Navigating Life's Crossroads: Oscar Engholm's Journey to TMC Sweden

Farm life

Oscar grew up on a farm near Linköping. His father runs his own company, based on organic farming activities: he works with cattle for meat production, grows crops and owns forests for wood production. It’s clear where Oscar got his entrepreneurial spirit from. Growing up, he used to support his father’s company: collect grass to feed the cattle, driving tractors with various farming equipment, harvesting. ‘I learned many lessons on the farm. Most importantly, I have developed endurance, learned to take more initiative, and to take responsibility.’

Oscar enjoyed helping out his father on the farm, but he did not see a future there for himself. His main interests are somewhere else – in technology and engineering. ‘Luckily I was free to choose my own path. I have always been interested in mathematics, physics and technology in high school. And I knew I wanted to leave the safety of my parents’ home.’

Shed a light

Oscar found his next step at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. ‘One of the best decisions in my life so far. I chose to study Mechanical Engineering, since it is a broad program and it seemed most interesting to me at that point. At the time I didn’t know what I wanted to be. Quite frankly, I still don't know exactly. When I graduated I said: I prefer to not work for Volvo, for example. Well, look at me now!’

Volvo Trucks is Oscar’s first assignment as a TMC employeneur. Together with a close colleague he is responsible for the exterior lighting – more specifically he works as a component engineer of the front head lights. ‘My colleague and I form a great team. He has been involved with truck lighting for over twenty years, so he knows everything there is to know about the technology. I support him in 3D-modeling, technical documentation and the communication with suppliers and other stakeholders at Volvo.’

The right time

Oscar could have joined TMC a couple of years earlier. Around the time he graduated, he was in touch with a business manager. ‘I was interested in joining TMC, but it just wasn’t the right time. Also, I had been offered another job within the energy and process industry. I first worked there as a design engineer. Then I was asked to be the site manager of a sub system installation project for a new heat power plant. A challenging assignment but also very rewarding. This role involved supervising installation activities, which included tasks like piping and welding support structures. It also encompassed pre-commissioning activities, such as system testing to detect and resolve issues before the plant could be operational. In parallel, I worked on the documentation of the installation as well.’

‘It was quite a tough first assignment right after my graduation. On site I was the only one representing my employer. I got all the direct feedback – both positive and negative. On the upside, I had a lot of freedom and many times learned by my own mistakes. Still, I felt generally that there was a lack of support, especially on site. So after almost two years work at the company I started looking for a new employment.’ That’s when Oscar was contacted again by TMC. Five weeks later, he got hired and started his assignment at Volvo.

Collegial support

He now enjoys the support from both TMC and his Volvo colleagues, where they are happy to have him. ‘At Volvo, people sometimes ask me if I will take over my colleagues’ position as the lead expert of exterior lights, when he retires. Well, who knows. I may also take on another challenge. As I said, in my previous job I had a lot of freedom – maybe a bit too much. In a big organization like Volvo, I need to take into account many opinions – sometimes a bit too many. There has to be some kind of balance.’

To find this balance and to figure out what matters most to him, Oscar gladly makes use of what TMC has to offer. ‘I regularly talk to a coach about my work and personal issues which I find really valuable and interesting.’

‘I also participated in a business manager training program. I learned a lot about self-leadership, personal branding and its connection to the core values of TMC. It was a great training and it gave me a lot of tools and valuable insights to take with me into my future career. Still, I don’t think I want to be a business manager myself, at least not for the moment. I would like to gain some more engineering experience first and hopefully make an impact within greentech. This is an important goal I have in my future career.’

Something special

Oscar is in close contact with TMC about his career wishes. ‘My current business manager took the training program together with me. We got along well and we now chat regularly about how I’m doing and my future plans. I find it amazing and important that I can be open about my goals and ambitions. And I truly feel that my business manager listens and takes action to help me achieve them. We’ve got something special going on at TMC. I’m really looking forward to finding my place as an engineer. To continue to thrive here and be a part of building TMC Sweden.’ But first, Oscar is enjoying a well-deserved sabbatical.

Traveling & Vineyard work

Oscar’s sabbatical leave has soon reached the end and he will return back home to Sweden with a lot of memories, experiences and new energy. Oscar and his partner visited Indonesia for two months and then New Zealand for now almost a year.

During his leave he had the opportunity to work at vineyards between travelling in New Zealand. ’It has been a really cool experience and will be fun to share later with friends and family back home. Maybe, in the future with a warmer climate I will manage my own little vineyard... New Zealand has such beautiful nature with extreme diversity; from snowcapped mountains to sand dunes and tropical forests. I got the opportunity to learn about many different cultures, and I’ve met very friendly people.’

Oscar plans to be back home in Sweden in time for Christmas and after the holidays return to TMC in Gothenburg well rested, and ready to take on a new challenge. ’I am really looking forward to continue my journey at TMC and being part of such a fun and developing community’.

'See you again in the start of 2024!’