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In our NORMAPeople series, employees around the world talk about their day-to-day work, how they came to the company and what they appreciate most about their jobs.
In this interview, Adrian Goliqi, an apprentice in the ICT department, talks about his daily work routine and why he decided to do an apprenticeship with the company after his one-year internship.
Adrian, how long have you been working at NORMA Group?
I completed a one-year internship at the company four years ago and then started my apprenticeship after graduating from high school.
How was the application process for the one-year internship?
The internship was recommended to me by a former apprentice from the ICT department here at the site. I applied on my own initiative and was then invited for an interview. The interview was successful and I was able to start the internship.
What kind of tasks did you have as an intern?
At the beginning, I was given a tour of the plant and had the opportunity to become familiar with the various departments.
“I was a little surprised that the ICT department works so closely with production.”
Back then, I started working in Field Service, where I continue to work today. We are responsible for the entire site in Maintal, and most of the time we work on site with our colleagues.
One of my tasks was to provide support in processing employee inquiries. Our ticket system at the time had too few functions, which made it difficult to keep track of user inquiries and we were sometimes unable to respond to them within a reasonable timeframe. Today, we have a sophisticated ticketing system that makes the process much easier for us.
How did you progress from being an intern to becoming an apprentice?
After graduating from high school, I saw that there was a vacancy for an apprenticeship in IT and I decided to apply for it. I had another interview with the HR department and my supervisor, and after that I was offered the position and was able to start my apprenticeship.
Can you describe your apprenticeship for us?
Well, I have three days of school every other week. The rest of the time I work on site in Maintal.
“It’s not always easy to juggle school and work and being able to organize your time is extremely important.”
What does your workday look like?
We have a meeting every other day to discuss the kinds of issues we are facing. When employees submit a request, it first goes to the service desk and, if it falls within our subject area, it is added to our waiting list. Anyone on the team can retrieve it. When we discuss the tickets together, it makes it possible for us to find solutions and provide assistance more quickly. The feedback we receive from users helps us to develop the ticket system to make it more user-friendly.
A recurring theme is the replacement of old equipment with newer ones. When it comes to the old devices, I delete the existing data, document this process and prepare the device for resale.
Expanding the implementation of NEMO D365 in our company is also one of our key topics: We prepare all the equipment, including terminals, hand-held scanners, printers and the machines in the factory in order to ensure that the transition goes smoothly.
There are also special topics such as the high-bay warehouse. We are responsible for ensuring that the technical framework is fully-functional.
“I really feel like a full-fledged member of the team.”
I am not given boring tasks such as making coffee and sorting stock. But at the same time, I’m never put under pressure and I even get to manage my own project: We are currently in the process of modernizing our network. We’re replacing the network switches with new devices. It’s a long and drawn-out process that I work on every day.
Why did you decide to do an apprenticeship at NORMA Group after completing your internship?
I had the choice between a dual study program and the apprenticeship. In the end, I opted for the apprenticeship because I felt that practical work experience would be better for me. My internship gave me the opportunity to become acquainted with the working environment, my colleagues and the various tasks. It all convinced me to do the apprenticeship at NORMA Group.
What do you like most about the apprenticeship?
The working environment is really familiar.
“People work here who have been with the company for a very long time and have managed to acquire a lot of knowledge about their field of work and about how the company operates.”
I find that very exciting. It’s also really nice to see how grateful my colleagues are when we’re able to resolve their technical issues.
What advice would you give to someone considering an internship or apprenticeship in your department?
I would advise anyone to jump at the opportunity. There’s an incredible amount of knowledge here – combining old and new systems, you learn everything there is to know about IT. You also get to take part in the ongoing development and really be part of the team.
