Read Gillis Magnussons interesting story about what it is like to have a summer job at Volvo Group and his reflections on how it is to work in a big organization.
What did you do at your summer job?
I worked within the team Control Systems Simulation, a team that does Hardware-in-the-Loop testing of the suspension and steering. I specifically worked a lot with road models and how we could transfer real world road profiles and their surface data to simulation to be able to compare real world measurements and simulations through MATLAB other simulation tools.
Why do you want to work at Volvo Group?
Gothenburg is my hometown and Volvo Group is the biggest company here with a truly global reach. As a major producer of heavy duty engines, even a small technical improvement here has a massive impact worldwide. That scale is what first drew me in, but the people I met this summer and the teamwork I saw made me realize how well my personal values and professional goals align here.
What were your most important experiences at your summer job?
The biggest thing I learned is how easy it is to get help once you know who to ask. In a company this size the challenge is usually just finding the right person, but everyone is so eager to share their knowledge.
Do you have any advice for anyone seeking a summer job at Volvo Group?
My best advice is to put in that little extra effort in your daily work. In a large company like this, the easiest way to get a foot in is to show that you can be trusted with responsibility. I built that trust by taking the initiative and showing a genuine interest in how things work. You do not need to be a truck expert to succeed here because the sheer size of Volvo means there are so many different paths you can take.
Name: Gillis Magnusson
Title: Master Thesis student
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Education: B.Sc. Mechanical engineering & M.Sc. in Systems, Control, and Mechatronics