Working at Probst—in purchasing

She started as an apprentice at Probst, and today she works as a purchasing clerk—and at the same time she is training to become an industrial specialist.

Nicole Jelica talks about what it's like to help organize the Probst exhibition booth for Bauma, and what makes up the "Probst family" for her.

What does your everyday life at Probst look like? How long have you been with Probst?

In September 2017, I started my apprenticeship as an industrial clerk at Probst. As I went through all the departments, purchasing developed into my department of choice. That's why I was all the more pleased that I was able to start working there as a clerk directly after my training.

One of my typical tasks is to order supplies, office materials and work clothes from suppliers. I am also responsible for these areas. Along the way, I enter order confirmations, make phone calls to suppliers, and coordinate new projects. Although this may sound rather routine, my tasks are very varied. Basically, I often come to work and don't really know what to expect today (laughs).

By now I have a personal bond with many suppliers. I like that because when we talk on the phone, in addition to the orders, we also sometimes talk about the last vacation for example.

What was your last big project that you successfully mastered?

That was clearly to help organize our Bauma booth. It wasn't my latest project, but definitely the biggest one I've done so far. The special thing is: I was still in apprenticeship at the time. I was involved right from the start and was allowed to be there on site. Sure, the time was also exhausting at times, but the fun was never lost in any case.

I was totally impressed to see how such a large trade fair starts out very small in the planning and how everything has to be thought through from A to Z in the end. 

What makes working with colleagues at Probst so special? 

We have a very familiar atmosphere not only in the team, but in the whole company. We even often say "Probst family" to each other ourselves. We support everyone from day one. If someone has a bad day, we build them up and stick together. It's easy to join the team because everyone is open-minded and we also have fun together. You can definitely hear us laughing a lot. (laughs)

But the great thing is also that everyone can count on one another. The pandemic in particular was a challenge for our department: delivery dates could not be confirmed and prices were increased. But that really showed me how well we work as a team and how reliably we stick together.

I enjoy coming to work every day and a significant part of this is due to my colleagues.

Probst makes hard work easier—for customers. But what does Probst do for its employees?

I have been doing further training as an industrial specialist at the weekend since September 2020. In return, I received educational leave from Probst—that is, additional days off for my exams. And flexitime is just perfect: if I have to study more on a given day, I can leave early without any problem.

As a new school graduate, you often don't know what you want to do. That was also the case for me. Before I started my training here, I gained experience in an orientation year. That was the right decision, because I'm a total workaholic. (laughs)

At Probst, I then looked at how I could get continuing education. I talked to other colleagues who had already completed further training. As a result of the positive experience I gained, I then decided to take further training to become an industrial business administrator.

The next thing I want to do is get my trainer's license so I can train apprentices. So in addition to the actual job, there are many different opportunities at Probst to put yourself into practice. I am very happy about that.

Whats your favourite "Probst moment"?

For me, that's actually always the evening of the Christmas parties. Or at the trade fairs, when you end a successful day together with your colleagues. This usually creates a particularly good atmosphere.

Even in my first years as a trainee, I felt like I belonged. And this atmosphere that arises when you sit together privately and have fun is always a great "Probst moment.  

Imagine meeting your younger "self" on Day 1 at Probst: What tip would you give yourself along the way?

I would say: You can learn something from everything. You can also make mistakes at Probst—that's completely okay. The only important thing is: To learn from mistakes, be open and think positively.

Join our team.

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