Moving to Bonn to join LeanIX - Camélia Taha (SDR)

While studying Management of International Affairs in Paris, I had the opportunity to do a semester abroad, and I chose Germany – specifically the Cologne area. I was also required to do mandatory internships abroad, giving me the opportunity to live in both Dublin, Ireland and Tallinn, Estonia for six months each. However, it was always fascinating to me how France and Germany can be so close, yet so different culturally. The area had a special place in my heart.

After making the most of my semester in Brühl in 2015, I knew that I eventually wanted to come back. Therefore, once I finished my studies in Paris last November, I decided to focus my job search to openings in Germany.

At first, it was a real challenge. There were several job openings but due to my lack of skills regarding the German language, I wasn’t really qualified to apply. Until one day when this all changed. I found a young, interesting company based in Bonn called LeanIX. Even though I knew nothing about IT, Enterprise Architecture and the like – my curiosity and interest in the company immediately rose.

Despite my lack of experience in this field, I looked at the job openings available and sent my application for the Sales Development Representative role, as this was the best fit given my studies and previous experiences. I was not sure I would get an answer but as an optimist, I decided to take the opportunity to apply and see what could happen. When researching the company and the role, it felt like the company was interested in giving everyone the chance to learn about Enterprise Architecture and evolve with them. This to me was very motivating and ideal for a first “real” job!

Luckily, I soon received an email from the LeanIX team to schedule a phone interview that ended up going really well. This phone call led to the second interview in the Bonn office. Though the meeting was a complicated short trip to organize, due to my current work schedule at the time, I was excited to make the necessary arrangements to travel to Bonn and meet the team.

When arriving at the office for my interview, it was not what I was expecting for a small, young company …LeanIX has such a nice, modern, and spacious office! Everything went well, and I was so excited when Viola called me a couple of days later to tell me that I got the job. My interview experience went so smoothly and rather quickly. However, my celebration was short because now it was time to make arrangements. I was still living in France, so I had to start looking for housing in the Bonn area and prepare everything to move – indefinitely this time! It took me a week of intense searching before I found a place to stay, and I was good to go. I arrived in Bonn with my Master’s Degree and my suitcase, ready to take on a new adventure.

Once I was settled in Bonn in beginning of March of 2019, it was time to start my new job! The same week that I began, there were four other new hires. This made starting in new company a lot easier for me, in the sense that you don’t get that lonely feeling of being the only new person.

The attention and effort LeanIX puts into every new joiner is really touching. For example, I had a mug with my name on it and my desk was set-up and ready on my first day, which was not always the case in my previous experiences. Each of my first days consisted of one to three meetings with all the different departments within the company to help us understand how everyone works together and how our tasks are complementary.

The team at LeanIX was so welcoming, helpful, and understanding. Everyone is dedicated to moving the company forward and helping each other is the best way to ensure that we do.

After a couple of weeks here, I am still learning something new every day, and it has been a very positive experience so far. Moving to a new country for a job is not easy but being in such a friendly and supportive environment makes it worth it. I’m glad to be part of the LeanIX team and ready to face new challenges as I grow and develop with the company.

If you think you would enjoy working with us, you're in luck – we're hiring. Check out our current openings at https://www.leanix.net/en/jobs