Mikron People

"I was really pleased with Mikron's generosity and full support during my period abroad."

I've been a trainee office manager at Mikron GmbH Rottweil for almost a year now. Even though I was only in the first year of my apprenticeship, my training organization made it possible for me to spend four weeks in London. The language course and the company internship were organized by the vocational college and funded by the Erasmus+ vocational training program. Mikron's support enabled me to successfully complete my stay in London under the Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act, which meant that my training was not interrupted and I could continue to receive my training salary. Mikron also paid for the travel costs. In London I was fortunate enough to find accommodation with a very friendly and open-minded family who live in the center of Bromley. During the first week we improved our English skills in an intensive language course in Greenwich, where I met students from many different countries. In the afternoon I visited markets and famous sights around London with other international trainees from Germany. I completed the internship at "iam immigration and migration", a company which operates internationally. The first week wasn't easy for me-I had to try out a lot of things and learn a lot by myself. In the last two weeks I was able to produce social media videos and animations for advertising purposes and also design a website, which was a lot of fun. I would definitely and wholeheartedly recommend the international internship. Anyone who is given a chance like this should take it because it broadens your horizons, improves your language skills and increases your self-confidence when you're left on your own in a foreign country.

“I’ve been traveling my entire working life and can’t imagine cutting back one day.”

A point and show dictionary is actually very useful when you’re in China and can’t read Chinese characters. So when I was in a restaurant in China once, I pointed to the picture of a pig’s head to indicate that I wanted to order a piece of pork. But I didn’t expect the waiter to take my request literally. He actually served me a complete cooked pig’s head. I spend a good six months of each year abroad, servicing, repairing and assembling machines across the globe. I usually travel out to the airport on Friday evening. Since I always take a tool case with me, I have to check in early and go through a special security procedure. If I’m flying to China, I get there about 24 hours later on Saturday evening, which gives me Sunday to briefly recover before I start work on Monday morning. I’ve been traveling my entire working life and can’t imagine cutting back one day. I have to say, though, that long-haul flights are grueling, being cooped up in an aircraft with very little space for several hours. I’m always happy to get back to Berlin after weeks away on long trips. On these occasions I usually take a few days off to spend some time with my partner.

“Looking back, wanting a change and moving to Denver was an excellent decision.”

Up to three years ago, my entire life revolved around my place of birth, Bevaix near Boudry. I started to feel the need for a change and wanted to see something of the world. In May 2011, I finally ventured to make the move to the US, Denver to be precise. The first days in Denver were extremely exciting, but stressful too. I spent hours in endless queues to get my social security number, my driver’s license and my bank account. I had to find an apartment fast and struggled to get by with my halting English. After the initial few tough days, I quickly settled in. That was mainly because I joined a number of meet-up groups shortly after my arrival. What I did was to register on a website for group leisure activities such as sport, cooking and debating. Within a very short space of time, I soon got to know a lot of people, including my girlfriend. Today, three years later, I am married to Jennifer and we are the proud parents of a one-year-old son, Elliot. We are blissfully happy. Looking back, wanting a change and moving to Denver was an excellent decision.

"You never know exactly how a meeting with a customer will turn out..”

My traveling office consists of a laptop and a mobile phone, and I always have them with me. Up to 80 percent of my working time is spent on the go. I visit Mikron customers throughout China, presenting offers, discussing ongoing projects, clearing up questions and evaluating potential follow- up orders. I take up to 90 flights each year. I travel in the morning, see the customer in the afternoon, and talk to my colleagues in Europe on the phone in the evening. I plan all my trips myself. In the more than ten years that I have been living and working in China, I have learned to be extremely flexible. You never know exactly how a meeting with a customer will turn out. You may well have to wait two to three hours for the customer to show up. Then quite out of the blue, he might invite you to dinner and fix a new meeting for the next day. That’s why I never book a return flight. China is a huge, fast-developing country. It is full of contrasts, with people living in vastly differing circumstances. I find that fascinating and it motivates me to continually discover new places and people. But there is no denying that it sometimes cuts into my private life, which is why it’s all the more important for me to spend as much of my free time as possible with my partner. Then we sometimes go for a walk in Beijing’s huge parks – without the laptop.

“My most favorite part of traveling is meeting all the great people from our global team.”

Over the last 2 years, I have been traveling frequently to Shanghai and Singapore to oversee the finance, controlling and administration functions for Mikron Asia. I usually travel once every three weeks and stay between 7 – 10 days. When I get the time, I also go to Argentina to visit my friends and family. One of my favorite aspects about traveling is waking up in a new place and living the local customs and traditions. While traveling can be exciting, dealing with flight delays can be tough. I recommend not stressing about the downtime and instead taking advantage of airports have to offer. For me I now know many great places to get a manicure or have a nice dinner. While enjoying local culture is one of the benefits of international travel, staying connected to home is also important. I always try to exercise while I am on the road and always take the time to talk with my family. My most favorite part of traveling is meeting all the great people from our global team. Because of my travel, I know that these people are just like me: dedicated, passionate and committed to Mikron’s success.