Made for the job

Sometimes everything just falls into place, thought Suting Li when she came across her current position on the internal job exchange. “This job has opened a new chapter in my life, where the past, present and future all come together,” she says.

But one thing at a time. Suting Li comes from a village in China where her parents work in agriculture. From an early age, she learned the challenges of farming and the hard work required to get a good harvest. However, her professional career took Suting in a different direction. She studied English and Linguistics in China and moved to Germany almost three years later to take a further master’s degree in the financial sector. She joined KWS as a working student and worked in the Accounts Receivable unit, helping to ensure that contracts and transactions in our day-to-day business run smoothly.

That was until a vacancy advertised on the internal job exchange grabbed her attention: a full-time position in the same department, for the Danish market. It was a perfect match – in the three or more years between the two master’s programs, Suting had worked at the Chinese visa center in Copenhagen, where she got to know the country, its people and the language.

“The friendly working environment meant that, as an intern, I felt I was increasingly growing into my role, taking on additional tasks and learning new things,” says Suting. “This good feeling, plus the fact that I know Denmark and speak Danish, encouraged me to apply.” She has now been working for KWS Berlin since June 2024 as an Accounts Receivable Accountant for the Danish and Chinese markets – a quick start in a new position where everything just fits her to a tee. “The corporate culture really motivates me to keep improving and to try out new ideas or technologies.”

Fresh ideas are important in her job, because the challenges should not be underestimated: KWS has many large customers, which also means a lot of large orders, i.e. transactions, purchases and also corrections if needs be. To ensure that everything is done as quickly and correctly as possible, good communication and precision are also required in order to find solutions quickly. “Every day is like a special puzzle,” says Suting. “The analytical part keeps my brain fit and active – whether it’s going over invoices, ensuring timely payments or finding solutions with customers.” What might sound rather dry or complex to many people is, for Suting, like analytical detective work, where she searches for interconnections and anomalies.

“Of course, it’s particularly nice to have colleagues like mine who make up such a great team,” she says with a smile. “It’s a good feeling to see that our work helps secure KWS’ cash flow and keeps farmers happy.”