A Day in the Life of Najiba Shukurova
Meet Najiba Shukurova, an intern at Ahlers Belgium. She joined the Ahlers team in September 2025 and has since gained experience across several departments. Today, she is taking her first steps in Operations. In this story, Najiba reflects on her internship journey, how it has reshaped her perspective on the industry, and how it is influencing her future career plans.
Can you tell us a bit about your background – where you’re from, what you studied, and what sparked your interests before joining Ahlers?
I was born and raised in Baku, Azerbaijan. During my last years at school, I started learning Chinese, as I’ve always been interested in Asian culture, and especially in China. When I was 17, I moved to Shanghai to study international politics. During that time, I mastered my Chinese and even worked as a local tourist guide for a while.
After graduating, I decided to shift my focus and moved to Belgium to pursue a Master’s degree in European Studies at KU Leuven, where I graduated last year. Academically, I’ve always been interested in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle Corridor, and have been researching the factors shaping their development. Since Ahlers is very active in these regions, the internship felt like a perfect first step into my career.
When did you join Ahlers, and what stands out from your first weeks? Any surprises or challenges?
I joined the team in early September 2025. The first couple of weeks were definitely intense: this is my first corporate job, so there was a lot to adapt to: the company culture, new systems, logistics terminology, and the overall pace of the business. It was challenging at first, but also exciting. Looking back, that steep learning curve really helped me grow quickly, and now I feel fully used to it.
What was your perception of logistics before joining? Has it changed since?
As I said, at the beginning, I had to absorb a lot of information just to understand how the industry works. But once I started handling operational tasks, I realized how much coordination and effort goes into every single shipment. Of course, that completely changed my perspective. Now, even something as simple as buying groceries makes me think about the entire logistics chain behind it.
You’ve worked across different teams. What has that experience been like, and what are you focusing on now?
Indeed, one of the highlights of my internship has been rotating across different departments, including Marketing, Internal Communications, Sales, and now Operations. That gave me a broader perspective on the business: from generating leads and creating campaign visuals to actually shipping goods for customers. Currently, I’m working closely with the Operations team across several offices, supporting transport planning, quoting, container bookings, and documentation. There’s also an ongoing internal project ─ an upgrade of our Order Management System. So I’ve been involved in tasks related to that as well.
Was there a moment when everything clicked and you felt like okay, now I get it?
Each team actually provided nice mentorship. They were not just explaining tasks, but also the bigger picture behind them. In the beginning, it was difficult to connect all the dots, especially in Operations. But the turning point came when I made a step from observing to actually doing: making my first bookings, preparing quotes, sending my first email to customers and carriers. That’s when everything started to make sense. Since then, it’s been a continuous learning curve, with new tasks and feedback from the team.
How have your colleagues supported you along the way? Any moment that made you feel part of the team?
What really helped me is that every task comes with context. I always understand why I’m doing something and how it contributes to the bigger picture. One moment that stood out was when my direct supervisor unexpectedly went on sick leave. Even then, colleagues from different offices reached out and checked in to make sure I wasn’t left with unanswered questions. That really made me feel part of the team.
Has this experience influenced your future career plans?
I’m not yet sure if I want to stay in Operations specifically, but I definitely see my future in logistics. It’s such a dynamic industry, influenced by so many factors. So it never gets boring. And you can really see how people make a difference here. That’s something that can’t simply be replaced by AI 😊
Tell us something about you outside of work. Any fun facts or hobbies?
I have many hobbies. I used to do ballroom dancing professionally and even became a candidate for Master of Sports. Nowadays, I dance just for fun. Currently, I’m really into drawing. You can even find a small exhibition of my sketches in a coffee shop in Leuven. I also continue practicing Chinese with private lessons, play padel, and like to stay active in general.
Do you have a personal motto that guides you?
Since I was a child, my mom often repeated a quote by Socrates: «The only thing I know is that I know nothing.» It really stayed with me and became sort of my personal motto. It reminds me to stay curious, keep exploring, not be afraid of mistakes, and simply enjoy this learning and career journey.
