From the classroom to IT: Anđela's career change
Born and raised in Vienna, Anđela moved to Zagreb as a teenager. She has never lost contact with Austria through family and friendships. Since March 2023, she has been working in IT support at STRABAG in Zagreb. The details of her professional journey are best told by herself:
You came to IT at STRABAG from a completely different profession. How did that come about?
Anđela: After my studies, I worked as a German teacher at various schools in the Croatian capital Zagreb. However, these were only substitute positions. My desire to learn something new and find a permanent position with a secure employer motivated me to apply to STRABAG.
What challenges did you face when you changed careers and how did you deal with them?
Anđela: As a career changer, one of the biggest challenges was entering a completely new field. I came from the education sector and had never worked in IT before. But I was motivated and spent a lot of time talking to more experienced colleagues. The most important thing was to be adaptable and willing to learn, regardless of your initial level of knowledge.
Exciting! And how do you bring your experience as a German teacher to your current position?
Anđela: I work at the STRABAG office in Zagreb, but I am in constant contact with colleagues in German-speaking countries. As I speak German every day, my experience as a German teacher helps me a lot.
In addition, my pedagogical skills allow me to impart knowledge in a targeted manner and adapt to different learning styles. This is very helpful when it comes to organizing workshops or training new employees. It is important to me to create an environment in which new team members feel comfortable and motivated, that they understand every step and are involved in the work process.
My experience of working with young people means I have a lot of patience, can communicate clearly and provide targeted support. I use all of this to ensure that new employees are successfully introduced to our team and their future tasks.
How do you handle the integration of new colleagues and what do you focus on?
Anđela: Based on my own onboarding experience, I know the challenges that new employees can face. I try to create an environment in which they can settle in easily.
When integrating new colleagues, I make sure to create a pleasant and supportive atmosphere where they feel free to ask questions and seek help whenever they need it. I try to create a space where there are no "wrong" questions, encourage them to actively participate and connect them with the rest of the team.
When integrating new colleagues, I make sure to create a comfortable and supportive atmosphere where they feel free to ask questions and seek help whenever they need it. I try to create a space where there are no "wrong" questions, encourage them to actively participate and connect them with the rest of the team.
Good point! How would you describe the atmosphere in your team?
Anđela: There is a supportive and positive atmosphere in my team. This creates a great collaboration: we encourage and support each other. Asking for help is not only welcome, but also expected. We are all willing to step in for each other whenever necessary.
What I particularly like is that we are always exchanging knowledge and experiences, which supports our mutual learning and professional development.
What are your other tasks in IT?
Anđela: My tasks are a mix of quality checks, mentoring and administrative tasks. In addition to onboarding new employees, I am responsible for monitoring, analyzing and improving the quality of work of our colleagues in Customer Support. I am also Space Admin for our internal knowledge database and therefore responsible for updating the content.
All in all: What are the benefits of working at STRABAG for you?
Anđela: What is valuable for me, both professionally and personally, is the stability and the opportunity to continuously develop my skills. For STRABAG offers me support and resources to constantly expand my knowledge, especially in the IT area. I also like the fact that STRABAG encourages me to adapt to new technologies. This allows me to keep up with current trends.
One task that is particularly important to me is actively contributing to the onboarding of new employees. This allows me to combine my skills and my passion for working with people and supporting them in their professional development. I have the feeling that this task is closest to my previous job and at the same time it contributes to the positive atmosphere and productivity in our team.
Thank you, Anđela, for the interesting insights into your career change to IT at STRABAG. Much courage and success for your future path!