What is career? To us it's not just about climbing the corporate ladder. At Novozymes careers come in many shapes and colors. To us career is an individual journey departing from your motivation and passion. Stay tuned and follow along as we will post monthly stories told by Zymers to inspire YOU on what it's like working for Novozymes, and how different careers unfold into unique paths.
Sara Mesquita is a lead data scientist in Novozymes. Every day, she finds patterns in what may seem overwhelming amounts of information. Using e.g. machine learning, deep learning and advanced analytics, she helps us develop the best biosolutions for our customers and the world.
Leomar Gomes is a keen runner in his spare time and works at our site in Curitiba, Brazil. Although he started out as a security guard, he found that every day was a chance to learn something new. Now he’s a technical operator of production and says that chance for growth was ‘a dream’.
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Name: Yasemin Stetler
Title: Recovery Scientist
Region: Europe, Denmark
Seniority: 9 years at Novozymes
Educational background: Chemical engineer
How did your journey with Novozymes begin?
My journey in Novozymes started in 2013 as an intern in our site in Kalundborg. Afterwards I got a position as a student assistant. When I graduated, I really wanted to work as a recovery process engineer, but there were no open positions, so I decided to apply for a job outside of Novozymes. After a few months I got a call from a manager from Novozymes that wanted to offer me a job in our site in Fuglebakken. I was there for three years and after that our director moved to our site in Kalundborg and asked me to join him and try something out there. I accepted the offer, and it turned out to be such a great experience. I also got the chance to work on all the different production lines which gave me a very good ballast and many new opportunities for my future career.
How would you describe your personal and professional development?
In Novozymes we focus a lot on development goals. At one time in my career, I thought that I really wanted to become a manager. So, there was an open position in the Quality Control laboratories, and I applied and got the job. I was only 28 at the time, so of course it was very challenging for me in the beginning because I had a lot of responsibility for many employees. I was a manager for only one year because I felt that I was not finished working with science. I missed being in the laboratories, so I decided to apply for a position in the recovery pilot plant. I got the job, and now I am here, and have been for a year.
Also, one of the most fortunate things that have happened to me during my career, is that I have always been lucky to have great leaders. Leaders that have supported me and seen my full potential and motivated me to achieve my goals.
What is it about Novozymes that has made you stay here for so long?
What I love the most about Novozymes is that they focus on who you are as a person and try to accommodate your passion and interest. And then I really like that we have this very special Zymer spirit. For instance, my husband and I, we have been discussing that while he has tried many different workplaces during his career, for me, the thought of leaving feels like I am cheating on Novozymes, because I feel there is a big loyalty from the employees to the company, but also the other way around. Therefore, I still see myself in Novozymes long-term because there are so many opportunities and career paths to explore. So, I think I can find something to do for the rest of my career here.
What is the best career advice you have been given?
To have trust in yourself and not be afraid to live your dreams. Even though I was only 22 when I graduated and started working as an engineer, I did not expect that I would be here today in this very cool position.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Be honest with yourself and do things that makes you happy, and work in a place where you thrive. And be humble! In my opinion, when we come directly from university and have a prestigious title, we think that we can do anything. While there are many people here who may not have that high of an education level, they have many years of experience. We should respect this by learning from them and attempting to connect to create together.
Name: Jennifer Shiver
Title: Quality, Environment & Safety Compliance Director
Region: North America
Seniority: 14 years at Novozymes
Educational background: Mechanical engineer
How did your journey with Novozymes begin?
I am a mechanical engineer in training. I love problem-solving the physics, the equipment of everything. I really enjoyed that and when I started in Novozymes I worked with equipment and supply chain. Working for the big tanks and motors and preventive maintenance and making sure we had reliability for our products.
How did you grow in your career?
The main thing is looking for opportunities. Novozymes is a very network-driven company, and you have to make sure you are constantly building your network, reaching out if there is an area you find interesting. I met a very influential manager, and she offered me a Global Supply Chain position with compliance. I got to travel to every single site in Novozymes such as China, Brazil, Denmark etc. I enjoyed it so much. But then I had an aspiration to have a family, and that is quite hard to do when you are traveling all over the world. An opportunity came up at the site in North Carolina to be a Site Quality Manager. So, I applied for that position and was offered the role. I stayed in North Carolina and had my first child. But then my career started building up again, and I became a Regional Compliance Manager for Novozymes.
What decision has influenced your career the most?
I was blessed to get pregnant again with my second child, and that was when I had to make a big decision. I asked myself if I still wanted a high level of responsibility with two small children at home. It was kind of a crossroads, because as a woman I want to have a career, and I want to be the best person and the best leader that I can be. But at the same time, I want a family as well. So, I made a decision, and I went to my manager at the time and said: “I am pregnant with my second child, and I need to take a step back. I love Novozymes, and if you could find another role for me with less responsibility that would be great.”
I was very surprised by his response because he could have said that they could not find a role for me, and that I should look elsewhere for another job. I was completely prepared for that response. Instead, my manger spoke to his leadership team and came back to me and said: “We are going to offer you a new role with less responsibility, Jennifer.” At that point, there was an outpouring of support from the leaders, and they told me that I made a brave choice. It was at that point where I decided that I am a Zymer for as long as I can be. As a female leader that wants to balance my work and my personal life, Novozymes has fully supported me at every age and every stage of my career.
What has surprised you the most career-wise?
I never saw myself leading. I surprised myself with how comfortable I am working in a function for a global corporation like Novozymes. I have surprised myself with my leadership potential.
What is your best career advice?
My best career advice is that it is okay to go for it. Don't doubt as much. Don't be afraid to tell people what you need, and what you are worth. Everything will be okay. You should be brave enough to find balance and make the choice that is going to be right for you. Communicate that choice to your leaders and then look at what opportunities it creates for you in your career path.
