Shipping – Not Only For Men
When Melanie applied for the job as a Contract Manager in Höegh Autoliners; she overcame her biases and met a shipping company different from what she had imagined it to be.
From her law school studies to the various industries (Telecommunications, IT, Financial Services, Insurance, Education Services, Consulting, Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO), Shared Services and etc.) she had worked with; contract management has always fascinated Melanie. However, the shipping industry appeared as a no-go for this ambitious woman. That is, before she encountered Höegh.
Melanie says,
I have always imagined the shipping industry to be a male-dominated industry and that I would not fit in. But when the position from Höegh came out, I became curious and started to investigate more about the company.
The first impression
Like most people who want to know more about a company and what it stands for, Melanie went to our webpage and did some research.
Melanie smiles,
I felt like “wow” this is not at all what I expected a shipping company to be like – this is a place where I think I can feel at home.
Said and done; she sent in an application which led to a series of interviews, making new impressions on Melanie.
Melanie continues,
The initial interviews were held at the Höegh’s office in Manila and there I had a glimpse of what the office is like. I was so amazed to see a huge number women working there. This was truly far from what I had expected from a shipping company.
A culture that embraces diversity
Melanie continued to be positively surprised as she went in for her final interview and there she met Maria Hempel and Renate Lystad who would become her closest colleagues.
This is extremely rare and just hard to believe especially in this kind of industry! Not only are there so many women in the office in Manila but the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for the entire company, is also a woman. It is quite impressive, inspiring, and empowering. Now I know this is a company where I could be myself, see myself and others growing, and being nurtured to achieve our full potential.
Melanie has worked in Höegh now for several months.
I am very glad that I took the extra time to investigate about the company beyond what the job ad provides and not just base my decision on my perceptions about the industry. Höegh is definitely a league of its own. This company has showed me a different picture of what the shipping industry can be and I am very excited to be part of this company.
Reference: hoeghautoliners.com
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