Professional path: from talman to railway manager

It's not for nothing that the apple doesn't roll far from the tree. This is also the case in our company. Tatjana Pontajeva, who has been part of the KCT team for 18 years, is a railway manager who has always been fascinated by her mother's work in one of the port companies. It is no coincidence that the heroine of our conversation has chosen a company in the port and a career in it, and that is what we are talking about.

- How did your mother's example inspire you to choose a career in a port company?
As far back as I can remember in my childhood or adolescence, my mother's job was always related to one of the port companies. And I can admit that she has, by her example, shaped the perception of a responsible approach to work. I am grateful to her for this, because the responsibility she instilled in me is very useful in my current job. 
Coming back to the actual experience of the port and its companies, I experienced all this when I was in the 12th grade, when my mother invited me to do an internship in the summer in the department she managed. It was then that I realized how many opportunities there are in the companies that operate in the Port of Klaipėda and that it was the Port of Klaipėda that would be my career path.

- Obviously, the successful summer internship has paved the way for a possible career path. Did you start out as a railway manager?
Definitely no. My professional path has been varied. During my two decades in the business, I worked as a talman, then continued my career as an accounting operator and tried my hand at accountancy, where I was responsible for preparing documents and invoices for customers. The most practical knowledge I gained was working as a dispatcher in Ro-Ro and container terminal dispatching. 

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- I've heard that often in cargo terminals the start of a career is as a talman, why?
As I said, I also started my career in this position. And I am happy about it because it is only in this position that I have understood how the cargo handling sector works, acquired the basic competences of how a cargo terminal works, how different levels of handling tasks are coordinated between the responsible employees, and learnt how to communicate responsibly and collaborate in a quality manner. Therefore, I believe that this position can be a stepping stone to higher positions if the person has the internal will.

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- How did the unconventional profession of railway manager become your daily routine?
The saying applies here: all the positive circumstances have fallen into place. After the departure of the then employee who was doing the job, the opportunity was offered to me. Naturally, I didn't turn it down, but took up a new professional challenge and bravely moved forward.

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- What are your main activities?
My main daily tasks are: planning and organizing the arrival and departure of the necessary rolling stock to/from the terminals. I coordinate and carry out effective communication with customers and railway representatives. Preparing documents in information systems.

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- Can you give us a secret of the maximum number of vehicles handled per working day (clarification: containers loaded and unloaded)?

Historically, the terminal used to be able to handle 120 rolling stock before Russia's war with Ukraine and the introduction of sanctions. My career as a railway manager started during this time of restrictions and a clear reduction in rolling stock, so the daily record was 80 wagons.

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- Admittedly, certain jobs are still often divided into 'female' and 'male' in our society. Do you have to deal with this attitude in these roles?
At this stage, I do not have to deal with gender segregation, but in the past, for example, the position of dispatcher has been held exclusively by men. I think there was a misconception back then that it was a job that had to be done exclusively by men.

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- What qualities does this job require? 
Good communication skills, diligence and attention to detail and responsibility. The ability to take in large amounts of information quickly from all interested parties and to be able to prioritize the order of work.

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- It has to be admitted that not everyone can work for one company for 20 years. What made you choose it?
I will say the main thing: I go to KCT as a second home, where there is stability, a good microclimate and colleagues I trust. 
And it's also good to know that I'm the second generation of my family, who are continuing the career path I started in the port company.

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- Tatjana, so what is the driving force behind your success?
I think that if a person doesn't change his/her activities and doesn't improve, he/she gets caught up in the routine, doesn't think anymore, works like an automaton. It's not for nothing that the Japanese say that a person should change every seven years - either his job or his profession. When you move to another sphere, you think differently and give yourself to the maximum. In my case, I am not changing companies, but I am changing positions and professions.