🎓This is what I studied:
- Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management
- Master’s degree in Energy and Transport Management
💻 My job: Transport planner and mobility researcher at verkehrplus ZT GmbH in Graz, Austria
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“During your studies, you definitely learn how to work on projects in a team.”
Jürgen Sorger plans and designs the living spaces of tomorrow.
About me
Where I spent my semester abroad: Breda, Netherlands
In my free time I am involved in / interested in: Sport
After lectures, I often spent my time on the railway.
The best food on campus: I used to eat at the Köck bakery
My personal favourite place on campus: the MET lobby
How I celebrated my graduation: with mulled wine – there happened to be a mulled wine stand on the day of my exam.
Tell us what your job is without telling us what your job is: I help people to be actively mobile.
About my studies
You are guaranteed to learn this during your studies: Working on projects in a group
The best course was: Integration of Renewable Energy Systems (Master’s)
I struggled a bit with this course: Electrical Machines (Bachelor’s)
What I took away from my degree programme for my job: Above all, the course and group exercises relating to spatial planning, as well as the field reports from external experts, sparked my interest in wanting to understand the connections between space and transport, as well as decision-making processes. The semester abroad in the Netherlands deepened my understanding of cycling as a mobility tool in everyday life.
My tip for students
Thinking and discussing is the basis for helping to shape the future.
About my job
I am a transport planner and mobility researcher. As a transport planner, I support local authorities such as municipalities or transport companies in deciding why, where, when and for whom certain infrastructures or transport services should be offered. I personally work mainly in the multimodality and cycling team. We develop cycling networks to promote cycling as an everyday means of transport, calculate the optimum spatial location for bus or train stops, the optimum frequency of public transport services or work with spatial planners to draw up specifications for the development of areas. Above all, the interfaces between the individual modes of transport in terms of multimodal mobility management is a key factor.
As a mobility researcher, I deal with people’s behaviour in the context of mobility. I examine empirical surveys or historical developments in relation to space and transport or work in workshops with various stakeholders and interest groups to identify challenges and stumbling blocks for a mobility transition. Ideally, I also develop solutions or point out possible solutions. Specifically, I am working on a dissertation on the topic of cycling at the interface between the disciplines of transport planning and urban planning on issues relating to the transition of public space in small and medium-sized cities and its effects.
My career as a transport planner was only made possible by my studies. Before my studies, I worked in the social sector and in mechanical and plant engineering. After my compulsory internship, I was given the opportunity to continue working in the office. I took advantage of this and have since seen many projects through to realisation, learning a lot of new things in the process.
What I like best about my job is that I can observe how we as a team manage to take small steps towards the mobility transition and get this transition off the ground in the municipalities. When multimodal hubs or cycle paths and even bridges planned by us are implemented and encourage people to think that there are alternatives to the private car, then that makes a difference (!). The challenge lies in the nature of human individuality. Not everyone sees the need to change transport and mobility in order to address the challenges of the future in terms of quality of life. Taking these people with us is the challenge.
For the job, you need a precise, structured, and methodical way of working, as well as strong self-management skills. Like many professions, transport planning involves working with and for many people. You have to keep an eye on coordination, processes and timelines. In addition, it is certainly helpful in advisory positions if you approach your environment with positive energy. All of this works by itself if the quality on offer is right. The quality is right if you are interested in ensuring that the project you are developing also makes sense for you. And that is only possible if you do what you are interested in.
What I want for the future is my bike, imagination and courage. Then it will work.