Nooshin

I became aware of Schunk when I was researching globally successful industrial companies in the region where I live. I immediately liked the job description of the Global Graduate Program and applied via LinkedIn. My expectation was that I would be able to gain a lot of valuable experience in a relatively short time – a kick-start for my future career.

After talking to the company management on the interview day, I was sure that this was the right path for me. I started at Schunk shortly after completing my doctoral thesis. So far, my expectations have been exceeded. I have the opportunity to work on operational and strategic projects that affect the entire value chain of a company – and sometimes several companies. I have led project teams and coordinated external partners in order to bring different perspectives to a project and find solid solutions.

In the last few months, I have worked for Xycarb in the Netherlands, the Schunk service company in Germany, Schunk Carbon Technology in China, and now once again for Xycarb – this time in the US. During all my assignments, I have worked on projects that bring important benefits to the company – and that’s what I enjoy most about the programme.

Working in different companies around the world has helped me to learn about their respective challenges, to better understand the culture, and to exchange ideas with colleagues from the Schunk Group. I particularly like the fact that the projects are flexibly adapted to my personal development as well as the needs of Schunk.

The practical approach to learning helps me to develop both my hard and soft skills. I am quite grateful for the support I am receiving during this development. In every project, I work closely with managers and the managing directors of the respective companies – a great support that also provides a lot of inspiration. At the end of each project, there is an evaluation round with constructive feedback and personalised advice to help us continue to develop.

At regular intervals, all trainees meet at a Schunk Group location for several days and take part in training courses and workshops on important topics that we can use for our future careers. The highlight of the training is the “Meet the Boss” events, where we get the opportunity to meet with one of the company managers of the Schunk Group in a less formal context and discuss various topics.

The Global Graduate Program is designed to provide us with valuable knowledge and skills to help us launch a successful career. I am proud to be part of the programme.