Small actions can have huge impacts...
Karoline was our candidate two years ago. Back then, she applied for a summer job at one of our closest long-term clients in Maastricht to bridge her semester break. Her application opened many doors for personal and professional experiences. Just recently, Karoline moved from Maastricht to Taipei and we met for an interview. This is her story.
Dear Karoline, more than two years ago, you applied at people-s-place for a summer job at Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center in Maastricht. Shortly after, your application turned out to be successful and you started working as Technical Service Representative alongside your studies. What has happened since then and how did this summer job influence your career plans?
My summer job was supposed to last for 10 weeks. After the summer job ended, I was offered the chance to work part-time alongside my studies. Working part-time gave me all the freedom and flexibility I needed to combine the job with my studies. In the end, I had been working at the CAC for more than one and a half years when I received the opportunity to move to Taipei, Taiwan for an internship. Since march, I have been working for Daimler Trucks Asia Taiwan. In addition to doing the internship, I was allowed to write my thesis on Leadership 2020 within Daimler.
Initially, when I applied for the job, I did not even know what I was applying for until I received the invitation for the interview. As I had just started my academic studies, I wasn’t sure where and in what position I wanted to work in the future. Working at Daimler allowed me to get insights into different areas of work across the world. After all, two years ago, I didn’t plan on moving to Taiwan.
What was the most important thing you have learnt at the Daimler group so far?
Being open to opportunities and challenges. This does not only include being open to big opportunities like going abroad, but it also includes taking lots of smaller challenges. What I mean is that you should constantly challenge yourself. For me that meant working across different teams, working alongside my studies, speaking Dutch with clients after just 12 weeks of Dutch lessons and holding presentations in front of a large group of employees and management. In the end, being open to those challenges brought me the possibility of going abroad. You might be a little anxious in the beginning, and think 'What am I doing here?' but in the end, it is all worth it! You grow beyond yourself, learn new things and gain lots of experience.
What are your current plans for the future?
In the short-term, if I were offered the opportunity to stay in Taiwan, I would definitely do so. It is an exciting opportunity and I can learn a lot. If not, I will return to Maastricht, study Information Management and Business Intelligence at Maastricht University, and hopefully, work at the CAC again. In the long-term, I guess I would like to stay in the automotive industry as big changes are happening. Changes like for instance autonomous- and green-driving. However, you never know what the future holds for you. I just try to be open to new challenges.
Dear Karoline, we would like to thank you very much for your time and your answers. We are so happy for you that you are able to live your dream. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours!