New worlds

Somehow it feels crazy to be writing this blog entry right now. Just one year ago I was in the middle of the application process myself. ProTeam was the first application after my studies and I had absolutely no clue about my chances to get this job. Was my CV interesting for Lufthansa? Even though I had close to zero experience in a business environment? – I decided to ignore these doubts and concentrated on answering the question why this announcement had appealed to me that much. ProTeam seemed like the perfect place for…

  • …curious people: a place where curiosity is seen as a big strength and not as something adults should have grown out of.
  • …ambitious people: ProTeam seemed to provide so many chances to develop.
  • …social people: I was really drawn by the word TEAM in ProTeam.
  • …real people: It seemed like Lufthansa did not only want to get to know the “business face” of the applicants but all of their facets.

So in case you should also be wondering whether you are a good fit for the program, you might as well turn round the question: Why is this program a good fit for you?

Looking back at my first months with Lufthansa, ProTeam has definitely come up to my expectations and I would apply again today. After the so (!) exciting “Umlauf”-weeks, I started my first project with Lufthansa Cargo in the department for Lean Management. My department deals with optimizing processes of Lufthansa Cargo to further increase their efficiency. As I studied psychology, the world of freight and logistics is completely new to me. This is one of the big assets of ProTeam. It leads you to places you never knew before. The following pictures show me embracing this new world :).

During my current project, I was involved in a comparative evaluation of two different loading strategies in the Cargo Center
During my current project, I was involved in a comparative evaluation of two different loading strategies in the Cargo Center.
You never stop learning new things as a ProTeamer!
You never stop learning new things as a ProTeamer!

…Most of my time I spend in the office though ;). I am involved in the implementation of Lufthansa Cargo’s cost reduction program C40. We are redesigning processes, redefining roles of employees. This week I moderated a workshop at the Hub in Munich. In this workshop we defined requirements for a new IT feature within the handling process. What I really like about my current department is that it serves as a very interesting interface between operations and management. I also learn a lot about driving change here, e.g. how important it is to involve employees in the change process from the beginning. Thus, within this new world of freight and logistics, my discipline does prove itself beneficial.

Finding yourself in a completely new world is fun… and also a big challenge. You occasionally come across people who do not see why you are there. When this happens to me, I always answer their questions (e.g. “What does psychology have to do with logistics?”) and I explain the concept behind ProTeam. I know why I am here and I think it is very important to always keep that in mind.

A couple of years ago, I could not have applied for ProTeam with my study background. The same holds true for many of my ProTeam colleagues. I think it was a smart decision to open up for academics from different backgrounds, not only out of egoistic reasons 😉 – I strongly believe that diversity makes a company more flexible, more fun and in the end more successful.