Jenny Benz
2018 Global Human Resource Management graduate Jenny is HR Specialist at Sparkasse Hamm in Westfalen, Germany.
Interview
Since graduating, what have you gone on to do?
After graduation I started to work in recruiting as I thought that was exactly what I wanted to do. However, I quickly realised that working in strategic and law related topics was what really piqued my interest. So, I moved on to my current employer where I am working in the HR department as an HR specialist. My main tasks are the prognosis and planning of personnel costs for the whole house, the elaboration of legal questions and advising employees in HR related topics.
Is the above what you planned to do before starting university?
As I am a communicative person, I guess I expected to work in a position that involves more public speaking, marketing, and representative tasks. I love my job and working on problems, planning and analysis. However, I am not only sitting behind a computer, but I am also doing presentations and some recruiting tasks. My employer gives fantastic opportunities to develop and extend my knowledge.
What was your favourite thing about your course?
I really loved the internationality of the course. Students and staff came from everywhere across the world. It enabled me to learn much more than just the subject. You learn to work in a heterogenous environment, understand different perspectives and obtain the best solution for a diverse problem.
Were you involved in any extra-curricular activities during your time here?
I worked as a Business Champion and as a volunteer at the Student Advice Centre, which both gave me the chance to interact with current and prospective students with different backgrounds. It helped me gain my first working experience.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I am passionate about my job and share the values of my company so I would love to see the Sparkasse Hamm develop further in the digital world and be part of the change.
How do you see future technologies and new ways of working (Future of Work) affecting your sector?
The Finance and Banking sector, especially in local and smaller banks, has changed massively in the last decade. Everything becomes more digital and online banking is now normal to most customers. This and digital banking advice are just the start of the digital transformation. I believe the expectations of the generations who grew up with technology will accelerate this trend.
Try something new, go beyond and think outside of the box, you never know what you’ll discover.