From Electronics Enthusiast to Tech Pro: Thriving in Continental's Makers Garage

Hi from the tech geek of Makers Garage. Any problems with electric circuits, sensors, or microcontrollers, I could probably solve it. Having started my studies in the field of Electronics and Communication, the journey has been filled with so much of learning and it’s satisfying to even see an LED glow out of a complex system after burning so many components in the process. However, the topics that allured me the most is microcontrollers and sensors, especially in automotive industry. This motivated me to start my master’s in electrical engineering and information technology mainly focused on Embedded Systems and Microelectronics in a Hochschule in Germany. It was one of the best periods of my life filled with myriad of knowledge complemented with hands-on experience. To further extend my skills, I decided to do an internship to comprehend how my knowledge could be used to benefit the outside world.  

That’s when I found out about Makers Garage at Continental Tires, and I had the gut feeling that this would be a perfect match. They had an intern position open for Embedded IoT and I did not think twice before applying. The interview was so casual and fun that I was so excited and pumped about starting my career at such a huge multinational company. The first day was filled with anxiety and excitement but looking at the other new students who also started on the same day and were going through the same relieved me a bit. We got our time to build the rapport with each other with team building events and were not directly assigned with projects to start. There was a lot I learned about the company and about tires, especially, which was surprising for me as I never imagined that there could be so much scope for digital solutions in tires.

Initially, I had my share of concerns about my capabilities as an intern in this team but working with other students who also felt the same somehow helped me ease through it which is a great advantage of Makers Garage. I worked on projects dealing with research, proof of concepts, prototype development, or technical benchmarking. The timeline of the projects we work on is often not stringent but flexible enough to explore, brainstorm and get comfortable with the topics or hardware components involved. I believe this gave me more room for expanding the know-how of the concepts and understand it from the perspective of students coming from different educational backgrounds like mechatronics, computer science, data science, and business economics. We mainly worked with digital solutions for commercial vehicles involving concepts such as telematic units, communication protocols, sensor technology, and UHF systems.

I soon started looking for possible topics for my master’s thesis and it was quite easy to find the topic because of the close association of our team with different divisions in a huge company like Continental. Soon after my internship, I started with my master’s thesis, and I am working in close association with the R&D department. My topic emphasizes on sensor technology, app development, Bluetooth communication, data analysis, and Machine Learning. Most of the topics are new to me which is very motivating for me as I am always open to learn new things and it gives me the opportunity to connect with more people who have the expertise or experience in these domains. Being part of Makers Garage is a plus, as there are students who are always willing to help me when I’m stuck with problems or curious about my work. This helps me progress better with my topic as they always come up with a different vision for my problems.

Overall, I have enjoyed every moment I have stayed with Makers Garage both in the professional world and outside when we used to hang out or meet up for fun activities. It has helped me grow as a professional and a person in general which is my takeaway from the last one year at Continental. The overall digital solutions team is very welcoming and encouraging which leaves a special place for them in my heart. It is a perfect place to ease yourself into the big industrial world out there without being overwhelmed by the actual reality but can still enjoy the last bits of student life alongside the preparation to face the reality.