In 2011, I got to know UNITY through my membership in a student consultancy at a workshop. Only a short time later, I joined UNITY as a working student. Since then, many years have passed in which I was able to work as an intern, bachelor's and master's student at various project locations in Germany and abroad.
Now, as a business unit manager at the Stuttgart location, I primarily support customers in the automotive industry in the areas of process management and organizational development. UNITY offers me the opportunity to continuously develop myself through challenging customer projects as well as to get involved internally. For example, I am now responsible for organizing workshops with student consultants and sharing my own experiences with the students.
In 2015, I was faced with the question of whether I would like to go to China for UNITY at the end of my studies to help expand the location in Shanghai. The answer was quickly clear to me: YES! So I set off east at the beginning of 2016. Once there, I was initially overwhelmed by the size of Shanghai, but equally amazed by the huge cultural differences. It took me a few days to get used to the language barriers and Chinese culture. My local UNITY colleagues in particular made it easier for me to settle in, as they supported me from the very beginning with all my questions and major and minor problems in everyday life. In daily business, communicating in English was not a problem, whereas this was much more difficult outside of the office. Over time, however, I picked up all kinds of Chinese expressions, such as the phrase: “I would like to eat noodles, but please not spicy and to take away” 😉 Otherwise, communication with hands and feet worked really well.
My working day was very similar to that in Germany. I started at around 08:30 and finished at around 19:00. Depending on where my customer was based, I had different arrival times. Even on domestic flights in China, these varied greatly due to the five (!) time zones. During my time in China, I had the opportunity to work on different projects. I remember various process and organizational development topics in Shanghai and Shenzhen as well as an audit project in Souzou. I also took part in various acquisitions and networking events throughout China. For me, fresh out of university at the time, this was an incredible experience and opportunity for further development.
In addition to the many impressions at work, the weekends were of course always characterized by great anticipation. As family is very important in Chinese culture, most Chinese people spend their time with their families. An absolute highlight was the invitation from a Chinese UNITY colleague. When I arrived at her home, I was welcomed by her family with great openness and fascination towards Western culture. Of course, we also ate all kinds of delicacies that Chinese cuisine has to offer. Shanghai has a lively nightlife at the weekends. From rooftop bars and Irish pubs to chic clubs, everything is available. Thanks to the broad, international crowd, I quickly made friends with whom I could hit the clubs at night and go sightseeing during the day. My stay abroad was great fun, gave me new impressions and introduced me to a culture that is very different from Western culture. Whizzing around Shanghai on a scooter, working with Chinese professionals but also being part of a Chinese family are lasting memories. Looking back, I can say that my decision to go to China with UNITY was a great opportunity for me to develop my professional and intercultural skills.
Now, three years later, I look back with a broad grin and have fond memories of my time in the Land of Smiles, where I enjoy spending time in nature and especially in the mountains. This is mainly due to my biggest hobby, paragliding. Fortunately, I share this passion with my boyfriend, so we are always drawn to the Alps or the Black Forest at weekends. The next big adventure is already planned: We are going to take our paragliders to the Himalayas in the fall and fly along the eight-thousanders there.
Location: Stuttgart
Field: Process Management & Organizational Development
Position: Business Area Lead (on parental leave)
