My HM story: Siegfried Savaète-Schretter, Information Technology Services
Siegfried Savaète-Schretter is something of a ‘firefighter’ at HM. Whenever there’s an IT glitch, he’s on hand to offer advice and practical support. In fact, he volunteers with the volunteer fire brigade in his home town. So he has a second job at HM: he’s the fire safety officer. In both roles, he values the great freedom he has to shape his work – and the chance to interact with so many different people at HM.
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Staying in top shape through lifelong learning
Siegfried Savaète-Schretter has been working at HM for more than 30 years – in a profession that is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. “I’m 64 now,” says the IT professional. “But I’ve never had to prove that I can keep up. My younger colleagues ask me for advice. And I can help them. Partly because I’ve been able to undertake all the further training I’ve needed.”
Siegfried Savaète-Schretter was drawn to HM by a professor: “He was teaching at our technical college and spoke to me there. I was then responsible for all technical matters at Department 10. Networked computers were just taking off at the time … Together with a few professors, we were pioneers. It was an exciting time!”
Diversity and benefits in the public sector
These days, Siegfried Savaète-Schretter’s colleagues install the equipment in offices, laboratories or lecture theatres, whilst he himself takes care of the connections. He sees many advantages over a job in industry. “I don’t have to work shifts, I’m not on call, I can work flexibly and, for example, work ten hours a day from Monday to Thursday and take Friday off.” Siegfried Savaète-Schretter also has the option of working from home – up to 60 per cent of the time. (Find out about further benefits: An attractive employer: facts )
The IT specialist is a civil servant. “I earn slightly less than my colleagues in the private sector. But I have good security, for example, should I ever be off sick for a long time. And, of course, in retirement. All in all, I reckon: whether you’re a civil servant or a salaried staff member – there’s not much difference.” That’s right; many of the benefits of the civil service are also enjoyed by staff without civil servant status: for example, job security, a guaranteed income and a high degree of flexibility (which is family-friendly and supports a healthy work-life balance).
An exciting job, right at the heart of research
The IT professionals at HM are responsible for the network infrastructure and security, as well as for maintenance and optimisation. They plan, analyse and improve virtualisation projects, support the set-up and operation of a CEPH storage solution, and introduce new security standards … The IT team also manages external service providers. And anyone at HM who uses their IT solutions can turn to them for advice and support.
Brilliant in practice: at HM, IT professionals often get to witness first-hand how cutting-edge technology is developed; they support research projects with their IT solutions and have the chance to discuss new developments with lecturers: it’s exciting, and not just for young professionals.
“I have creative freedom anyway. When it comes to fire safety, I’m completely free to do as I please by law. But I also have a lot of freedom in the data centre – and the bosses place a great deal of trust in us.”
A strong team (not just) in IT
Siegfried Savaète-Schretter devotes at least 50 per cent of his working hours to fire safety. “In IT, we’re a close-knit team; my colleagues have my back.” As a fire safety officer, he inspects workplaces, assesses potential hazards and delivers training sessions. “I really enjoy working with my colleagues and the students. I get a lot of feedback and many of them come to me with questions. After one of my fire safety sessions, a professor once said: ‘I haven’t heard such a lovely lecture in a long time’,” says Siegfried Savaète-Schretter with a smile.
“I’m 64 now. But I’ve never had to prove that I can still keep up. My younger colleagues ask me for advice. And I can help them. Partly because I’ve been able to do all the further training I’ve needed.”
Siegfried Savaète-Schretter’s experience as a firefighter not only makes him a sought-after expert on all matters relating to fire safety; it also keeps him grounded in his IT career. “When someone contacts us with an IT problem, I’m the one sent out first. I like to say: ‘Listen, we might have a glitch. But we don’t have any problems!’”
Video recommendation! Siegfried Savaète-Schretter
A video interview with Siegfried Savaète-Schretter on the HM LinkedIn account
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