Dr Thorsten Gerkensmeier
Regulatory Affairs
As an internationally positioned, ambitious company in the sector of medical products, VOCO offers many different career perspectives for young professionals. This also applied to the year 2000, when I newly left university with my doctorate and was looking for an interesting, yet challenging and responsible job as a chemist. I got a chance at VOCO and started as product developer in the division Research and Development, being part of a powerful team consisting of “old hands” as well as “rookies”. Flat hierarchies and the cooperative working climate allowed me to quickly familiarize with the projects. Hence, I benefitted from the experience of the senior colleagues and, at the same time, was able to develop and bring new ideas to our work. Of course, product developers must always remain up to date with the latest technology and observe new trends. This aspect is covered by talks with dentists, the participation in trainings, congresses and trade fairs as well as by regular literature review.
VOCO offers career opportunities for young professionals and experienced professionals. As a family business, the company is also repeatedly engaged in social and community projects. Furthermore, VOCO supports the employees: During the whole year, there are several events such as the summer festival, Christmas party, soccer tournaments or the participation in running events and beach sport competitions. In addition, different company sports groups are supported. The offer is steadily updated and currently comprises soccer, badminton, table tennis and small groups of runners. Besides the regular sports groups, there are limited time offers such as wakeboarding, Tae Bo, self-defence training and Pilates.
Dr Gerrit Lübbe
Assistant to the Head of Production
In 2010, I made my first experiences as a developer/chemist respectively as a product manager for composite materials as well as for cleaning/remineralising pastes. The range of tasks comprised the entire spectrum of research and development; starting with the generation of ideas, the first basic formulations and basic research work to the upscaling of the finished formulations to the production scale and the servicing of the products on the market.
After seven years in research and development, I was offered the opportunity within the company to develop professionally towards production. Due to the fact, that I already got many insights into production processes during my activity as a developer, I was excited by that new challenge. Since 2018, I am Assistant to the Head of Production and jointly responsible for the planning and organisation of the complete production processes of our product range. In this context, I have the possibility to cooperate interdisciplinarily with lots of different people and departments and to be actively involved in the effective design of the individual processes. Here, the entire work benefits from the medium-sized structure of the company, in which short communication channels and flat hierarchies still prevail.
Sandra Junge
Product manager
Many think that the training as an industrial manager is a boring office job – on the contrary!
During the training, one passes through the various departments and thus, comprehends step by step the processes of an industrial company. You get the chance to discover and further develop your own strengths. VOCO is always on your side and supports you. The training is a wonderful and important time, which prepares you very well for your future professional life. After my training as industrial manager, I became an employee and today, I am product manager in the marketing department. VOCO never stopped to promote my professional training and I was offered the opportunity to complete a correspondence course besides my professional work.
Bettina Hein
Foreign language correspondent
VOCO GmbH is a globally operating and constantly growing family company. It offers young professionals the opportunity to start a career with the perspective of personal and professional development within the internal company structure at the Cuxhaven location.
At the end of 1997, I came to VOCO as a qualified foreign language correspondent and European secretary. Since then, I work in the export department as assistant to different area managers. At first, I mostly handled work orders, today, I am the direct contact for customers and sales representatives in my area of responsibility: I handle their requests independently and act as central interface between the different departments and the customers respectively the field sales force.
Sebastian Budde
dual course student
Hi, I am Sebastian and I started my dual study with the VOCO GmbH in 2021. After my high school graduation, I wanted to study, however a classic study would have been too theoretical for me. The dual study programme compensates this with its practical phases. During these phases, I can directly experience what I have learned in theory and apply it myself. The theoretical phases take place in three-month block of classes at the university in Bremen. After that, I am back at the company for three months. During my dual studies, I have the opportunity to obtain two professional degrees: Industrial clerk (after 2.5 years) and Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (after 3.5 years).
During the practical phases, I pass through almost all the departments of the VOCO GmbH. I get to know the purchasing, sales, marketing and bookkeeping department. By working in the departments, you learn about business management and understand how an industrial company works.
I chose the VOCO GmbH because of its good reputation and its pleasant, family-like working atmosphere. The VOCO GmbH operates all over the world as a family-run company and is one the market leaders within the dental sector. However, the familial part is not lost in the process and you know almost everyone by name and feel very quickly accepted into the community.
Lena Fick
Chemistry lab technician (apprenticeship)
My name is Lena and my apprenticeship as a chemistry lab technician at VOCO started in August ‘21. In the upper secondary, Chemistry was already my choice as specialised course, which makes the theoretical part of the apprenticeship much easier.
I am doing my apprenticeship in the department of Research & Development, where I am allowed to work on the manufacturing of new products as well as on the further development of products that are already on the market. For this purpose, products are prepared in a small batch and analysed, for example, for their shade, strength or processing time. Meanwhile, I get to know every VOCO product. The tasks that I am allowed to take on independently at an early stage are very wide-ranged. Within my apprenticeship, I will be working a half year in the Quality Control department to learn about the working steps here as well. Various raw materials as well as semi-finished and final products, manufactured in production, are analysed in the Quality Control.
I choose VOCO because I already got an insight into the laboratory and the working environment before I started my apprenticeship, which I liked very much. I was welcomed openly and friendly from the very first day.
Alexandra Geld
Industrial Business Management Assistant (apprenticeship)
My name is Alexandra Geld and I was lucky to start my apprenticeship at VOCO in August 2022.
As an industrial clerk, you get to know all the areas that are important for an industrial company during your training, i.e. from acquisition to sales. Right at the beginning of my apprenticeship, I was given the opportunity to take a deeper look into the production area, quality control and research and development department. Furthermore, a two-week product training expanded my knowledge of many VOCO products by quite a bit. Besides the commercial education, we trainees are allowed to plan, structure and execute company projects independently and together as a team. This includes trainee events, job fairs and much more.
But why did it become VOCO?
In simple terms: the good reputation. Since I only heard positive things about the company, I really wanted to do an apprenticeship there. I heard a lot about the working atmosphere and the quality of the education, which I can only confirm so far. Everyone is very helpful, friendly and the employees are one of the top priorities. The company does many things to make everyone feel comfortable.
Maximilian Hinsch
certified foreman in logistics
During my school internship in 2014, I was able to discover the production of VOCO GmbH. Due to the positive impressions, I started the two-year apprenticeship as a warehouse specialist in 2017 and was able to complete it successfully. Immediately afterwards, I continued the apprenticeship as a warehouse logistics specialist and was able to reduce the additional training period from one year to a half year. My task during the apprenticeship included receiving goods, picking production orders and sending the finished goods to our customers. After the apprenticeship, I accepted the offer to work permanently in the shipping department.
Because of my great exam results, I received a further education scholarship from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, IHK Stade, and was able to start further education to become a certified foreman in logistics in January 2021. I attended a full-time course at the master school in Hameln and completed it successfully in the summer of 2021. Since summer 2022, I have had the chance to prove myself in a foreman position.
I am especially grateful for the trust and strength the company and my colleagues have given me to support me in my professional development.
Marle Osterndorff
Junior Area Managerin
I am Marle Osterndorff and work as a Junior Area Manager at VOCO. My responsibilities include, for example, planning of turnover and costs within the annual frameworks as well as monitoring the operational implementation of the targets.
But how did I get to this position? It all started with a scholarship at VOCO in the 9th grade. I really liked the diversity of the tasks as well as the familiar work atmosphere and was quickly convinced at that time. Due to my positive experience, I decided to start a dual study programme in business administration at VOCO, which I completed successfully. During my dual studies, I was able to work in all commercial departments, as well as in laboratories and the production. This overall insight gave me the opportunity to quickly understand the operational interrelationships and processes. I was also able to apply the theoretical content of my studies directly in practice and thus consolidate it.
My main interest from the beginning was in sales. The customer contact, the dental representatives and the nice colleagues convinced me to start a trainee programme in sales at VOCO directly after the dual study programme. Besides cross-departmental projects, I was also able to get to know the representative work during that time. For me, this was a particularly valuable experience, which will support me on my path as a Junior Area Manager at VOCO.