From a C Calculator to the Digital Workplace: How Andreas at Österreichische Lotterien Builds Modern Collaboration

A path rooted in curiosity

In the session “Andreas, System Engineer Digital Workplace bei Österreichische Lotterien,” Speaker Andreas from Österreichische Lotterien lays out a grounded journey: early technical curiosity, a broad-based education, an entry via a trainee program, and today, responsibility for a digital work environment that helps colleagues get real work done. What stood out to us at DevJobs.at was the clarity with which Andreas connects technical breadth, hands-on projects, and soft skills. It’s not a glamorized tale—it’s a practical roadmap for people who want to build a durable career in IT.

That straightforward line threads through his story. Andreas shares how curiosity led him to a technical high school (HTL), where he built broad fundamentals: networks, programming languages, the basics of how systems work. His first language was C, and his first program was a simple calculator with input and output. Not a spectacle—but a turning point. Building something that runs, takes input, and produces output changes how you think.

Education built on breadth: HTL, university, master’s thesis

A recurring theme in Andreas’ account is “breadth before depth” early on. The HTL gave him the basics—how networks operate, what programming languages enable, how to think in systems. He then continued at a university of applied sciences (FH), sharpening his profile. While writing his master’s thesis, he started looking for a job—and found Österreichische Lotterien.

He applied, was selected, and stayed. That’s telling: not coincidence, but the result of structured progression—foundations first, then application, and finally the jump into practice within a framework that supports learning.

The value of a trainee program

Trainee programs aren’t “jobs light.” Done well, they structure entry, provide orientation, enable learning curves, and offer early responsibility. For Andreas, it was an internal training program that opened the door to the role he now holds. That he “joined and stayed” suggests two things:

• The role fit his strengths.
• The environment encouraged learning, change, and practical impact.

These programs shine when, like Andreas, you arrive with a solid, broad foundation and the willingness to translate it into real use cases.

Today: System Engineer Digital Workplace

Andreas works in Digital Workplace, with one simple goal: provide a modern working environment so colleagues can do their jobs well. That means more than “providing tools.” It’s the operational, everyday reality of collaboration, communication, and hybrid work models.

That’s the core of the collaboration stack—documents, storage, team collaboration, meetings, communication. But it doesn’t stop at software. Andreas describes equipping “over 60 meeting rooms with Teams Room systems,” a tangible bridge between physical space and digital collaboration. Hybrid work becomes concrete and technical, not a buzzword.

Making hybrid real: 60+ Teams rooms

Hybrids work demands reliable meeting experiences—audio, video, screen sharing, device management. “Over 60 meeting rooms” with Teams Room systems implies planning, rollout, standardization, and operations. Andreas highlights the role of automation and proper configuration.

PowerShell isn’t just an admin tool here; it’s a quality anchor. When you’re outfitting many rooms, configuration can’t be manual. Standards, scripts, and repeatable workflows—this is how reliability and scale are produced. That’s precisely where Andreas’ advice to master at least one scripting or programming language lands with real weight.

Automation as the operating system of daily work

Andreas’ account shows that automation isn’t a vanity project. It creates reliability, saves time, and reduces errors. Three points stand out:

• Repeatability: PowerShell jobs execute processes consistently—day after day, room after room.
• Transparency: Scripts can be documented and reviewed; they make implicit steps explicit.
• Scale: What works for ten rooms can scale to “over 60” because it’s coded and versionable.

In a Digital Workplace context, these aren’t nice-to-haves; they are fundamentals.

Why broad fundamentals matter

Andreas connects this with teamwork: when you collaborate with colleagues from other IT domains, you need to understand what they do, what information they need, and the constraints they operate under. This understanding isn’t ornamentation—it streamlines handovers, coordinates interfaces, and speeds decisions.

Breadth here doesn’t mean knowing everything. It means speaking enough of neighboring disciplines’ language to develop professional empathy. Knowing “what’s possible, where the limits are, and what the framework conditions are” prevents castles in the air and promotes solutions that can actually be deployed.

Learn one language well—and the others get easier

This matters for both beginners and experienced engineers. The most important part of your first language isn’t the language itself—it’s the mental model of programming: control flow, data structures, error handling, modularity. If you learn PowerShell, you master automation in Windows and cloud-adjacent environments. If you started with C—as Andreas did—you get an early feel for how computers think. The shared thread is disciplined thinking: precise, repeatable, and auditable.

A practical takeaway inspired by Andreas’ story: pick a language that serves your current context and build small, real tools. That could be a report generator, a script that automates a PC workflow, or a simple game. Actual use hardens skills faster than abstract theory.

Hands-on beats theory: build your own projects

Andreas recommends running your own projects—not for their own sake, but as a learning trampoline. Small wins, visible outcomes, and immediate feedback create momentum and translate into team-ready skills. Projects that mirror workplace reality offer particular value:

• Automating PC routines (e.g., recurring jobs, cleanup, reporting)
• Reading data and generating reports—the basis of many IT decisions
• Coding a simple game—ideal for logic, state, and input/output

Learn this way, and you’ll bring a toolbox to work that has impact from day one.

Soft skills that carry projects across the finish line

Andreas highlights something we don’t hear often enough: projects are marathons, not sprints. Endurance isn’t “nice to have”; it’s central. It shows up in consistent script maintenance, commitment to clean documentation, and the perseverance to question old solutions.

Learning is the only constant. Andreas underscores that you must be ready to let go of the familiar to integrate the new—and then “work it into the company.” That’s personal change management: release, adopt, operationalize.

How breadth, scripting, and soft skills reinforce each other

There’s a pattern embedded in Andreas’ account:

1. Broad basics enable communication across teams and disciplines.
2. Scripting (e.g., PowerShell) converts goals into stable, repeatable operations.
3. Personal projects train the ability to decompose problems and operationalize solutions.
4. Endurance and learning readiness keep the system stable through change and complexity.

That combination creates the quality you feel in a strong Digital Workplace: meetings start reliably, data is available, processes are predictable. It’s the hidden backbone of effective collaboration.

Starter questions to mirror Andreas’ approach

If you want to model your journey on Andreas’ advice, start with these questions:

• Breadth: Do I understand the basics of networks, operating systems, identities, permissions, and collaboration platforms?
• Scripting: Do I master at least one scripting language well enough to deliver a useful automation?
• Projects: What small, realistic project can I complete in the next four weeks (e.g., generate a report, automate a manual routine)?
• Collaboration: What information do adjacent IT teams need from me—and what do I need from them to work smoothly?
• Soft skills: How do I maintain momentum on long-running projects? How do I schedule learning time for new technologies consistently?

These questions turn Andreas’ recommendations into actionable steps.

What we’re taking away from the session

Three core messages stay with us from “Andreas, System Engineer Digital Workplace bei Österreichische Lotterien”:

1. Foundations are leverage. If you understand networks, languages, and system logic, you’ll find robust solutions faster.
2. Automation creates quality. PowerShell, clean configurations, and repeatable jobs are the basis for scale—as when operating “over 60 meeting rooms.”
3. Learning is continuous. Personal projects, openness to change, and the willingness to let go of the familiar are your real career insurance.

Andreas’ path shows what happens when you convert curiosity into structure: HTL, applied university, a master’s thesis, a trainee program—and then daily practice that matters. It’s a call for consistent, craft-oriented excellence: small steps, well executed, with an eye on the whole.

Practical tips inspired by Andreas’ experience

• Start wide: don’t just read—try. Ask yourself: do I understand the basics well enough to explain them to someone else?
• Pick one scripting language and use it: the first one is the hardest; the rest come easier.
• Define a small project with a measurable outcome: for example, a script that automates a recurring office process. Make the result visible—say, through a generated report.
• Document your steps: scripts, parameters, assumptions. It helps you and your team.
• Stick with it: schedule learning time like meetings—block it and treat it as non-negotiable.
• Seek alignment: ask colleagues explicitly what information they need. Clear handovers accelerate delivery.

A reliable, unflashy career plan

Andreas’ story is deliberately low-drama. No hype, no exaggeration. Instead: solid education, guided entry, and steady improvement. That’s precisely why it resonates. A strong Digital Workplace is dependable—configurations are correct, automation is trustworthy, and teams can rely on their tools.

Take that line seriously, and you’ll recognize that success in the Digital Workplace is a process. It starts with a broad foundation, runs through lived automation, and culminates in a culture that doesn’t fear change but implements it with craft. That’s the path Andreas describes—and it’s a path others can follow.

• 

  

  Recommendation Engine

  Patrick von den Österreichischen Lotterien gibt in seinem TechTalk Einblicke in die grundlegenden Hintergedanken bei der Entwicklung der hauseigenen Recommendation Engine.

  Watch now

• 

  

  Martin, Abteilungsleiter Development bei Österreichische Lotterien

  Der Abteilungsleiter Development bei den Österreichischen Lotterien Martin gibt im Interview einen Überblick über die wesentlichen Eckpunkte der selbst organisierten Devteams, wie dort das Recruiting abläuft und mit welchen Technologien gearbeitet wird.

  Watch now

• 

  

  Sylvia, Senior Agile Developer bei Österreichische Lotterien

  Sylvia von den Österreichischen Lotterien spricht im Interview über ihren Anfang mit dem Programmieren in der Schule, was das Besondere an ihrer aktuelle Arbeit ist und gibt Tipps für Neueinsteiger.

  Watch now
• 

  

  Oscar, System Engineer Backup & Storage bei Österreichische Lotterien

  Oscar von den Österreichischen Lotterien spricht im Interview über seinen Weg in der IT bis hin zu seinem aktuellen Job neben dem Studium und gibt Tipps für Beginner.

  Watch now
• 

  

  Philipp, System Engineer Linux bei Österreichische Lotterien

  Philipp von den Österreichischen Lotterien erzählt im Interview über seine Anfänge in der IT, den Arbeitsalltag in seinem Beruf als System Engineer und was seiner Meinung nach für den Einstieg wichtig ist.

  Watch now