This year, two of our employees, Volkhard Rimkus and Vanessa Ballacchino, are celebrating 10 years at ACT. We thought this would be a great opportunity to sit down with them and talk to them about how the last ten years have been for them and what they value about their work.
An interview with Volkhard Rimkus and Vanessa Ballacchino:
What are your responsibilities at ACT?
Vanessa: Office management (private client services, event planning & office organization), vendor management (translator support & liaison with project management)
Volkhard: Desktop publishing, customer service & support with software questions (jack of all trades)
Describe your last 10 years at ACT in three words!
Vanessa: Fair, welcoming and friendly!
Volkhard: Innovative, diverse and exciting!
What do you particularly appreciate about your colleagues?
Vanessa: The mutual, unconditional support they show in all kinds of situations, their exceptional professionalism, harmonious teamwork, and simply the fact that each different department works so well with the others!
Volkhard: They are just really fun to work with! The unique atmosphere increases your motivation every day, which is quite exceptional.
What have you learned – on a personal level – during this time?
Vanessa: Over time, I’ve become more and more open to new challenges. That’s something that comes from dealing with everyday office life. You don’t even realize it, but you also become more organized outside of work and you’re more ready to take on tasks head on.
Volkhard: You learn how to deal with many different opinions and points of view. This also helps me a great deal in my private life. I’ve really learned a lot over the last 10 years.
What has changed at ACT and what has stayed more or less the same?
Vanessa: A lot has changed: the overall structure. Not least because of the various new software systems we use. Over the last 10 years, my work has evolved from pure office organization into a varied range of tasks involving event planning and translator support in consultation with project management. It’s unbelievable how much the company has grown! But one thing that has stayed the same is the family atmosphere between employees, the smooth cooperation between colleagues and translators, and the friendly and respectful communication with the managing director. It’s just fun working here!
Volkhard: The processes in the company have been optimized and some of them have changed completely. This includes, for example, the use of CAT tools and translation management systems, which now make a lot of things easier for us. Things that took up a lot of our time 10 years ago. Overall, ACT has really changed for the better. Not least the many new customers who have joined us with their interesting projects.
Finally, we’d like to make a prediction:
will you still be working at ACT in 10 years?
Vanessa: I hope so. I’d like to stay here till I retire!
Volkhard: I strongly expect that to be the case. I can’t imagine a better job or a better employer!
