Let your job be your passion!

This call came during the “Job Presentation”, organized and coordinated by Henning Ebke, intern in the Employer Branding team. Taking the stage to talk to the more than 90 Interns present, Kathrin Menges, Executive Vice President Human Resources, expressed her pleasure to be able to talk to the future workforce of Henkel. In her opening statement, she entreated all present not to search for a standardized recipe for a successful career, because each career path is individual and unique.

Drawing clear examples from the career path which led her to the management position she occupies today, Menges relayed detailed information about the evolution of her career, her job, her decisions and the significant events which propelled her career into higher heights. “I started as a teacher in East Germany, looking back at all that has happened in my life, and career so far, I never imagined I would one day be in this position. But I truly believe that making the right decisions at the right time and having a leader who believed in me and gave me guidance, helped in furthering my career,” she also intimated.

She further invited the interns not to regard her career path as the ideal one, but to draw lessons from it and from their corporate environment. She advised them to be open and proactive about new tasks, to be daring and seize opportunities as soon as they present themselves, to apply for vacancies, to be passionate and show conviction about their jobs and also seek for new opportunities if they are not happy with their current positions.

During the question-and-answer session that ensued, the interns voiced their queries on a variety of subjects ranging from the manager’s working hours and individual leadership formula, the challenges she faces as a leader and within the HR department, the role of women in a male-dominated society, through to individual questions pertaining to employment at Henkel. Delving into each question, Kathrin Menges revealed that Henkel’s talent management processes are very effective. However, there are issues that need to be revisited in order to further attract, develop and retain talents: And these include diversity, internationality, age, efficient leadership, and unconscious societal biases about working mothers and the role of women within the family.

“This has been a rather informative session for me, and it is truly commendable that she actually took time out of her busy schedule to come talk to interns,” declared Avinash Madhavan, intern in the Purchasing department. The day ended with light refreshments and a networking round for all participants.