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Jana: Making waves in the construction field on STO’s sails

Jana, Client Support Officer at STO, shares with The Edition stories about her work, life beyond work, and the major shift in personality she brought about through sheer determination to be the best possible version of herself.

Mariyath Mohamed
01 April 2024, MVT 16:42
Jana.-- Photo: Fayaz Moosa / Mihaaru
Mariyath Mohamed
01 April 2024, MVT 16:42

Construction, around the world, is perceived as a largely male-led industry. The Edition had the opportunity to have a conversation with a determined young woman making her way forward in a very niche area within this field: the sector concerning elevators.

How many lifts have we been in, say, in the past month alone? Never does it occur to us exactly how much work people put in just to spare us from the stairs, or more importantly, to install this accessibility tool for those of us for whom it is a necessity.

Aiminath Jana, Client Support Officer at STO, just in her twenties, handles nearly everything surrounding the sale, prompt delivery, as well as planning of installation schedules with the technicians regarding setting up KONE lifts at your residences, offices and other buildings.

A position of trust

Listening to Jana explain the work she does, one thought sprang immediately to mind. This was a supremely trusted member of the team.

Jana at work.-- Photo: Fayaz Moosa / Mihaaru

“I mostly do KONE elevator related work. That includes configuring the designs, and the elevator specifications to how the customer needs it. So this covers sales, installation, maintenance and commissioning of the elevators,” Jana explained.

Although she makes light of her responsibilities, it is the type of work that requires absolute attention to detail. One single mistyped number could lead to what it wouldn’t be too dramatic to call a butterfly effect in the entire process.

Jana deals directly with the customers. She gets the customer’s desired specifications from them, doublechecking (and where needed, triplechecking) to make sure that the specifications provided are accurate.

She then uses a dedicated website to complete the designing process.

In configuration, she transfers the specifications provided by the customers into specially designed software, leaving no room for confusion or misunderstandings in requirements.

Surprisingly, the lifts are custom-made. Jana says most clients approach STO for quotations or proposals for the lifts after the lift shaft is either fully completed or halfway built. Jana then configures the elevators to the measurements customers provide, with special care towards accuracy.

“It isn’t that technical. Anyone could do it, with the right training. Really,” Jana insists.

Nope. For one, not everyone would be brave enough to take on the responsibility of ensuring such an expensive piece of machinery is customized exactly as fits the specifications provided by each customer. For another, not everyone would have the patience or the training to make sure that all the necessary components for a successful lift installation align seamlessly every single time.

In fact, when asked what was most challenging about the work she does, Jana herself cited the specifications of the elevator shaft.

“The measurements provided, they can sometimes be marginally smaller or bigger, making it difficult to balance it with all the other necessary factors, so that needs special attention.”

Camaraderie in the workplace

“You know how sometimes it gets unpleasant in work places, with someone being against some other person? There’s none of that here. Zero office politics. Everyone always wants the best for you.”

Jana, in the office.-- Photo: Fayaz Moosa / Mihaaru

Jana has high praise for STO, where she has been working for a year now, and hopes to stay at for years to come.

She emphasised how amiable everyone is, and the way the team made sure no one felt left out while at the office during official events and otherwise.

Jana also highlighted that as she entered fresh into her line of work, she received immense support from her colleagues, describing it as an unexpected, but very welcome, surprise.

Out of all her colleagues, though, Jana named Abdul Majeed Mohamed, Strategic Sales Manager at STO Energy and Construction Solutions as her biggest inspiration.

“My manager, Majeed, has been very helpful all through out. I really respect him, and look up to him. He is like a role model to me.”

Of course, with this much praise about the workplace, we had to ask the difficult questions:

“What is one thing you would change about your workplace if you could change anything at all?”

“The desks.”

So, yes. It sounds like, besides the ergonomically unsuitable desks, STO is the ideal workplace for Jana.

Books, Boba and a Bubbly Persona

“I wasn’t always like this.”

She was laughing aloud even as she said this, making it a tad hard to believe. But Jana insisted.

“I was a very nervous, shy child. But inside, I always loved people. So I decided to change. And I like the new me better.”

Jana speaks about her hobbies and habits.-- Photo: Fayaz Moosa / Mihaaru

We then asked for an introduction to Jana Version 2.0.

“I would describe myself as a very bubbly person, very friendly, and I think I am very outgoing now.”

With such a shift in persona, if not in personality, we were interested in finding out how the change was brought.

“I would mostly credit it to work. At first I worked at Ooredoo. Then at MACL. In both places, I worked in customer care. So in both jobs, there was a lot of interaction with people involved. I chose these jobs as I believed they would help me come out of my shell. I love connecting with people, helping them. So I tried it out, and here I am today.”

After work (she loves the workplace so much, she often stays late!), she usually beelines straight to one place. Doesn’t matter if she’s on her own, or accompanied by friends.

“Ocean bubbles!”

Huh?

“You know, the boba place? It’s the best place in the world. They even have a miniature pool table, although it is probably actually meant for kids.”

Her excitement is infectious. She really is the most energetic, bubbly person.

When at home chilling, Jana likes to read fiction, and paint.

“The sorting hat placed me in Hufflepuff,” said the Harry Potter fan.

A casual painter, Jana has dabbled with acrylics and oils, but says watercolours are her favourite medium to paint with, preferring to work on portraits mostly.

She’s always had a creative soul, with her childhood dream having been of becoming an interior designer.

“That’s because I love homes, how a home reflects the personalities of different people living in them.”

Speaking about homes, Jana lives at home with her family. She’s the eldest and only daughter.

“My mother, father and brothers have always been very supportive of me in all that I do, and every day I am grateful for that blessing.”

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