Today's Guest: Haifa Fahem
What drives our employees? Where do they come from, what motivates them and what is life actually like at objective partner? Questions upon questions that are answered in our #EmployeeVoices series. It is particularly important to us to capture our employees' voices and tell the world out there what makes us tick as a company.
It's great to have you here Haifa. Let's dive right into your area of expertise. Could you tell us something about your studies? Where and when did you study?
Sure, I have a bachelor's degree in computer science with a focus on computer science and multimedia technology from the University of Gfsa in Tunisia in 2016. I then came to Germany to start my Master's degree in Computer Science and I soon managed that too. IT was a personal challenge for mebut I have always had a great interest in technology.
Then you are at objective partner is the right place for you! You're originally from Tunisia, right? What brought you to Germany?
I came came to Germany in 2017 with a study visa. Then I first completed an intensive nine-month language course in Berlin and then moved to Bonn to continue my studies. I have always been fascinated by the discipline of the Germans. Icould have studied in France because French is my second language, but I wanted to challenge myself and start a new adventure. I also have two brothers who work as Senior Network & Security Engineer and Project Planning Engineer in Germany. Bhey are both German citizens and have encouraged me encouraged me encouraged me to come here because they believe, as I do, that Germany is the right place for women who want a successful career and equal opportunities.
I can imagine that the culture here and your Tunisian roots are very different. How do you experience this in everyday life?
The biggest difference is that I came here without any family or acquaintances. It was a completely new culture and language, which was a big challenge for me at the beginning. However, this has improved over time. Most of my friends and acquaintances here in Germany are German, and that helped me a lot to integrate. I have experienced many funny situations: I once wanted to share some of my food with my neighbor. She asked why I wanted to share my food. That's part of everyday life in Tunisia. When you cook something delicious, you like to share it with your neighbors, who all have contact with each other. In the meantime, this neighbor has become like a mother to me and she tells everyone that I am her adopted daughter. A funny thing about Germans is that they always plan everything. Sometimes it's really complicated to meet up with friends because you have to plan everything at least a week in advance!
You speak really very German very well. How did you manage that?
Thank you very much! Besides my German language course, I have always tried to purely to converse purely in German. I am also lucky enough to have a best German friend with whom I can speak a lot of German. Trying is always better than study, when it comes to languages!
You're right! Tell me, what fascinates you about IT?
We IT people:inside findn solutions to current problems, deal withus with the issues of tomorrow and driveen innovations. The IT industry is a constantly growing and developing field, and that fascinates me. There are always new technologies and challenges to face. Standing still is a foreign concept here.
Yes, we feel that here too. There's always something new! How did you actually come to objective partner?
I was looking for a company where I could develop and learn more. I was particularly interested in a trainee program. This not only gives you practical experience on top of your studies, but also gives you an insightinsight into what your future job might look like. I was also impressed by thethe working culture at objective partner. I was looking for a holocraticholocratic organizationbecause here the ideas of the employees invested. It was simply a great opportunity for me career-wise development.
How was your start with with us? What was the onboarding like?
My start was very pleasant. I was warmly welcomed by my team and received a lot of support and motivation. My colleaguescolleagues always stood by my side when I needed help or advice, and that definitely made it easier for me to get started. definitely easier. Even though a lot of things happen virtually, I never had the feeling that I was alone of being alone.
The IT industry is known to be very male-dominated. Wow do you manage yourself in this environment?
I personally had never the feeling having to assert myself. Mmy gender has so far played noa role in the assessment of my work. playedplayed a role in my work. Our team is very professional and what counts most is how competently I carry out my tasks. I stand up for my opinion anyway and I also stand behind my work 100%.
That's great to hear. What do you like best about objective partners and where do you see potential for improvement?
What I particularly like is the working atmosphere here. There is a motivating energy and there are many opportunities for new colleaguesinside and young people. We are all equal here and what counts most is how good you are at what you do. In terms of potential for improvement, I always see room for continuous development and the exchange of ideas.
What are your main tasks at the moment and what does like typical working day for you?
I spend a lot of time in training and education and work on internal projects in the area of SAP as well as on customer projects. I am also currently completing a training course at YOKOY, a new partner of us. It is a self-learning course in English. We end up being involved in new projects and gaining new customers.
What skills do you think are important to be successful in your role?
Motivation, a willingness to learn and good communication skills are, in my opinion, crucial to success. It is important to be motivated, to always acquire new knowledge and communicate effectively with the team and customers.
Are there certain areas in which you would like to specialize in the future? And wherewhere do you see your professional future?
At the moment I am focusing on further developing my skills and gaining more experience. I am open to new opportunities and want to develop myself in different areas of information technology.ln. I will be busy studying and preparing for my cloud certification over the next week. In September, I will start my first Sales and Distribution (SD) training at SAP. Because my next goal, after the cloud certifications, will be to pass the certification exam in SAP SD. Sales is the area I want to specialize in in the future.
How do you find a balance to your job? Do you do sport or do you have other hobbies?
When it suits, I go at the weekend like to diveen. That's one of my passions. Apart from that I am generally sporty and I go to a bachata dance class once a week. I love going to the theater, so I've been trying to go at least once a month since the beginning of this year because I'm so interested in German culture. The times I went to the theater were comedic plays. Since I live near the Rhine, I like to go on picnics with friends or read a book. And I love all kinds of musical events.
In conclusion: What would you tell other people who want to pursue a career similar to yours?
Be motivated and also ready in your free time to learn. The IT industry is very dynamic and requires constant learning and development. It is important to always stay on the ball and motivate yourself.
Thank you very much for your time Haifa. It is always exciting to meet new colleagues to interview new colleagues.
Thank you too! It was fun for me too, to talk about my experiences.
Stay tuned for our upcoming employee story. After all, they build the foundation of objective partner.
