“We learn from each other and have fun at the same time.“
Hajo is 71 and lives in Bonn in Germany. He worked for a company as a management consultant for a long time and works freelance as a consultant now that he is retired. He does voluntary work for a hospital, the “Fit für den Beruf” association and the Senior Expert Service (SES). Hajo talked to us about his experiences as an SES expert and as a Team works! tandem partner to Beauty from Botswana.
The Interview
Hello Mr Müller. What is or was your job?
I worked for a company as a management consultant for a long time and I work freelance as a consultant now that I’m retired. I’m also a semi-professional photographer and I write books with my wife about relationships. I also volunteer with the Senior Expert Service, the “Grüne Damen” organisation at a hospital in Bonn and with some of my colleagues in an association called “Fit für den Beruf”, which shows year-9 students how to apply for a job and how to behave in interviews.
How did you become an SES expert?
When I was employed as a consultant, I travelled a lot. I went to 94 countries. So I thought I could pass some of that knowledge at the SES and perhaps even get to discover some other countries.
Why did the programme appeal to you?
I get to know new people and cultures and pass on some of my knowledge and experience to businesses that are having trouble or to people who just want to learn.
How were you and Beauty paired up in a tandem team?
The Senior Expert Service called me and asked whether I’d like to be part of a tandem team. Then Beauty and I met online in a zoom call and I picked her up when she arrived in Frankfurt.
How were/are you able to support “your” young professional in Germany?
I try to teach her about the differences between Germany and Botswana and show her things like how we shop or use public transport here. Before she arrived, I got a phonecard and a public transport pass for her. When we chat, we discover lots of things that are different here than in Botswana.
What are the advantages of a tandem team?
We learn from each other and have fun at the same time.
What experience have you been able to pass on so far?
How to use public transport and how to buy things in different shops. We also have lots of chats and I explain small details of day-to-day life.
What have you learned from being in this tandem team?
That young people like Beauty are much more open than my generation and that she’s a very cheerful person that doesn’t let things get her down.
What aspect of Beauty have you found most surprising or pleasing so far?
Her joy of life and thirst for knowledge.
What will you never forget?
Our phone conversations and chats over a drink or a meal, talking about anything and everything.
Join Team works!
Would you like to join Team works! on an internship in an African company and gain similar experience? Then apply today! Just fill in our form, send it off and voilà!