Without them little runs…

What is your daily work routine like?

Many organisational tasks for the department, e.g. processing HR matters, administration of account authorisations and groupware officers, organising visits and travel for the head of the directorate (when there is no coronavirus pandemic …), coordinating appointments, procuring office supplies, preparing minutes.

It's generally important to have a complete overview of the individual areas of responsibility of the directorate, as I am often the first point of contact for enquiries from other TU departments or external persons and institutions.

For the European university alliance Unite!, of which TU Darmstadt is the coordinator: financial administration, preparing minutes, administration of user rights for the Unite! cooperation platform, processing business travel organisation, coordinating appointments.

The rest of the time, I'm often a “brain-storming partner” when talking with colleagues about how to do something and how best to do it …

How has your work changed in times of the coronavirus pandemic?

At first, I couldn't imagine working from home. I had to adapt some workflows that were still quite paper-heavy. One advantage of these adjustments is that I now work predominantly paperless.

I definitely miss – as so many do – the personal exchange with colleagues. The typical “bumping into each other in the corridor” or “just popping your head in” have to be replaced by phone calls or virtual meetings and require more planning. Some things simply disappeared at first, such as organising business trips.

However, the fact that meetings take place virtually also has the advantage for me that, for example, in Unite! I was able to take part in meetings to which I would not normally have travelled. This means I can support the Unite! team by taking minutes, for example. It also makes me more informed myself – and the better informed you are, the better you can support a team.

At Unite!, I was able to observe how the conditions imposed by the coronavirus acted like a booster and pushed some projects forward faster.

What would you not want to miss in your area of responsibility?

The international contacts. I really enjoy getting to know people from other countries.

Where in your work are there interfaces with other fields?

There is also always contact with the directorate/disciplines of the TU Darmstadt – be it in the preparation of delegation visits or now with Unite!, because departments of the TU Darmstadt are involved with initiatives that are partly supported by Unite! funds, the administration of which is one of my tasks.

Do you use TU offers such as internal training, sports or musical groups?

I have often taken advantage of internal training opportunities. These offers are some of the things I really appreciate about TU Darmstadt as an employer.

Furthermore, I am active in SekretariaNet, which is a network for all those who work in assistance and administration at TU Darmstadt and offers exchange and networking opportunities to make everyday work easier.

I also enjoyed an employee sports programme before coronavirus and thought it was great to be able to exercise right after work without having to travel far.

Which clichés about your profession can you no longer hear? Which clichés actually apply?

Many still have the image of the “coffee-making typist” in their minds, and have no accurate conception of how much responsibility and variety there is in the job of secretary/assistant. Assistants need to know about many things to be able to take the pressure off their supervisors and teams. At TU Darmstadt, the secretaries are actually more like administration officers.

However, I do make coffee occasionally, for example when we welcome delegations.

What event from your everyday working life will you not forget in a hurry?

I am very excited about my work for Unite!. It's amazing to me how quickly such a great programme for students was created, and it's exciting to see how it will continue to develop.

It's a good feeling to be a cog in this wheel. The kick-off meeting two years ago, which took place here at TU Darmstadt (where I provided organisational support more in the background), made a particular impression on me. You could really feel the spirit of a new beginning.