Some job applicants may prefer to work in a startup or small and medium enterprise (SME) because they think joining an established or multinational company is synonymous with becoming a cog in the corporate machine. They equate a company's massive organizational structure to lack of room for growth or being unable to make a difference. Perhaps this is true for some big companies but this is far from what I've experienced in my years working at Philips.

I've wanted to work for an international company since I graduated from college. As Philips is one of the best when it comes to Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, I thought joining them would be my best bet if I wanted to work alongside the best talent in my field. And I did.

My name is Heri Setiawan, Technical Support Specialist with Philips Indonesia and this is my career story with Philips.

Heri_Indo_header

The start of my journey working at Philips
So in 2012, I joined Philips' Customer Service Team as a Field Service Engineer responsible for CT Scan and other diagnostic imaging devices. I've been with Philips for five years now, and I can say for sure that I've grown, not just in job titles, but in my professional skills too.

Career-wise, I've come a long way since my field working days. First of all, I learned the ropes of troubleshooting imaging devices and eventually became a Senior Service Engineer back in 2014. Thereafter, I looked into improving my communication, management, and customer-relationship skills, and that helped me land my current role as a Technical Support Specialist last 2016. I now manage my own team of Field Service Engineers.

Not just a job but a serving a bigger purpose: Internally and externally
More importantly, the work I do matters. This is not just because of the team that relies on me, but because of the medical professionals whom we assist, and the customers or patients whose lives we improve through the healthcare technology devices that we maintain.

Managing a team is a great responsibility. It's on me to ensure their routes and schedules are planned properly to minimize downtime. The job also challenges my decision-making and analytical skills, especially when a simple maintenance job turns out to be more complicated than we expected, and I have to assist the assigned engineer in fixing the problem.

Although I am in charge of the Field Service Engineers in my team, I do not see myself merely as their boss. For me, the position requires that I trust them and that they trust me. In other words, we have each other's backs. For instance, I trust that they will honestly report the results of a troubleshooting job to me.

This way, I know what to say when my boss asks for a report on a pending job or when a customer complains when I survey them about their experience.

Not a cog but a respected member of the team
Despite being one among the many Technical Support Specialists working at Philips, I've never felt like a paper pusher devoid of creativity and freedom. Life at Philips is full of excitement and innovation.

Yes, working at an established company entails following protocol or guidelines for many things we do. But that doesn't mean we're not open to improvement. In fact, my boss is very supportive of our ideas because he knows that we're all working towards the same goal - customer satisfaction.

Management hears from everyone in the organization, as long as it supports our missionin helping a patient's recovery, or in maintaining the safety and accuracy of the healthcare devices we service. For me, this is how the idea of two heads are better than one manifests in Philips’ culture.

It's not just with new ideas. Whether it's a challenge I'm facing or the problem of a Field Service Engineer in my team, we face these issues as a team. When times get tough, I can count on my team's support, empathy, and perseverance to get us through. It's just in our mindset and work ethic: no matter what the challenge is, there's always a way out if we work together."

Looking towards the future
I've been promoted twice within the same department but I don't see any dead-ends just yet in my career path with Philips. Philips allows employees to move from one department or skill-set to another as long as we have the required skills for the job, so I have a lot of options in terms of career growth.

Right now, however, my main goal is to continue on this path in hopes of becoming an expert in Engineering Radiology and Nuclear Medicine devices. Philips is a "warehouse of science", so there are plenty of engineering careers to choose from. You won't be limited to medical imaging devices.

Joining Philips means working in an organization where you can hone both your management and engineering skills. Whether you're a fresh graduate, a female engineer, or a mid-career professional, I'm confident you can find exciting and fulfilling engineering careers with Philips.

I've been here long enough that I can confidently say that you'll feel comfortable working here. I now consider it my second home.

. . .

For more Philips news and job opportunities, please sign up to the Talent Community.