How did you get to ERICH JAEGER France?
It was a lucky shot. I’ve started five years ago March 2016 replacing someone in Customer Service who was going to maternity leave. The plan was to stay for just one year, no more than that. Because of my language skills, I was taking care of our Spanish and French clients and had to communicate with the head office in English. Then, finally, after one year, Mr. Voisin (my supervisor) wanted me to stay here and to get a promotion.
You started off in Customer Service and then you worked out a way with your supervisor to stay in the company but in a different department?
Yes, exactly, in the Sales Department. I have been working as sales representative for two and a half years. My position in Sales as Key Account Manager (KAM) has been for 9 months now, before that I was doing my master’s here in France for two years.
You did your master’s while working at ERICH JAEGER France. How did you feel supported during this time, especially in busy times, having to manage both studying and working at the same time?
The 1st year, Mr. Voisin and I have agreed on a compromise that I would do all the external work here plus all the work I had in the university. It was a little complicated and Mr. Voisin realized that, so he wanted to support me even more in the second year. He hired someone to do my job and to support me in all the external work that I couldn’t do in my working time. This gave me a lot of free time to really focus on my studies. Honestly, I had 100% support from him all the time. He and Mr. Peyrot, a sales colleague, answered any kind of questions about technical details or about the company. Thanks to them, I was able to reach the level that I’m at today.
They are the people you talk to whenever you have concerns?
Yes. They guide me through the good and the bad times. Even today, I’m starting to get familiarized with the technical side. It’s a niche market and a little bit tricky, and they support me all the time.
Were you able to shift your work schedule when it mattered (during exam periods for example)?
Yes, they were really flexible. For example, the person that was hired in my second year of studying helped me a lot and this was not planned beforehand. It was something that was needed, and it turned out to be helpful.
Did you write your master thesis in the company, supervised by Mr. Voisin or any other colleague? If yes, how did you feel accompanied during this process?
Yes, both Mr. Voisin and Mr. Peyrot supervised and supported me. They gave me new ideas or information that was hard for me to access. My dissertation was about ERICH JAEGER and how we can diversify the future with new products in the field of electric vehicles. Mr. Voisin took the time to go to the university to give feedback about me.
When you started working at ERICH JAEGER France, did you set yourself any kind of goals that you wanted to achieve?
When I started at the customer Service Department my goal was to work at the same level as Mr. Peyrot – in the Sales Department. He is half Mexican half French and I as well wanted to take advantage of the fact that I can speak Spanish, English and French. So my goal to work in sales as a KAM worked out.
How did you experience the on-boarding into the new department and into your new position as KAM and what are your duties?
In 2020 I have been officially introduced as KAM in Friedberg, Germany in a meeting and it was one of the hardest days for me at ERICH JAEGER. I was the youngest and everyone had so much experience. Everyone was there, also the investors, who I had to convince that I am and will be doing a good job. Now, being a KAM means a lot of leading. I have to look for new clients and maintain contact with current clients to provide them the best customer service and to see how we can diversify our products. I am also away a lot which I personally really like.
With regard to leadership activities that came along with your new position, did you have to acquire them by yourself or did your supervisors and colleagues support you with their expertise?
Yes, Mr. Voisin and Mr. Peyrot have a lot of knowledge and they know the market really well. I don’t hesitate to ask them about anything – they got pretty much all the answers. They are my mentors.
Do you have any advice for young professionals who are interested in a career at the JAEGER Group?
Never give up! When I proposed to study and do my master’s degree while working at ERICH JAEGER, Mr. Voisin wasn’t sure at the beginning because the company has never done this before. It was actually me who did the introduction into the university and then I came up with a folder and I proposed the idea. After having thought about it a little bit, he was convinced that bringing a young professional and new, fresh knowledge into the company is a good idea. So, ERICH JAEGER really gives you a lot of opportunities. We have a lot of expertise in what we do and we get really personal in our products.
It’s so nice to hear that you paved the way for future employees. It is great to have these people at ERICH JAEGER!