Hello, I’m Marcel Schmied, 23 years old, and I’m from Leipzig.
This fall, I completed my dual study program in computer science at the Cooperative State University of Saxony – in cooperation with Quality First Software GmbH (QFS), which is now part of mgm technology partners.
When I started my studies, QFS was still an independent company. During my very first practical phase, however, the team became part of mgm – which was exciting at first but not a problem at all. The team stayed the same, the environment remained familiar, and the working style just as family-like as before.
A Start with a Summer Party and Team Spirit
Even before my studies officially began, I had the chance to meet the team at the annual summer party – a two-day event with colleagues and their families. This open and welcoming atmosphere made getting started incredibly easy for me.
After that, the classic alternating model began: three months of theory at the university, followed by three months of practical work in the company. While I found the university phases rather dry – lots of lectures, little practical relevance – I looked forward to every single practical phase at QFS all the more.
From QF-Test to Web Development – Learning Through Practice
In my first practical phase, I got to know QF-Test. It enables automated testing of graphical user interfaces – and I was instantly fascinated and impressed by how simple yet powerful the tool is. Writing tests with it was genuinely fun!
In the following phases, I was able to explore many different areas:
- Development of a Gradle plugin
- Performance testing of Docker environments and VMs
- Initial tasks in web development
- And even active development on QF-Test itself, for example in the licensing process and improving dialogs.
My personal highlight was my bachelor’s thesis. I focused on continuous integration and deployment – specifically on what’s known as the Bouquet integration, a central component of QFS’s build pipeline. It allows feature branches to be merged dynamically, enabling long-term interaction testing – an exciting and practical approach that still fascinates me.
Small Company, Big Team Spirit
What made QFS special for me was the working atmosphere.
The team was open, helpful, and like a family from the very beginning. I could always ask questions, received honest feedback, and was involved in decision-making. Beyond work, there were many opportunities to get to know colleagues – whether at the Leipzig company run, the table tennis cup, or simply during lunch breaks, where we tried out a new restaurant every week (if one could be found).
Looking Back and Ahead
When I look back on my dual study program today, I’m very grateful for my time at QFS and mgm. I was able to gain insight into nearly all areas of software development, gather practical experience, and discover where my strengths lie.
Now I’m continuing with a master’s degree in data science – to further specialize.
I’m taking with me a wealth of experiences, exciting projects, and wonderful memories – and with that, a big thank you to all my colleagues who accompanied me on this journey.