Training as industrial business manager
My name is Helena, I am 22 and have been with LEONI since September 2021. I am currently in the second year of my training to become an industrial business manager. The department I am currently working in is Logistics. Following my high school diploma, I completed a training course to become a medical assistant. Because the commercial activities in practice, such as billing and the ordering process, were aspects I enjoyed particularly, I decided to embark on a second training course in industrial business management at LEONI to deepen my knowledge of these areas.
What does your typical working day as a trainee look like?
Morning
My working day usually starts between 7 and 7:30 a.m. – I am an early bird and have my energy high in the mornings. I start by getting my workspace ready for the day. We introduced desk sharing in early 2022, which means that we can change where we sit as we like. Then I check my email inbox and respond to some of them, if possible. Good organization is everything: I look at the appointments for the day and discuss my tasks with my team. At the moment, that is the Logistics department: here my main tasks are processing and releasing orders, booking incoming delivery notes and recording packages. Before working in Logistics, I got to know Sales and HR; in the future, I am looking forward to Quality Management, Marketing and Project Controlling.
Lunch break
At 12 noon you can usually find me in the canteen where I meet with other trainees and students for lunch. Here we can chat, switch off and enjoy the delicious food.
Afternoon
After the break it's back to work. Alongside my regular activities I also have tasks in the New Talents Company. This is LEONI's junior company with an average age of about 23 because 100% of the workforce is composed of trainees and students. Our goal is to generate added value for LEONI with a set budget. Examples of added value are promoting the image of LEONI in the region; improving our environmental footprint; and above all, the collaboration with potential future employees, particularly in schools and colleges. At the New Talents Company I am responsible for organizing events and I take charge of organizing and planning all events.
At the end of each day I record everything I have achieved in my report book. If my colleagues don't need my support, I clear my desk and end my work day at 3 p.m., with enough valuable time left for me and my hobbies.
Why did you opt for LEONI as your employer?
I chose LEONI because it is a large, global and above all modern corporation. What I particularly appreciate is the fact that I was fostered and challenged from Day 1 of my training: the ideal preparation for my final exams and the start of my career. During the weekly job training sessions, I have the opportunity to go through the college material once more and ask questions. LEONI also offers all trainees English language classes where I can refresh my English skills – a real added value in a corporation! In all my tasks I have also found contact partners in every department, who will help me if anything is unclear. The feeling that I can rely on this help, that I am not alone and that I can ask for support at any time – for me this is the true core of a family atmosphere, and I greatly appreciate it.
What is the work culture at LEONI like?
The atmosphere in my team is very harmonious, good-tempered, and friendly. I was accepted within the department right from the get-go, people have been really interested in me and I am appreciated as a fully-fledged colleague. You could say that it’s like a small family. My team is very keen to ensure that I am involved in the working day as an equal and that I work on my tasks independently. In general, LEONI values politeness: everywhere you go, people say hi when they meet someone in the corridor, they hold doors open and smile. Of course, the same goes for us trainees, we have lunch together, chat and occasionally meet at our own Stammtisch (regulars’ table).
What has been your best / most exciting moment at LEONI to date?
That was definitely in the HR department. I was invited to join an interview for a new industrial business manager trainee and I felt very excited. What is it like to sit on the other side of the table? What would I like to ask the applicant, how could I get a good conversation going? I was given the opportunity to ask all my questions, to talk about my view of the conversation afterwards and then, together with my colleagues, to come to a decision. This complete change in perspective was really interesting to me, as only a year earlier I sat on the applicant's chair, feeling slightly nervous.
What do you love about your job?
On a human level I have thoroughly enjoyed our collaboration: as colleagues we can only achieve our goals together, we contribute our strengths and support each other in all tasks. On a professional level I really appreciate the fact that I delve deeply into business management contexts as part of my training – and I can see immediately what it looks like in real life situations, which are so varied. I am learning new things all the time and I am given many tasks for which I can take responsibility.
What three words would you use to describe LEONI briefly and succinctly?
- Modern
- Employee-friendly
- Opportunities for the future
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