Michelle Muuren

Account Development Executive, Sales, South Africa

In 2016, the final year of my Supply Chain Management degree, a group of DSV graduates came to promote the graduate programme.  Their energy and sense of community encouraged me to apply for the 2017 intake.  

On my first day as a graduate, I was given the choice to either work in air freight or sea freight.  I didn't hesitate and said: "I LOVE aeroplanes".  So, naturally, I pushed to start there.  I had no experience of the systems, procedures, I didn't know the lingo and I remember feeling lost and overwhelmed.  But each department I joined was welcoming and willing to help guide me, so much so that I quickly felt comfortable and found my feet.

What Michelle's day to day looked like whilst in the Graduate programme

As a graduate you attend training a few days a month, most of your daily tasks were designed to support the team.  This frees you up to move around within the department and learn as much as you can.  Over 18 months I was exposed to all the transport modes, as well as customs, while completing my honours in Business Management.

The graduate training programme focuses on developing the managerial "soft" skills needed to manage your own daily tasks and people.  By the time my contract came to an end, i knew that the knowledge and skills I have obtained would add to my value in any position I applied for.  In July 2018 I was fortunate enough to be offered a permanent position in Airfreight Imports.

What opportunities do you believe are available for people in your area

As a graduate, you have opportunities that others wouldn't necessarily have.  You are encouraged to move between different departments, and you're given the chance to make mistakes and learn.  The cross-functional knowledge you gain enables you to take a broader approach to problem solving.

What Michelle believes are the benefits of working for DSV

I am passionate about supply chain management and it excites me to see how different elements of the business interact with each other.  After finding my feet and handling my general and retail client base for a few years, I was assigned an export client who required estimates before the cargo could move.  This exposed me to airfreight imports as well as exports and estimates.

Something I love about working at DSV is that there is always support when you are under pressure.  The best thing about working in a team is having the peace of mind to know that you don't have to know everything because someone else in the team will know what you don't - and if no-one knows, you learn together.

With the support of my manager I applied for, and got, an account development position in the Air and Sea client retention team.  My day-to-day tasks have become more strategic in nature, although there is still more for me to learn.  I am excited that I can learn and grow in this position.