I am an internal project manager at Nordania Leasing. Originally, I was employed to service Swedish customers with operating car leases. I am Swedish but have lived in Denmark for the past 10 years, so I was happy to use my native tongue at work. But my work has changed because these customers are now serviced out of Sweden. Actually, my title (senior customer adviser) is misleading, since I no longer advise customers. These days, I am using new skills and working with different aspects of the organisation and that suits me very well.
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Caroline Haakansson, 31 |
Qualifications: MSc Design & Communication Management, CBS
Job title: Senior customer adviser
Location: Nordania Leasing
Experience: Employed as a customer adviser in the autumn of 2006. Current position since January 2009. |
How to get a grip on invoices
I am managing a project on invoice scanning. When our suppliers invoice us, they send the invoices to their contacts in the various departments and branches. Some of these invoices go astray. We are looking for a solution that ensures that all invoices are scanned and then distributed electronically. My role is to manage the development process. I search the market for possible solutions, and that requires some technical insight. It’s a new angle for me but I am learning a lot.
Women in Progress
I am fairly new to this role as project manager although I have been in charge of small projects earlier. I have just completed an internal development programme, Women in Progress, along with 16 colleagues from the Danish units. The programme runs for more than one year and is offered to female employees with management talent.
We went through an assessment process and took courses in personal clout and negotiating skills. It is good to get to know yourself from a new angle. I knew, of course, that there were a few things I could do better, but I have learned how to focus on the skills I need to improve. Another benefit is getting to know the other people on the course and sharing information with them. My network now spans the Group and that is a major advantage.
I keep the door open
What matters to me is that I am interested in what I am doing and that I look forward to going to work. Some of the points we worked on in Women in Progress are points I would like to use in my future work. I like to have an overview of my work, and I would like to help others develop. I am happy that my managers feel I have potential. But right now my main focus is on absorbing knowledge and keeping all doors open. So I have no career plans that will direct me towards a management position.
Job safety makes room for development
So far, I have been working on projects to develop customer service at Nordania, but my role is not limited and I like that. I like change and I am happy to go along with whatever changes come my way. As long as I feel that I am being challenged and that there is progress, I don’t need specific long-term planning. It doesn’t make me nervous not to know exactly what I will be doing when this project is completed. That probably reflects that I am comfortable and confident about my job. I know that my manager values me and my work and would like to keep me on. That makes it easy to be flexible.