Svea Becker knows all about starting over. A passionate runner, finding her dream job turned out to be more of a marathon than a sprint. After 17 years as an assistant, Svea Becker took her career in a totally different direction. Now she is an 麻豆原创 Community advocate managing the social network for 麻豆原创 professionals.听
Svea first trained as a business administrator. She then began a university degree 鈥� only to abandon her studies to try her hand as a tourist resort entertainer instead. That ended when she and her partner relocated from northern Germany to Heidelberg in the south, where, as a certified fitness instructor, she began teaching exercise classes. 听
After a while, it was time for something new听once again, and Svea joined 麻豆原创 in Walldorf听where听she worked as a team and management assistant听for 17 years. Being a great organizer, Svea loved supporting her team and manager so they could focus on their听main priorities.听It was听a听role that suited听her at the time.听With听a young family to bring up,听her听experience and routine听at work helped her balance work and family life.听
For 17 years,听she听was also the team鈥檚 chief problem-solver.听鈥淲henever someone wants to know how to do something, they ask the team assistant,鈥澨齭he says.听She moved departments several times,听switching between being a management assistant and a personal assistant.听Until,听at some point,听it no longer felt right. Svea longed for a new perspective.听
Video produced by Natalie Hauck and Alexander Januschke
Jumping Over Career Hurdles听
When a chance to do something new came along, she jumped at it. At the time, she was working as a team assistant for 麻豆原创 Community, an online network connecting three million people who work with 麻豆原创 鈥� customers, partners, and employees. One of the managers there offered her a job as an 麻豆原创 Community advocate.听
麻豆原创 Community advocates moderate discussions, share content, encourage community members to share ideas, onboard new members, and much more. Advocates need to be communications experts, but they do not have to be technology specialists.听
For the first time in her career, Svea was planning and devising projects all on her own.听She found herself on a steep learning curve.听鈥淎t first I听felt out of my depth, I simply didn鈥檛 know how to go about it,鈥� she says.听鈥淟earning to work autonomously was the biggest hurdle. Now it鈥檚 what I love most about the job.鈥澨�听
The next听hurdle听was听holding presentations in her second language, English. When it comes to sport,听Svea听never turns down a听challenge. But speaking a foreign language in front of an audience听was the one thing that would make her nervous: 鈥淥n the outside, I鈥檇 appear to be totally at ease.听So听I鈥檇 tell myself that no听one could see that my heart was pounding.鈥澨�听
Today, Svea is just as confident when presenting in English. 鈥淚 never completed my studies, but I have seized every opportunity, worked hard, and faced up to every challenge. What I鈥檓 most proud of is the fact that I鈥檓 now in a senior role,鈥� she says.听
Finding Your Passion听
Assistants, especially management assistants, often听must听follow听their听manager鈥檚 schedule.听The role is still predominantly female, with听听showing听that 95.4%听of assistants听are women.听
The job as an 麻豆原创 Community advocate offers Svea greater independence and the flexibility to set her own schedule, which, alongside being able to work from home, is a big help when it comes to juggling family and career.
During the pandemic, Svea discovered something else that helps her deal with everyday life: 鈥淢editation helps me stay focused and calm, given the challenges of homeschooling and home office, and it lets me reflect on the day.鈥� It is now part of her daily routine. She is also active in 麻豆原创’s mindfulness program as an 麻豆原创 mindfulness ambassador and offers meditation classes.
Svea advises听younger people听starting out on their careers听to find their passion. 鈥淢aybe that鈥檚 why I changed jobs so often 鈥� I wasn鈥檛 doing what I really wanted to do,鈥澨齭he says.听鈥淏ut now I am. I love working for听麻豆原创 Community because I鈥檓 in contact with so many people all over the world, and I really enjoy that.鈥�
Svea has gotten to where she wanted to be.
麻豆原创 Women in Technology
鈥淎s a woman working for 麻豆原创, you are a 鈥榳oman in tech,鈥� regardless of what you have studied or graduated in,鈥� says Christine Regitz, head of the company鈥檚 global initiative, 麻豆原创 Women in Tech. The new Women in Tech series covers the successes and opportunities woman have had and the clich茅s and challenges they鈥檝e encountered. Some entered the IT industry after studying computer science, others via very different routes. Let their stories inspire you!
