How has your career progressed so far?
After my vocational baccalaureate and a voluntary social year, I started my apprenticeship as an office management assistant here at ECON TEL and successfully completed it in 2023.
I then worked in project administration for a year and took over responsibility for the LinkedIn project about three months ago.
Now you are a junior project manager. How did this career leap come about?
This came about because, after a year in project administration, I expressed a desire to learn something new. I then went to Thomas (note: Chief Operating Officer) and asked him what opportunities there might be.
It was a good fit that I took on the LinkedIn project. I was trained by a lovely colleague and have now been working on it for three months.
What motivated you to take on this leadership role?
I was motivated by the fact that I like to keep learning and developing. I was aware from the start that I didn't want to stay in project administration permanently, but that I wanted to learn something new.
I think it should go without saying that you always want to develop professionally and personally.
What are your tasks and what does your working day look like?
At the moment, I'm still working part-time in project administration. There I create project books and develop presentations, for example together with the trainees. I'm also responsible for managing profiles on LinkedIn. Among other things, I have customer contact, for example through joint customer meetings with the project managers of the respective projects.
My area of responsibility actually covers everything to do with LinkedIn: from looking after our own profiles and customer profiles to answering messages and all organisational administration.
What are you particularly interested in and what do you enjoy most?
I am particularly interested in helping our customers move forward. The additional channel via LinkedIn gives us another way of acquiring new customers or targeting existing customers alongside telephony. So there's a lot there that I find interesting. I really enjoy the customer contact, which is also part of my job.
In addition, we are constantly working on optimising the software in order to develop it further.
What tips would you give young career starters?
I believe that first and foremost you should find something that you enjoy. If you feel good about it and are genuinely interested in it, it's like a hobby: as soon as you're enthusiastic about it, it's fun and you can remember a lot of things more easily. If you are also committed, anyone can make a career leap - regardless of age.
Have you already had a major career challenge?
I think the final exam in particular played a major role. It's quite normal that the final exam is an important stage in life.
Were there any mentors to help you on your young career path?
Yes, of course my trainer Laura. That's clear: she accompanied me for three years during my training and was a very good supervisor for me.
Also the project managers, for example. So, if you're committed and it comes across the way you want it to and you get positive feedback, for example, but also some criticism. Then you can develop further and then you also have the motivation, I'd say, to keep going.
What training opportunities do you use?
In any case, ECON TEL has set up a 12-month-plan in which I receive and take part in internal and external seminars and coaching sessions. I think it's cool that I'm being given this opportunity.
I'm also doing the business administration course myself from March and of course I hope that I can take a lot with me and that I can use what I've learnt in my work at ECON TEL.
.jpeg)
