The Internal Job Change as a new Challenge

Internal applicants have a home advantage over external ones. They know the company, the work processes and customs. Lena Suhrheinrich reports on her lateral entry and the development opportunities at the NOSTA Group.

[Annika Blom] From training to a change in professional direction: Please describe your professional career briefly.

[Lena Suhrheinrich] I started my professional life by completing my training as an office clerk at Martin Oelrich GmbH & Co KG. I was still employed there one year after completing my training, before I changed to a craftsman's business, where I was responsible for all office work, such as the preparation of offers, invoices, orders for materials, booking and payment of invoices. The search for a new professional challenge finally led me to the NOSTA Group.

[AB] Actually, you worked for NOSTA in the Accounting department until September 2019: What was the decisive reason for you to move to the People & Culture department? What made the change of department attractive?

[LS] I found it super interesting to have the opportunity to move to a completely different department within the company. Moreover, the task also sounded very promising.

[AB] How did you initially feel about the career change? Have you encountered challenges?

[LS] In general, I was looking forward to the new tasks, but it was a big change at the beginning, as I had hardly had any contact with the topics of salary and wages in my professional life.

[AB] What support was given to you? (familiarization, training etc.)

[LS] My supervisor Katharina Fricke did a great job training me. But also the whole team welcomed me very well and supported me when I had questions. I was also able to attend training courses and seminars promptly.

[AB] What are your main tasks at present? Do numbers still play a major role in your job?

[LS] My main tasks include all necessary steps to ensure that wages and salaries are accounted for correctly and on time. These include the creation of new employees in our system, master data maintenance, import and recording of work hours, monitoring of absences and execution of monthly reports to the social insurance agencies, creation of remuneration statements and administration of time management. Of course, numbers continue to play a major role in my professional life.

[AB] What do you particularly like about the new area of responsibility and subject matter?

[LS] It is very varied, as not every settlement is handled in the same way, whether it is hourly settlement in the commercial sector, consideration of downtime or special payments. Therefore a careful and conscientious working method as well as specific knowledge is very important.

[AB] What did you learn in the time of change? What would you pass on to future career changers or recommend?

[LS] A new challenge does not always have to have something to do with another company. Moving to another department within the company you are already working for has many advantages. In my case, I already knew some of the new colleagues and was therefore able to integrate myself into the team more quickly. But my knowledge of the structures and culture within the NOSTA Group also made it very easy for me to get started.

[AB] What do you see as the special development potential at the NOSTA Group?

 [LS] Definitely the support of the management and the executives. At the NOSTA Group, even as a career changer, you have the opportunity to move into new areas and thus develop within the company. This only works because everyone is very open to the topic. In addition, it is also very important for the company to support and develop its own employees and to offer new perspectives. I can now reinforce this through my personal development.

back to list