WHAT DOES
"WÖLFELING IT" MEAN,
CLARISSA RAPPS?

Clarissa Rapps is a Senior Engineer at Wölfel. In a conversation with her, you'll learn everything about our work approach, how we develop solutions together even for the most challenging tasks, how we promote competencies within the team, create spaces for projects, and much more.

[Translate to English:] Porträt von Clarissa Rapps

Listen to the entire interview in full length (only available in german)

Hi Clarissa, you're a civil engineer at Wölfel. How did you make your way here?

I started with an internship at Wölfel, just to get a two- or three-week taste of what working here would be like. Then I decided to start at Wölfel as a working student. After that, I chose to write my bachelor's thesis here and that's how I joined the company.

How long have you been here?

I started as a working student in November 2015.

So, you've been here for quite a while. We are curious about the process. When you get a new project on your desk, so to speak, how do you usually proceed?

If the project is about demolition work, we first review the documents provided to us. Then, we usually do an on-site visit to inspect the conditions and compare them with the planning documents.

Can students participate in your projects as well?

Absolutely. We're always happy to have students who want to support us. Students are a great help with creating drawings, for example. In the field of demolition, we try to take students to the building site so they can see the property in real life and, if possible, even be present during demolition activities.

[Translate to English:] Clarissa Rapps und Arbeitskollegen

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Well, I get up early, feed my cats, and ease into the day. We have flextime at Wölfel, so the start of our workday is relatively flexible. Mine usually begins around 8:00 or 8:30 in the office. First, I check and answer any emails that might have come in overnight, and then I continue working on projects with my colleagues.

[Translate to English:] Clarissa Rapps und Kollege vor Häuser

Is there a work philosophy at Wölfel?

It's particularly important to me that on our team we all work together on projects, that no one is left on his or her own, and that team spirit is highly valued. I want discussions and ideas exchanged on all projects, even across departments.

A colleague of yours once said about Wölfel's way of working, "We Wölfel it." What is that all about?

I believe it means we are willing to take on particularly tricky projects, embrace challenges, work together to find solutions, and essentially, that no nut is too tough for us to crack.

How challenging are your tasks, not just for you but for others as far as you can tell?

I would say that we're an engineering firm that doesn't handle run-of-the-mill tasks. Clients come to us when they have highly demanding projects and might be facing issues with dynamics, dynamic effects and such, and they're not sure how to proceed.

How is collaboration among the various locations or offices within your company? What about remote work?

We use Teams, it makes communication easy. Some of my colleagues in structural dynamics, the department I work in, are based in Hamburg and exchanging information with them works quite smoothly.

[Translate to English:] Clarissa Rapps und Kollegin am Laptop

What do you think of the professional development and growth opportunities at Wölfel for yourself and for others?

I find it particularly great that no one is expected to work alone on projects. You always have colleagues in the background for support. Today, I'm the Head of the Structural Dynamics Business Unit and the leader of a seven-person team. I must say, at no point did I feel abandoned; I've always been well-supported and challenged by my superiors and management.

It’s evident from your previous responses, but just for the sake of completeness we would like to know about interpersonal interaction at Wölfel, outside of work?

I wouldn't have thought so at the beginning, but really strong friendships have formed at work because we spend a lot of time together. We often meet up after work and do things together. In Würzburg, there are several lovely wine festivals we can attend together, or the Kiliani fair, or even a short SUP tour after work.