Career stories

Cathy Yao

Lingang, Shanghai
Admin Supervisor & Assistant to the General Manager
This is a company with huge potential!
Cathy Yao Konecranes

When did you first start at Konecranes?

I joined Konecranes in 2008. It was my first job after I graduated from school, the first day was filled with expectation and curiosity, and also nerves, but after meeting people there was nothing but a warm feeling - like friends you have known for a very long time. I remember thinking, “this is a company with huge potential”.

What were your first assignments?

My first position in Konecranes was as a receptionist. The first assignment, and a very important one, was to meet and know everyone in the company. My job was to support everyone in the Lingang office, so in a short matter of time I had to learn their faces, names, and positions.

What made you choose Konecranes as your employer?

After graduation I was wondering what kind of work I was going to do, and a strong voice told me “admin work”! But since my major was not related to administration, I needed to start from a basic position and work up from there. At that time Konecranes was looking for a receptionist; I researched Konecranes online and found that it’s a global company with an attractive culture, so I told myself, “this is my chance”. I worked as a receptionist for around two years, and thereafter as an admin assistant. I have now worked as Admin Supervisor & Assistant to the General Manager for one year.

What challenges have you faced?

As mentioned before, my major is not related to admin, so I have no professional knowledge of it. This is a huge challenge for a zero-base person. I needed to learn while working in order to face the challenges.

Describe your working team.

We trust each other and are very supportive.

What advice do you want to give to others who have an interest in becoming an Admin Supervisor?

As I always say, the admin department is like a service department but the service object is the whole company. Consider things carefully before taking action is a very important principle.

What is it like to work within a worldwide company with colleagues around the world?

It’s important to remember that different people have different thoughts, especially people from different places. Cultural differences mean that people solve problems in different ways. That is something that’s very interesting for me, I gain many fresh and new ideas.

What keeps you motivated?

Set targets for jobs and work towards achieving them. Realize your own shortcomings and improve gradually. As far as possible I try to do things perfectly, although I don’t think I’m a perfectionist, this is my attitude towards work, and it keeps me motivated.

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