Professional women power: How I wanted & succeeded in further developing my job profile

“My original job profile has virtually 'grown' along with my personal development.”

DR. DANIELA NEHLS

Daniela, how did you come to Rödl & Partner and in which way did your career develop here?

Already during my studies and doctorate at the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, there were many points of contact with Rödl & Partner. Whether it was through lectures by Prof. Christian Rödl (CEO of Rödl & Partner), summer parties in the master's program FACT (Finance, Auditing, Controlling, Taxation) or former co-students who decided to work for Rödl & Partner.

I had my two children during my time as a research assistant at the Chair of Business Administration and Taxation. Since I "only" wanted to work part-time with two children, I automatically excluded a full-time position and thus also a position as a tax assistant. For me at the time, it didn't fit to combine a career start in this branch with a part-time position - there was also a lack of role models in my immediate environment.

However, a friend I had worked with at the university chair and who had joined Rödl & Partner after completing her doctorate told me about the Knowledge Management Taxation team at Rödl & Partner. While the tasks sounded exciting, e.g. dealing with the latest tax case law, preparing legislative proposals, providing technical support to the "operative teams", it also attracted me that the team was (and is) managed on a part-time basis and that all colleagues worked part-time too.

Fortunately, my current manager Britta Dierichs just had a vacancy. One phone call and a personal conversation later, it was clear that I would start with 24 hours spread over 3 days. Since then, I have worked between 16 and 36 hours per week - depending on the current professional and personal situation. I'm really incredibly grateful to my manager for her huge flexibility!

I joined the company in July 2017 as a tax assistant. At the beginning, my work mainly consisted of the tasks described above. Relatively quickly, my job scope expanded, and I am now working as a senior associate and tax consultant in changing project teams on very exciting topics: whether it is the implementation of DAC 6, the real estate tax reform or, quite recently, the reorganization of the world tax system through the OECD's two-pillar model. My original job profile has changed a lot in the meantime and has "grown" along with my personal development.

How do you find a balance between career and family?

For me, the first step is to accept that balance in the sense of absolute equilibrium on an every day basis does not always exist and, in my opinion, cannot always exist. As a working mother, I always run the risk that both elements, i.e. career and family, feel like they are both missing out, and that this fact leaves me exhausted and unsatisfied in the evening. A superficial look at others who - supposedly - have a smoother career or family is only of limited use. The following points help me to achieve a balance, at least in the overall view of the week:

I really, really enjoy doing my job, and in addition, I work in a very appreciative environment. I therefore see that I can make a difference and that this is also seen - this satisfaction helps immensely. Moreover, I am – nowadays (I also had to learn this first) - very clear in my communication when I can't keep an appointment after a certain time of day. Incidentally, that doesn't mean it has to be that way every day. I am very happy to return the flexibility that is shown to me. Of course, it also helps enormously that the children are getting older and more independent.

You passed your exams this year and even achieved the highest grade in the entire exam region - many congratulations at this point! How did you manage it so well, besides your role as a mom and your job?

First of all, thank you very much for the congratulations!

To be honest, by now it's hard for me to comprehend how I managed it; there was a lot of "close your eyes and get through it" involved. Nevertheless, I am very happy that I chose this path and successfully completed it.

From my point of view, three things were essential: First, the 100% support of my husband, who, in addition to his own job, took over almost everything that was possible. And in times of Corona and closed schools and kindergartens, that was really quite a lot. Secondly, the great flexibility of my manager and my colleagues with regard to my working hours. They supported my sharp reduction of working hours, which was also due to the Corona situation. And thirdly, a good plan and the necessary flexibility to deal with schedule changes. Because of the Corona situation, we as a family are now absolute pros at this. The rest was diligence, perseverance and the willingness to push myself far beyond my limits or comfort zone. A quality, by the way, that I wish was a little more pronounced in me in the area of sport.