What did you expect from the StartCargo graduate program?

My main expectation at the beginning of the StartCargo graduate program was that I would gain insight into the various areas of Lufthansa Cargo. The project and practical work in areas such as Sales, Lufthansa Cargo Center (LCC), Margin Management, and Global Handling Management offered a comprehensive understanding of LCAG’s core processes. The time spent working in the LCC made it possible to experience the complex structures behind classical cargo handling to gain a better understanding of the processes at work and to eventually be able to identify potential areas of improvement. I personally found it very important to personally discover whether the famed LCC was really as impenetrable and complicated as it is so often said to be. I was pleased to discover that this is not the case, as there is a sophisticated logic behind the processes.
Based on the intensive support on the part of the personnel development department, including trainings and technical courses, I looked forward to the opportunity to “personally develop” and build-up key competencies during seminars and practical exercises.

One of your practical exercises was in the Lufthansa Cargo Center. Was this assignment helpful for your project?

The project I chose to report on was “An Analysis of Customer-Relevant Quality Parameters”, where the cargo from non-Lufthansa airlines is handled. The goal of this project was to identify customer-relevant quality parameters and develop proposals for how they could be better recorded, measured, and improved. The practical exercise was extremely important and helpful for my project, especially because some of the proposed measures were derived from the LCC’s own best practices. Another plus was that we almost always knew who to talk to in the LCC when we had questions or were unclear about something.

What impressions did you take away from the StartCargo program?

In general, I specifically noticed the relaxed and uncomplicated attitude of the Lufthansa Cargo employees. A very positive impression was the abundance of colleagues with years of experience who were ready to help and who, despite their heavy workload, took time out of their day to explain things to us…Cargo Spirit live!

What were some of the major highlights during the graduate program?

There were so many great experiences throughout the entire program. For example, at one point I had the opportunity to independently build pallets, which I personally found very exciting. I also had three days where I was able to see for myself how cargo and passenger planes are loaded and even had the chance to observe the night operations. The absolute highlight was my international project in Amsterdam. An international project is always an excellent experience and one also learns an incredible amount about ones’ self as well!