In my almost five years of doctoral research, I have learned a great deal about how to achieve success as a doctoral candidate. However, I have also explored many paths that were frustrating and lead nowhere.

In this keynote, I want to share my experiences on how to effectively navigate the journey of a software engineering doctoral candidate.

I will touch on the following points:

• How to align research topics, teaching responsibilities, and project work?
• In which constellations can you publish successfully together with colleagues? Which roles complement each other, and where might conflicts arise?
• Where does an iterative approach work best? Where is a top-down strategy better?
• Which writing techniques truly worked for me when compiling research?

Given that each department operates differently and that there is no single correct approach, we will have ample time for discussions.

Elmar studied computer science at Technical University of Munich from 2000 to 2006 and did his PhD there from 2006 to 2011 at the Chair of Software & Systems Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Manfred Broy. His doctoral thesis was honored with the Software Engineering Prize from the Ernst-Denert Foundation, and his publications have been cited more than 3300 times. He is a co-founder of CQSE GmbH, a software company with locations in Freiham (Munich) and Sunnyvale (California), employing 60 staff members, 23 of whom hold a PhD in Software Engineering. In 2015, Elmar was appointed as a Junior Fellow of the Gesellschaft für Informatik.