From Apprentice to Talent

November 23, 2019 / At BuyIn we believe in talents. Meet Sabrina, a former apprentice in the Digital Home Devices team who got hired to continue her stellar path at BuyIn and has just been selected in our Talent Program.

Who are you?
Sabrina: My name is Sabrina and I am a strategic sourcer at BuyIn.

How did you get your start at BuyIn?
Sabrina: I was studying at a French business school and just before I was to fly for a trimester in Singapore, I got a job interview with Khalid Sharaf, who was the Team Head of the Digital Homes Devices team, to work in his team as an apprentice.

What motivated you to accept the offer?
Sabrina: I wanted to work in a fast-paced environment at the cutting-edge of technology, so the telco industry was perfect. The position also seemed to be well-rounded with lots of interfaces to work with. On top of this, I would work on product development in an international setting. I was sold.

How did it go?
Sabrina: I started my apprenticeship in January 2018 and got offered a permanent position a year later within the same team.

What made the difference?
Sabrina: I always went the extra mile and never positioned myself as an apprentice, but as a “regular” sourcer.

What were your responsibilities during this one-year apprenticeship?
Sabrina: I took over over normal sourcer activities: end-to-end project lead from defining the need with our stakeholder, launching RFPs and negotiating with suppliers to contract finalization. From the beginning, I worked together with key stakeholders from Orange and I had to deal with the typical sourcing challenges: finding the right suppliers, negotiating the right deal, handling crisis. But my manager trusted me and my abilities to figure things out. So, it was still a very secure environment for me.

Could you give us an example?
Sabrina: In our team, we source set-top boxes, home gateways and smart home. they are products with a very high visibility as it can be found in millions of households and represents the Orange brand. If the product doesn’t work correctly, it could mean bad quality Internet, WiFi or TV therefore very angry customers. So, it’s a huge responsibility to source such a product. Nonetheless, I was tasked to handle this with a lot of autonomy, even though it was my first experience in sourcing and in working for the telco industry.

What made you want to stay?
Sabrina: My perspective was always long term. I was happy to get the offer as I was very involved in my projects and didn’t want to let go.

What would you say to someone who is interested in joining BuyIn as a young talent?
Sabrina: To anyone looking to pursue a career in Procurement :everyday is a different day where you will have the chance to face lots of challenges that will make you learn and grow very quickly!

 

BuyIn is dedicated to promoting and supporting young people from the beginning of their professional lives. Promising students get the opportunity to do an apprenticeship and learn hands-on the job of a sourcer. If you’re interested in knowing more, contact us at joinus@buyin.pro or visit our Careers Page.

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