Robert Philipps studied computer science at the Free University of Berlin and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2018. He is currently working as a Technical Lead & Engineering Manager at Google (NYC).

Why did you decide on your current career?
I am fascinated by the opportunity to work on complex problems that impact the lives of billions of people. My path as a software engineer led me through eBay and Amazon, then to Google in Munich, and eventually here to our New York City office. I am particularly motivated by the combination of technical challenges in massive distributed systems and the collaboration within international teams consisting of world-class experts.

Why did you decide against a doctorate?
I actually decided against a master's degree as well. I was already very hands-on during my studies and wanted to build things and develop products used in real life. Although I gained incredibly valuable insights into practical research thanks to Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller-Birn, who accepted me as a young student into her Human-Centered Computing research group - and I am still very grateful to her for that - the draw of industry was simply stronger in the end. Although I have to admit: after my bachelor's thesis with Prof. Dr. Lutz Prechelt, I wavered for a moment because the collaboration and scientific work under his guidance was incredibly fun!

What knowledge or skills did you acquire in your studies that you didn't think you'd ever need?
Of course, the technical knowledge taught during my studies forms the indispensable foundation of my work. But the skill I didn't expect to be so central is the "meta-skill" of independently grasping complex issues. High school came easily to me, but at university, I really had to "learn how to learn" and power through difficult material. This resilience and the ability to quickly familiarize myself with completely new, abstract problems is exactly what I need every day now. A specific highlight was the ProInformatik program before my studies began. That really bridged the gap between high school and university and helped me find my footing academically. Plus, the friends I made there stuck with me throughout my entire degree.

What would you have liked to have done or learned during your studies?
I sometimes look at students who do internships at the big tech companies with a bit of envy. I should have tried to apply for those highly sought-after spots much earlier - often including flights, accommodation, and good pay, to dive deep into professional software development for three months. That would probably be my recommendation!

What recommendations do you have for students who are about to complete their studies?
Dare to apply - even if you think you aren't good enough yet! It took me three attempts before it worked out with the position at Google. Don't get discouraged by rejections; they are part of the process. And most importantly: Enjoy your time! Your career is long enough; you don't have to rush to finish at any cost if it means missing out on valuable experiences (or simply life). You don't have to take as much time as I did (almost 6 years for the bachelor's), but it didn't hurt me either. ;-)