Jana Willems, Account manager

Hello, my name is Jana Willems. I started working at ArcelorMittal ESP 4 months ago as an account manager.

Can you provide an overview of the day-to-day responsibilities of your position?

My days vary a lot. One day I’ll be at the office, scheduling my week, contacting clients, prospecting, making sure all bills are paid by clients, making price offers etcetera. The other day, I’ll be introducing ArcelorMittal at the location of the client itself or paying a visit to a client to keep up a good relationship or restore it, while still trying to answer phone calls or mails.

How have your studies prepared you for your career?

I studied linguistics and literature at the University of Leuven. While it seems something completely different than working in the steel industry, I’m able to use the communication skills I’ve learned to convince clients to work with ArcelorMittal. Convincing clients is an important part of being an account manager, of which language is the key stone.

What aspects of ArcelorMittal’s culture and values do you find most appealing, especially as a young professional just starting your career?

In today’s world, I think it’s important to not randomly pick a company, but pick a company that supports diversity and keeps an eye on the climate. Steel is a material that’s completely recyclable, with ArcelorMittal playing a pioneering role in reducing emissions. Besides that, I think we all want to work in a friendly environment where no one is excluded based on gender, race, age…. I felt welcome the minute I stepped inside. I was already convinced by ArcelorMittal’s climate policy, but the welcoming mentality influenced my decision even more in the end.

What are your expectations from a company in terms of development opportunities for young talent, and how do you see ArcelorMittal meeting those expectations?

I don’t want to stand still. I love it if a company would stimulate young people to keep on learning and to get better. ArcelorMittal has its own university, in which you can learn whatever you want, wherever you are and whenever you want. In addition, the career opportunities are enormous within ArcelorMittal since the group is so large. There always seems to be a job opportunity for every interest, but for now, my focus remains on ESP.

What advice would you give to other young talents who are considering a career in sales, especially those who might be interested in joining our company?

I would say to just go for it. As was said in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women: “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship”. Sometimes we just have to embrace a challenge as an opportunity for growth and learning, rather than fearing it.