most exciting meetings are those with senior managers and others from ABB, who we can invite to dinners where they can tell about their careers and the choices they have made. What is particularly fun is that they are so open with the mistakes they have made in their careers, which also shows that we have a forgiving culture – you can make mistakes, but you also have to learn from them”, says Erik.
When Erik had completed his three internships, it was finally time to choose a permanent placement.
“At the moment, I'm building control and protection systems for our HVDC plants. This means that we ensure that the power transmission in the HVDC system takes place in a controlled and secure manner. In simple terms, we can say that we are building the brain for the HVDC plant. It's a really technical role, and that's how I want it to be. I've been here for about four months now. It has been intense, and I have a lot to learn, but it is also extremely fun.”
After having tried several different roles, expanding his network, meeting inspirational people and making new acquaintances, Erik feels satisfied with the program and gives his reasons why one should apply.
“The program is perfect for those who want to learn more about a company that has world-leading technology and that contributes to sustainable social development. The companionship in the trainee group is great, and you get to meet a huge number of people throughout the organization and share in their stories, tips and tricks. You will also have the opportunity to vastly expand your network”, says Erik.
