What are the pros + cons of working in the Automotive industry?

[Bridget]

Hi everyone! 

I was recently asked by a student from my alma mater about the pros and cons of working in tech. I thought it was a really excellent question - we often advertise the highlights of our industry to young people who are interested, but rarely share the downsides! 

So, I'd love to hear from you - what are some of the pros AND cons of the automotive industry that you would share with anyone who is considering it for their own career? 

Can't wait to hear your answers :). Happy Monday!

Bridget

[Sebastian Tschörner]

A interesting time for such a question...

Two years ago, my list of downsides would be quite short:
* Formalized companies with tons of processes and approvals.
* If you are part of the business units where an error costs a lot of lives: even more processes.
* Old companies wich are very hard to change.
* Huge companies where information you need exists but it takes ages to find it.
* Bigger decisions require a lot of politics.

The list of benefits would be very long:
* More budget than you are able to spend.
* More resources than you are able to use.
* Diverse environment where you might be stuck in a boring process but could also have a position to change the world.
* Changing positions within the company and by that keeping a lot of benefits.
* High quality of live when it comes to travel (5 Star Hotels, Business Class, Car-Pools, payed travel time)
* Expat options around the world.
* Lots of training that is even mandatory. You are literally forced to get a training for x days per year or in exchange visit an event like the Atlassian Summit ;)
* High salary.
* High job security.
* A lot of social benefits.
* A strong union that will defend you.
* Thousands of colleagues to exchange ideas without the boundary of a "supplier-relationship".
* Being part of a brand that is recognized all over the world.
* Contributing to extremely cool products :D

Now I would definitely add the point "high pressure" to the downsides and reduce some of the benefits from "almost too much" to "still enough".

Everyone can feel the change to sustainable mobility. So there is now a lot more focus on the important topics. Without noticing, more and more positions realize that they are not at all what I described above as "stuck in a boring process" but are actually part of the "change the world" category by realizing that they have to change their 50 year old process.

[Bridget]

Such a good list!! Thank you @Sebastian Tschörner . Updating 50 yr old processes sounds exciting yet daunting - what do you think is the lowest hanging fruit in terms of modernizing?

[Sebastian Tschörner]

From IT perspective, the lowest hanging fruits are already cut and served on a plate. We have most of the solutions ready to be used, we only have to convince the users to taste them. Still there are users munching on their dry Excels, suspiciously looking at a ready to use Jira, Confluence or Microsoft Teams.

From a people or process perspective, the modernization is a culture change and you can pick any initiative or strategy to change the culture. It could work, or it could not work, but surely none of them could be considered a "low hanging fruit".

[Bridget]

Haha I love how the lowest hanging fruits are already sliced and presented nicely, but yet you need to convince users to taste them :). 

Who would choose a dry and dusty excel over a nice slab of mango?!

[mmquasar]

Great list from @Sebastian Tschörner and I fully agree.

Right now, the whole automotive industry is under massive pressure and a lot of those benefits are not only questioned but cut rigorously. Despite the fact that this kind of action has been overdue in relation to other industries it's a rough change.

So it feels anything what has been missed in the last decade is about to be catched up in a fraction of time. Feels like a reeeeally stressful fast-forward.

And to me unfortunately any of those culture initiatives are comdemned to fail unless they change organisational structures ...