If you have just graduated, you are at the beginning of an exciting journey. But how do you take that first step? For Alexander Deman, a trainee in Eqeep’s Young Talent Program, the answer was clear: a chance to gain hands-on experience in a dynamic environment while learning new technologies. In this blog, he shares his insights.
Why the Young Talent Program at Eqeep?
Last summer I graduated from the University of Amsterdam in Business Administration with a focus on business analytics. After graduation, I was looking for work, or another way to gain work experience. Through a recruiter, I came across Eqeep’s Young Talent Program. It was a perfect fit for what I was looking for. Seven months on the job, learning something totally new, being introduced to new technologies and working in a professional environment. Exactly what I needed to make a good start. So I started as a Process Mining consultant trainee at Deep Value, a partner company of Eqeep.
Practical insights: from theory to practice
I have learned a lot of practical things so far. While studying you learn a lot of theory, but you often miss how it relates to practical situations. As a Process Mining consultant trainee, I get to learn the ins and outs of many business processes. How does procurement work? How does the procure-to-pay process work? How do companies organize their invoicing, accounting or order-to-cash? That gives me tremendous insight into how companies actually function. Before, I only had a theoretical idea of how those processes would work. Now I know that every company does it in its own way. That makes me curious. Why do they choose to do it that way? What does it mean? Those insights are very valuable.
Guidance from experienced professionals
I work closely with experienced consultants and that gives me a lot of perspective. When I have questions, I get practical answers that they support with examples from their own experience. For example, they share insights from a project they worked on themselves, because those are really real-life situations, they are tangible and instructive. It is that combination of practical examples and personal guidance that makes this traineeship unique.
Safe environment
Beforehand, I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I have been positively surprised by the atmosphere here. It’s relaxed and people take the time for you. They stop for a chat, ask how you are doing and if you have any questions, they are always willing to help you. That feels nice. I can learn here without immediately feeling the pressure to perform. That gives a lot of room to really get the most out of this traineeship.
What also helps is that there are three other trainees. Anne, Tayyip and Emmanuel work in completely different fields, they are involved in ERP consulting. That’s very different from Process Mining. But despite that, we still have that shared experience. We are all new, getting to know the people and the organizations and are at the beginning of our careers. That shared experience creates a bond. You’re not the only one who asks a lot of questions or is sometimes unsure. That makes it a lot easier and more fun.
The future: ready for the next step
If all goes well, I would like to stay at Deep Value after the traineeship. By then I’ll know the company, the clients and the colleagues. As a junior consultant, that gives you just that little bit more self-confidence. So why should I look any further? Of course the skills I learn here are also applicable in other positions in other companies, but for now I feel right at home at Deep Value.
Find out more about Eqeep’s Young Talent Program
Have you just graduated and also want to get off to a flying start? Eqeep’s Young Talent Program offers you the chance to learn and grow in a professional environment. Want to know more? Visit our traineeship page or contact our HR department at HRM@eqeep.com or +31 30 654 0924. Are you our next talent?