Denise, 28 years old, Norwegian
Education: Has a double degree from CBS in Business and Development Studies and CEMS Master in International Management
Experience: International student with exchanges from Canada, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
What rotation is he/she on (function and location): Sales in Denmark.
How did you end up at the Hilti Graduate Programme?
I didn’t know what I wanted to do after my studies, but I’ve always known that career was extremely important to me. Thus, a graduate programme where I’m able to test different functions in different regions across different markets was very attractive to me. Hilti’s graduate programme offers individual career building based on, not only your strengths and weaknesses, but tailor-made to your high ambitions.
What attracted you to Hilti as an employer?
In the construction industry Hilti is a market leader in circularity, which is a topic close to my heart. In addition to this, Hilti has for several years been awarded among the best workplaces in Denmark, and this year was chosen as the best workplace for women in Denmark! Thus far, my work environment has exceeded all expectations. Even though my career is very important to me, the journey on which I achieve my goals is equally as important. This is why Hilti was my top choice in both being able to drive change in the world, but also as a place to achieve my personal goals.
What has been the highlight of being a graduate at Hilti so far?
Hilti’s onboarding programme is throughout and includes two one-week trips to HQ in Manchester. Hotel and food are paid, and I cannot say that a week in Manchester with my fellow trainees, while learning about tools, AND getting paid for it, has been a bad experience. While in Manchester, we learned about strategic processes, built friendships, and get hands-on experience with tools. This has truly been a highlight for me thus far and the learnings I’ve gained has also proven to be very relevant in my day-to-day life in Denmark. This makes me feel competent and ready for challenges in my everyday job.
What has surprised you the most about working at Hilti?
What has surprised me the most about Hilti is how individual everyone’s career paths are being build. This is not unique to the outperformer programme but can be seen across all functions and all roles in Hilti. Everyone from the store clerks to the regional manager gets the same opportunities for growth and development.
Biggest challenge as a graduate so far?
To adapt to different contexts within a short period of time, where different skills are needed in a new fast paced environment has been challenging. There is a lot of new information when starting in a new job, and the construction industry is very complex. As someone who has spent most of their life as a student, it was a challenging transition to start a full-time job in a position that requires you to learn fast.
Even though my career is very important to me, the journey on which I achieve my goals is equally as important. This is why Hilti was my top choice in both being able to drive change in the world, but also as a place to achieve my personal goals.
Advice to other applicants?
Find something you are passionate about. We’re going to work for the next 50-60 years, finding the right working environment while also aiming for our high goals is a marathon, not a sprint.
How do you see your future with Hilti?
Previous outperformers have achieved high positions as Directors for entire regions, which is why I would not settle for anything less. The outperformer programme gives you the right tools to reach any career goals. It is up to me to perform and showcase my talents and qualities. In the future I see myself in the heart of our global strategic office being able to influence sustainable decisions, so that Hilti can make a significant impact on the global environment. Sign me up as Hilti’s Global Head of Sustainability!
