"Born to be an engineer?": On Engineers' Day, three employees give an insight into their career choices
March 4 is UNESCO World Engineering Day - a day on which the important contributions of engineers to society are also celebrated in Switzerland as part of Engineers' Day. in 2025, the motto of the day is "Shaping our Sustainable Future Through Engineering". We asked three employees how they chose their profession and what role sustainability plays in their work.
The Swiss Engineers' Day aims to make the services of engineers visible to the public and to promote the next generation of engineers. We at Basler & Hofmann are taking this as an opportunity in 2025 to ask three employees how they came to their profession and what it means to them: Were they born with the engineering gene? And what motivates them to go back to work every Monday morning, even after several years in the job?
Tobias Humbel is project management in the structural engineering department. He is fascinated by the combination of functionality, materialization and aesthetics in structural engineering. He joined Basler & Hofmann directly after completing his studies at ETH Zurich. He particularly remembers the new construction of the police and justice center in Zurich - a major project that he was able to help shape as deputy project management.
When did you decide to become a civil engineer?
Tobias Humbel: That was during high school. I was fascinated by the idea of being able to design and plan something and ultimately see how it manifests itself in reality. For a long time, it was unclear to me whether I wanted to become a civil engineer or an architect. I am still very enthusiastic about architecture today. But back at school, I had the feeling that the structured part of me was a little stronger than the creative part, which is why I ultimately decided to study civil engineering.
The theme of World Engineers' Day 2025 is "Shaping our sustainable future through engineering". What contribution can engineers make to sustainable development?
Tobias Humbel : I think this is a highly relevant topic. As a civil engineer, I can have x times more influence in my professional life than in my private life. When I'm involved in the design of a building, I'm dealing with huge quantities of building materials that are consumed and large quantities of greenhouse gas emissions that are produced during construction. In this context, I can pull a very big lever with a clever solution, whereas in my private life I have to give up flying for tens of years to achieve the same reduction in emissions, for example. I think that's great, even if it does of course entail a certain amount of responsibility. It motivates me to be able to play a positive role in shaping our future.
Christina Fischer has dedicated herself to the planning and maintenance of streetcar and road construction projects. The civil engineering graduate has been working for Basler & Hofmann since 2010. Whether light rail systems such as the Limmattalbahn, repairs to motorways or site developments: Christina Fischer has experience with a wide variety of projects.
Why did you become an engineer?
Christina Fischer: I always knew that I wanted to study something technical at ETH Zurich. I then attended taster days for computer science, electrical engineering and civil engineering during high school. At the time, computer science involved too much programming for me, while electrical engineering focused too much on mathematics and physics in the first few years. Civil engineering seemed very versatile to me. And my grandfather was a civil engineer - that gave me an additional impetus (laughs).
Who would you recommend the profession of civil engineer to?
Christina Fischer: To everyone (laughs). I don't think you have to be a huge math talent or be super good at all the technical subjects. Of course, you have to acquire a basic knowledge during your studies. But in my opinion, other skills are just as relevant in the job, such as social skills and project management. With this in mind, I would recommend the profession to anyone who is looking for a varied job with good career prospects.
Jürg Senti studied mechanical engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Rapperswil. After initial years of professional experience as a technical product developer and entrepreneur, he joined Basler & Hofmann in 2022. While he wondered "whether he would fit in with all the civil engineers" before starting the job, he is now firmly in the saddle as a project manager for technical consulting and energy consulting and sees the exchange with colleagues from other specialist areas as an enormous enrichment.
You are a mechanical engineer. How did that come about?
Jürg Senti : If I had followed my childhood dream, I would be a pilot today (laughs). However, the working hours and locations I was given prevented me from doing so. Mechanical engineering was the most obvious field for me. I was so enthusiastic about my studies and career that I forgot about being a pilot (laughs).
"Shaping our sustainable future through engineering" is the motto of this year's Engineers' Day. How does the topic of sustainability affect you in your day-to-day work?
Jürg Senti: We are very much involved in this topic. One example is contracts where we can take care of making buildings more energy-efficient in operation and optimizing them towardsCO2 neutrality. In my view, sustainable development is a key task for all engineers worldwide. From alternative fuels to sustainable buildings and recyclable packaging - these are all tasks for engineers.
PS: Anyone who has a baby in our company will receive one of the baby bodies from the photo shoot. It remains to be seen whether the newborns will one day follow in their parents' footsteps.