'You're immediately taken seriously here, even if you're just starting out'

“I studied Business Administration in Rotterdam and then started my Master’s in Business Information Management. After studying business, consultancy is a fairly logical step. I also really liked the IT aspect. Those interests quickly led me to Capgemini. I eventually connected with Capgemini Invent through a workshop at Erasmus University.”

“I attended numerous in-house days and workshops within a short period of time. I enjoyed getting an inside look at all the companies and saw a lot of similarities between them. The people everywhere were really nice, but the companies did differ in terms of content and the type of people working there. The timing was ultimately the main deciding factor. At the exact moment that I was looking for an internship for my thesis, Capgemini was at an event that was being held. In the end, Capgemini was also the only company that actually gave me a follow-up call after the event.”

“No. In fact, I didn’t really know what I wanted. That’s why I started studying Business Administration. It’s quite a broad field. I was mostly interested in variety within a job and contact with clients, so that’s what I was looking for. This led me to consultancy rather quickly. I also knew that I could learn a lot in this field.”

 

“I work as a management consultant in the Artificial Intelligence & Automation Strategy team, focusing mainly on value management. Our tasks include working on business cases for large firms that have to make a decision or want to look at what they are going to invest in.”

“No. Since I hadn’t done any actual consultancy work during my internship, I first started training as a young professional at The Institute. I really enjoyed it. The program lasted two months, and I immediately traveled to Berlin and Munich with the rest of the new young professionals. During the ‘green week’, we stayed in Utrecht. This way you to get to know everyone very well while also receiving great guidance.”

“That depends a bit on what is available. When you’re just starting out, your tasks are somewhat broader anyway and you still have to figure out which position is right for you. For example, I’m currently on assignment at ING in the role of project manager. That means I mostly bring structure to the team in terms of meetings and schedules. For now it’s still a lot of administrative work, but fortunately I’m being given more and more innovation-related tasks in my role.”

“That I’m immediately taken seriously even though I’m just starting out. Sometimes I might still have the feeling that I don’t know everything, but the expectations are nevertheless there. Others really listen to me as well. I also think it’s great that I can build an entire network and get to know lots of people.”

“Yes, sometimes. But in the end, everyone is assigned to a project and busy working on their own thing. So if you're here during the week, it doesn’t make much of a difference either. You mostly have to be around on Fridays, when a large number of the consultants are at the office. For my next assignment, though, I think it would be nice to work on the same project with several colleagues.”

“Definitely! Take the colleagues I started with at The Institute, for example: we’ve become quite close and we regularly meet outside of work. I actually see them as friends now, too. As a matter of fact, we’re having dinner together tonight. Capgemini Invent also organizes a lot of activities. We’ve already had a few events with my team in Germany and Austria, like the Christmas party last year. I myself organize various activities with Next (Young Capgemini Invent) as well, like the Friday afternoon drinks, and I help with the organization of the CapCup. So yes, I do plenty!”