- Name: Sarah Fetterley
- Age: 27
- Current location: Nuremberg, Germany
- Home town: Ottawa, Canada
- Education: Bachelor of Commerce
- Current position: Project Manager, Performance Management Redesign - Adidas
- Organization description: Adidas is a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures sports apparel.
- Bio: For the first two-and-a-half years after university, Sarah worked various jobs trying to figure out where her strengths and interests could coincide. She tried everything from HR consulting, to microfinance in Morocco, to developing retail training content at Lululemon. As an avid traveller and a sports enthusiast, she couldn’t believe her luck when she landed a job at Adidas in Germany. Sarah spent almost two years supporting some pretty incredible designers on all things HR, before joining their ranks to do a short-term assignment in project management for design. Although Sarah loved being closer to the core of the business, she quickly realized that people-centric topics were where she wanted to focus, and she accepted a role on a special project team tasked with redesigning performance management and development for all of Adidas. Being able to balance a life of sports and an exciting career has truly been a dream come true. Sarah has worked in four countries and has a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen's University, Canada.
- Countries I've worked in: Canada, Switzerland, Morrocco, Germany
- Sector / subsectors: International business, multinational corporations
- Areas of expertise: Performance Management, Program Development
- Country: Germany
- Region: Europe
- Sector: Business, Fashion
- Degree subject: Business & commerce
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Tell us about yourself and your role at Adidas.
Sarah is passionate about pushing her boundaries as an athlete, and her career is dedicated to improving and rewarding performance in her organization.
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Can you tell us about a typical week in your working life?
Sarah delves into the psychology of top performers and works across the organization with IT professionals and behaviour change specialists to bring her project to life.
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Can you talk about how you got to where you are today?
Sarah's career has consisted of one step forward, two steps back, and then a leap into her dream job.
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What are some of the things that you enjoy most about working abroad?
When you work with people from 80 nationalities, you can learn so much about the world just by coming to the office.
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That's a great takeaway - I imagine adapting to a new work culture was challenging at first?
Sarah struggled at first as the only international hire on a German human resources team.
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What are some of the other challenges you faced living and working abroad?
Not being able to join organized sports teams in Morocco as a woman was a major challenge for Sarah.
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What skills and abilities does someone need to be successful in international work, or specifically at a multinational company like Adidas?
Positive energy and an open-mind go a long way in the international business world.
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What types of jobs or internships are available in your line of work?
Sarah talks about the two biggest opportunities for breaking into her field.
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Does having a business degree matter?
A degree can help you land your first job, but soft skills and ability to learn are what count.
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What do you think about the way the HR profession is branded in business programs?
"HR is so hot right now."
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Do you think growing up in a diverse country like Canada makes you a good HR professional abroad?
Sarah explains how Canadian culture has been an asset in international teams.
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What tangible advice would you give to students or recent grads looking to follow a similar path?
Sarah shares her top tips for connecting with companies and finding meaningful work.
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Any last words of wisdom?
Relearning to be an adult can make you a more open-minded and aware person.
