Why did you decide to train as an industrial clerk?
I already enjoyed the subject of economics and learning foreign languages at secondary school very much. As I afterwards changed to the vocational high school with focus on economics, I had subjects such as business administration, accounting, controlling, macroeconomics and marketing, which I was very interested in. Then, I decided to train as an industrial clerk, as this is where you first have the opportunity to get an overview about all the commercial departments and thus acquire a broad knowledge. In addition, you can put the theory from vocational school into practice right away and above all, you can gain a lot of practical experience in different departments.
Are special previous knowledge and skills necessary for this profession?
Not necessarily. However, a good secondary school qualification or A-levels is required. In the vocational school, the necessary knowledge is imparted very well and there is always a contact person available with advice and support. If there is something you didn't understand at school, there is also the possibility to get internal lessons in the company on request. From a practical point of view, you don't need any previous knowledge either, because the devise "Practice makes perfect" applies there. The more often you work with programs and are confronted with business procedures and processes, the better and faster you can complete the tasks. The only important thing is that you should be interested in business processes and have no problem by using the telephone!
Why did you choose ONEJOON as your employer?
At that time, I applied for jobs at several medium-sized and large companies, went through many tests, interviews and assessment centres and afterwards I received several acceptances. At ONEJOON, however, I immediately felt very comfortable at the job interview, as they were not only interested in my qualifications, but above all in my person. Furthermore, I thought the project business could be very interesting, as every day is individual and you have a lot of variety as well.
What do you particularly like about training at ONEJOON?
I particularly like the fact that every day is different. By constantly changing departments, you get an insight into all commercial departments of the company and can thus acquire a wide range of knowledge. In addition, we only handle project business, as each furnace is a one-off production, which is manufactured on the basis of customer requirements. As an apprentice, you will also be heavily involved in the day-to-day business, which means that you can already take on a lot of responsibility by yourself. It should also be mentioned that after a short training period in the respective department, you can work very independently and contribute your ideas. What particularly stands out at ONEJOON is the friendly manner and the helpfulness among each other.
Which departments do you visit during your training?
All commercial departments, i. e. sales, project management, order processing (domestic and export), warehouse/logistics, marketing/media design, service, controlling, financial accounting, human resources, MDMS (work preparation), quality management and assurance and purchasing. In addition, ONEJOON has its own research and development department, the so-called Test Center, where you can also have a look if you would like to. However, the assignment plan can be flexibly arranged and adapted at any time according to the trainee's interests.
What does your typical working day look like and what are the working hours?
There is no typical working day in this training occupation. As you change departments every few months, the tasks change accordingly, because every day is individual. ONEJOON works in the project business, so every order is customised and every project is different. But the first thing I do every morning is to check my mails to see what I have to do for the day. As working time model we have the so-called "flexitime", so you can arrange your working day very flexible. According to this model, you have to start working between 6 and 9 o'clock and then work 8 hours from Monday to Thursday and 6 hours on Friday. The only important thing is that you have to be present during core working hours from 9 to 15 o'clock except friday.
How is the cooperation with trainers and colleagues?
The cooperation is very collegial. If you don't understand something or need support, you are always helped immediately. Generally, a lot of work is done in project teams so that there is a great deal of cohesion. If you don't always get everything right immediately or if you don't know something, you are shown a lot of understanding and work together on a solution.
How is the teaching at the vocational school organized and what knowledge is taught there?
Vocational school instruction takes place in block instruction, i. e. you usually have 6 school blocks, each of that is about 6-8 weeks long. These blocks are divided over the 3 years. I personally like this system very much, because you can concentrate fully on school during the block and don't have to do homework or study for exams in the evening after work. At school we have learning fields in the areas of procurement, stockpiling, controlling, marketing, accounting, service, human resources, macroeconomics, quality management etc. but also general education lessons, such as politics and english.
Which programs do you work with in your company?
In most departments we work with our enterprise resource planning system SAP. However, as I am constantly changing departments, the programs also change. In MDMS, for example, I worked with Team Center, in purchasing with the Supplier Relationship Management System, in sales with the Customer Relationship Management System and in marketing with various Content Management Systems as well as a lot with Adobe and in every department of course with the Office programs Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc.
What career opportunities do you have after the training?
After my apprenticeship a lot of doors are open to me, as I am fundamentally familiar with all commercial areas of an industrial company. This means that I can be assigned to any commercial department or specialise even further by taking up a course of study, for example in business administration.
