The project management portfolio within Internal Consulting made it easy for me to know that I wanted to start my career at Outokumpu VDM after graduating from University.
The industrial internships I completed as part of my studies made me realise that I wanted to work in project management in a manufacturing company. Placements in various major German groups within their Strategy & Development, R&D, Manufacturing and Project Management provided me with a sound basis to start my professional career.
Already during my studies I was interested in the bigger picture within a corporation and I liked getting involved in diverse projects in the production, in strategy and planning, or business administration. I have always been attracted by the career opportunities a large Group, such as Outokumpu, has to offer. This is very important to me.
Starting on the Graduate Programme then provided me with the opportunity to further my skills gained at University through practice-oriented training. However, training and workshops are not the only element of support during the Programme. Another significant element is the extensive dialogue with the management and colleagues, i.e. the sharing of knowledge and experiences. The expectation on their side of course is to meet motivated and target oriented graduates.
I was able to take responsibility for projects right at the start in the Graduate Programme, which was the basis for a smooth transition into my current role as Project Manager. In my role it is important to be able to grasp a topic quickly and to identify correlations, interfaces as well as areas for improvement. Paired with a desire for change or the creation of something new those abilities are the essentials of my day-to-day work. Another important and interesting factor is the close working-together with others in various different functions and positions.
Now, as a Project Manager within Internal Consulting I look back to the interesting and challenging start to my professional career as a Graduate at Outokumpu VDM. Because I was involved in challenging projects right from the start I was able to gain an overview of many different subjects within the Group. My time as Graduate Trainee left me well prepared for my current role and the level of responsibility that comes with it.
