MaiLi Schönning: Community and Development

MaiLi is a Junior Project Manager at Etteplan in Västerås and has been working here for two years. She is originally a production developer and joined us because she wanted new challenges.

"Switching to Etteplan was a natural step in my career, and in my current role, no day is like the other. The nuclear power industry is a complex field, so it's important to dare to ask a lot of questions from the start, which I quickly realized. Especially since I started my assignment in the middle of an ongoing pandemic, I was grateful to come into a work culture that encouraged asking questions," she says. MaiLi adds that she enjoys working in the consulting industry since she learns a lot, grows her network, and gets tips and advice from colleagues in different industries, which helps her develop her career without having to change employer.

Today, MaiLi works 100% on assignments for a client and is therefore rarely at our Etteplan's office. This can make it difficult for consultants to feel a sense of community with their consulting company. At Etteplan in Västerås, this has not been a problem, according to MaiLi, much thanks to the hybrid policy that has given her the opportunity to vary her workplace. She often meets her colleagues at Etteplan and do things together through common office days and activities. "We do quite a lot together at the office. My boss is a good leader, we really have the right person in the right place. She creates opportunities for cohesion in the group and invites various social activities. She is not afraid to meet and socialize with us."

"Currently, most interactions and meetings with colleagues at Etteplan are on a social basis, which has led to us being very unpretentious and relaxed with each other. This, in turn, has opened up the creation of a forum for the exchange of experiences between consultants, which is something planned for the future," says MaiLi.

A social activity that is close to MaiLi's heart is Etteplan's annual ski trip. "It was fun to meet and get to know colleagues from other offices, where we all had accommodation close to each other and socialized during a long weekend. It is really great fun!" she concludes.