Learning and working in a large company with family atmosphere

Even before my training as an IT specialist for system integration, I had contact with INP Germany. At that time, I already knew exactly which direction my career should take, so I did an internship in the IT department. I liked it so much that I did another one the following year and then started my apprenticeship.

I can still remember the first day when Rebecca (then a new trainee for office management) and I took a tour of the company and were introduced as new colleagues. Fortunately, I already knew a few familiar faces because of my internships.

In my daily work, I have a lot of contact with colleagues from other departments. As soon as there are technical problems, whether with the PC or cell phone, I'm there to help. Colleagues from other branches also call us in the IT department, for example if the technology isn't running properly. In addition, new employees receive a detailed introduction to the programs, the guidelines and the handling of technical equipment.

I was taught everything important during my training. From upgrading a server to support via remote maintenance. If I ever get stuck on a problem myself, it's discussed in the team and solutions are found together. The IT department also takes care of the procurement of new equipment such as laptops, monitors and hard drives. During my training, I also got to know the commercial side of things. Our colleagues are always equipped with the best possible materials and techniques, but we also keep an eye on the price-performance ratio.

During my apprenticeship, I was already allowed to take on project tasks, such as the introduction of a new ERP system, which is needed for time recording and project management. I thought it was great to be able to take on responsibility myself as a trainee, because new tasks awaited me every day.

In the meantime, I have completed my apprenticeship and have been working at INP for 6 years.

My last major project, for which I had sole responsibility, was the introduction of SharePoint, a web application for managing projects, coordinating tasks and as a platform for social networks.

Thanks to the extensive and fast growth of INP, there are always new projects to dive into with passion.

This is also what fascinates me about my work every day.
 

My name is Rebecca Brecht and since August 2017 I have been training as a business administrator in office management at INP.

For me, it was not always clear that I wanted to learn a profession in an office setting.
Before I started at INP, I had successfully completed my training as a sports and fitness specialist in the health workshop in Dudenhofen. I liked it there because I got along really well with my colleagues, the team gave me a lot of support in the sport and in every other respect and I learned a lot.

I also enjoyed working with the customers, but soon thereafter I realized that I did not want to become a fitness trainer. Fortunately for me, the training was wide-ranging and included many other elements. For example, some of my classmates in the vocational school were mostly focused on the main training area and actually only worked with training programs for members. I spent more time at the front desk/counter or in the office, because I thought it was more fun.

Since the health workshop is also connected to a physiotherapy practice, I was able to assist in scheduling, rescheduling and billing. However, I often had to work on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (sometimes also late shifts), which I did not particularly like.
All in all, it was clear to me that I would rather take a job in an office. Therefore, I started looking for a suitable training place.

People sometimes ask me how I stumbled upon INP: Since my father works in the building opposite of INP and I live in Berghausen, I’ve known about the company for some time. However, I didn’t know exactly what the company does. So I informed myself and applied for an apprenticeship.

During the job interview with Mrs. Jester and Mr. Kauther, I also gained more insight into what INP does and what my apprenticeship would look like. This made INP even more interesting to me. After being shortlisted, I had a second job interview and was finally lucky enough to be accepted as an apprentice.

On my first day of training, Kevin, the other "new" apprentice, and I received a tour around the premises and were introduced to the employees. We received a very warm welcome.
Since August 01, 2017, I have been working in the department of business services in the invoice receipt section. I was also almost immediately assigned some of my own tasks.
For example, I am handling part of the time recording in our ERP system. I keep an eye on the employee's time accounts, process absence reports and enter time sheets. In addition, I am responsible for the processing of vacation requests. I help enter the incoming invoices and handle the filing of documents and contracts. Furthermore, it’s also my job to look after the office supplies, in other words ordering them, managing them and passing them out to the employees. I also furnish new workstations with everything necessary.

Thanks to my colleagues, I feel very comfortable in my current department and see INP as an opportunity to improve myself in many areas. For example, I was already allowed to attend a seminar on wages. Two more seminar days are already planned.

In May, I moved to the department of Mechanical Engineering and Welding and am pleased to gain further insights and experiences there and in whatever comes next.

(Note: Rebecca Brecht has since completed her training and is now a permanent part of the INP accounting team, she is studying to become a financial accountant).