For the Dutch version, click here. “You get every opportunity to pursue your dreams.” Mithat Yucel combines his role as Assistant Accountant at Wesselman Accountants | Advisors with a Master’s degree in Accountancy & Controlling at Maastricht University. “A tough study, but Wesselman takes this into account – even during busy periods,” he says. Lotte Elsenaar sits down at ‘De Berk,’ one of the stately meeting rooms of the monumental building on the Aarle-Rixtelseweg in Helmond. She decided, after studying Tax Law & Economics, she also wanted to obtain her RA title. “That decision didn’t happen overnight,” she explains candidly. “A study requires a lot of time and energy, and I wanted to combine it with my job as an Assistant Accountant.” Essentially different According to the duo, this is what sets Wesselman apart from other firms. “At Wesselman, you are listened to as a person. You get every opportunity to pursue your dreams,” Mithat answers. Lotte and Mithat also appreciate the small gestures from Wesselman. “Just a little present, a gift with your birthday or a bunch of flowers when you buy a new house. Happiness is in small things,” adds Lotte. “We have lunch together with our colleagues every Thursday. Very nice to be able to catch up,” says Mithat. “Definitely! These lunches are always super well taken care of,” Lotte adds to him. “Every week it’s a treat! We have – apart from this weekly lunch – a control lunch with the team once every two months; all personal and business highlights and successes are discussed and celebrated then!” Making big steps Lotte and Mithat talk about GROW conversations, which focus on personal development. Together with your manager, you look back on the past period and determine your learning goals for the coming period. “You get to determine your own path,” says Mithat. Goals and expectations are also mapped out during the pre-audit meetings. Everyone gets to indicate his or her development points. “I have learned a lot with regard to mentoring juniors,” adds Lotte. “My supervisor gives me regular feedback. That feedback allows you to develop further.” Never the same Every client is different; there are different risks involved everywhere. “That’s what makes it so much fun,” Mithat explains enthusiastically. “I pick up certain posts, chart developments and work through to-do’s.” The basics are good. “We start the day with the team,” Lotte explains. “Very nice, because that way everyone knows what’s going on. Sometimes you work in the office, other times on location. A nice variety and the perfect opportunity to discuss important matters with the client. The role of Assistant Accountant is very diverse!” Wise counsel Still, there is one thing the pair would like to give students. “Make careful considerations,” Lotte replies. “Look carefully at which firm suits you and don’t underestimate the pressure – of working as well as studying.” Mithat nods in agreement. “In addition, it is also important to look into the educational possibilities. I study in Maastricht because for me that was a finer and especially more practical choice than Nyenrode. There is no right or wrong and you should mainly do what feels right for you.” Would you also like to work at Wesselman? Then contact Milou Kutscha at hrm@wesselman-info.nl or 0492-54 85 55. Who knows, maybe we’ll have a cup of coffee together soon.
How to build a career in Venture Capital
For the Dutch version, click here. The venture capital (VC) industry is an exciting and fast-growing field that provides individuals with the opportunity to make an impact in the business world, which can be highly rewarding if you’re willing to put in the work. If you’re looking to break into the VC industry, you’ll need to demonstrate a combination of skills and knowledge that can be developed through a variety of avenues. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to start your career in venture capital and the skills you need to succeed. 1. Develop Your Knowledge of the Industry The VC industry is a complex environment, and it’s important to have a detailed understanding of the industry before you jump into it. You will have to have a thorough understanding of how VC funds add value, how VC investments are structured, and the different stages of the venture capital cycle. Additionally, it’s important to understand the regulations and legalities of the venture capital industry, as you will need to know the boundaries you are required to operate in. In order to develop your understanding of the VC industry, you could best read industry publications and blogs by leading VC funds, attend conferences and seminars (for example from the NVP), and network with other professionals in the industry. 2. Develop Your Analytical Skills A major part of a venture capitalist’s job is to conduct due diligence and financial analysis on potential investments. First, it’s important to have the ability to assess a company from a financial perspective. Here, you have to be able to determine the valuation of the company with limited information, understand how the investment will create value in the future, and be able to evaluate whether the financial forecasts of the company make sense. Next to this, you also have to be able to analyze the market to understand how the company compares to its competition, how the market is segmented, and to be able to evaluate its product/service positioning. To develop your financial skillset, you should dive into some finance and accounting books and articles, take economics and financial analysis classes, and practice analysing financial statements. For market analysis skills, you’ll have to do the same things, read up on the topic, take classes, and practice. 3. Develop Your Network Having a strong network within the VC industry is essential to finding the best deals and staying abreast of the latest trends. Networking is in essence talking to people, but finding the right people is easy said than done, so here are a few tips: Attend networking events, join industry associations, connect with professionals on social media platforms like LinkedIn, and ask for introductions from people you already know. If you show a willingness to learn and a genuine interest in the people you reach out to, you’ll be amazed by their willingness to help you out. 4. Develop Your Negotiation Skills Venture capitalists need to be skilled in sales and negotiation to be successful. In the end, the valuation of a company and all other terms in the deal come down to the negotiations between the VC fund and the company. When it comes down to negotiations within venture capital, you need to know where the other party is coming from. While it may seem that a VC investment is purely financial, for the founders of the company that you are investing in, a lot of emotions are at play. It is therefore important to understand that venture capital is a people’s business, where building long-term relationships is essential. Being able to explain why certain terms are included in a deal and being able to defend your valuation of their fund without offending them is key to making a deal go smoothly. While you could develop these skills by practising presenting, you can only truly learn these skills through experience, which brings us to our last point. 5. Get Experience Gaining experience tops all other points in the VC industry. There are two ways you can go about this. The first one is the long way around, namely starting and becoming successful with your own company with VC backing. This will essentially give you a ticket into the VC industry as then you will already have almost all the skills needed, but this way is not for the people who want to go directly into the venture capital industry. If you want to immediately start in the VC industry, you can start by doing an internship at a venture capital fund, become part of a student VC fund or start working as an analyst at a venture capital firm. If you’re not able to start this way, you can also work for startups and get involved in the entrepreneurial community. By following these steps, you can lay the foundation for a successful career in venture capital. Developing a career in venture capital is no easy feat, but with hard work, dedication, and a willingness to take risks, it can be a rewarding and lucrative path. By gaining experience, building a strong network of contacts, staying educated on the industry, and staying up to date on industry news, you can set yourself up for success in the venture capital world. Good luck!
Working at Wesselman Accountants | Adviseurs
For the Dutch version, click here Who are you and what is your (study) background? My name is Dennis Vaas, 28 years old and born and raised in Weert. I’ve been living there for 5 years together with my girlfriend. In my spare time I like to do spinning and in spring I like to go cycling with friends. I am also active in the carnaval life and I am treasurer of a carnaval event where we organize a pub crawl along 11 pubs in Weert. Here I am responsible for the finances, sponsorship and ticket sales. I am also a member of a carnaval association with which we build a wagon for the carnaval parade. Carnaval is deeply embedded in my life. I have been working for Wesselman for 4 years now. I ended up here via school, as I first did my graduation internship at Wesselman. It was nice to get to know an accountancy firm in an approachable way through my internship. I liked it so much that I stayed on as an Assistant Accountant. I can now call myself Senior Assistant Accountant. I am now responsible for managing and reviewing and I am the link between the controllers and the assistants. This makes the job of Senior Assistant Accountant fun and challenging. I also like the fact that the variety of clients is so great and the complexity is increasing all the time. My clients range from trade organizations to construction companies. In addition, I really enjoy guiding and coaching the junior assistants in their development. Before I started studying Accountancy, I did the Pabo, but this turned out not to be my passion. After visiting a number of open days, I decided to study Accountancy. I first studied Accountancy at the Fontys University of Applied Sciences. Then I followed the pre-master, master and post-master Accountancy at Nyenrode Business University. I completed the post-master’s at the end of 2020, which means that the theoretical part of the RA course is over. I have now started the practical training, the first year of which is almost over. What makes Wesselman Accountants different? When I came to Wesselman I immediately sensed the good atmosphere. It is accessible and informal, and there is a real eye for the individual; they look at the person behind the employee. At Wesselman you are not just a number. I noticed that during the job interview because of the questions they ask, and as soon as you start you get a warm welcome. Wesselman Accountants is a full-service organisation with an accountancy and advisory practice. You can think of an auditing and compiling practice, outsourcing, payroll, tax consultants, tax return practice and a legal department. We have a lot of specialisms and knowledge in house! “In addition, one of our core values is ‘energetic’ and you can see that in the activities.” At Wesselman, I experience a real family culture. It is a small to medium-sized office, which means that you immediately have a lot of freedom in your work. As soon as you start, you are given responsibilities and you do not have to follow the beaten path, which I like. There is room for your personal interests. For instance, I really enjoy subsidy inspections and within Wesselman I am now one of the WMO inspection specialists. At Wesselman, you can focus on what you have an affinity with, which means that in addition to annual audits, you can also be involved in subsidy audits, due diligence investigations, or the IT aspect of the audit. The atmosphere is also very friendly and I would actually say relaxed among colleagues. There is little hierarchy. You can make jokes with a drawing accountant just as well as with an assistant and the partners get coffee for the trainees and vice versa. What does a day at Wesselman look like? It’s cliché but true, every day is different. For example, yesterday I went to a client and there I discussed the sales and purchasing processes with the client and then I worked it out. Today I started with a pre-audit of another customer. In a pre-audit, you’re going to discuss the controls and developments beforehand and you’re going to see how you’re going to frame the audit. Then, I worked out a risk analysis and the personnel process for the same client of yesterday. I also visit the client regularly. In the spring (pre-corona) that is almost every day. Since corona I have been working more from home. I like that because it is very nice for your work-life balance. Half of my work is at home or at the office and the other half is at the client’s. I have clients all over the Netherlands and I really enjoy being everywhere. Every organization is different and different types of people work everywhere. And I get to take a look behind the scenes everywhere. I get great pleasure from customers’ enthusiasm when I show genuine interest in their organization. This ensures a good and professional customer relationship. How can you grow personally and professionally within Wesselman? At Wesselman I get the chance to obtain my RA title and I hope to eventually develop myself into an audit manager. I can walk my own path in this, and I like that. There is also a real focus on soft skills. For example, I followed a Personal Development program where my personal development, cooperation with colleagues and working in the organization were really central. In addition to my work as an Accountant, I dream of one day teaching at a college. My interest in teaching remains, I didn’t start at the Pabo once for nothing. What activities are there outside of work and what is the activity of the year for you? The activity of the year will be our ski trip to Kaprun. We are going to Austria with all our colleagues. We are going to Austria for a long weekend with all of our colleagues, in honor
Working at Wesselman Accountants | Adviseurs
Where are you from and what is your study background? I was born in Veldhoven, but I grew up in Eindhoven. After obtaining my vwo-diploma I went to study at Tilburg University, where I graduated in Business Economics BSc. and Accountancy MSc. Currently, I am still studying at Tilburg University in order to graduate for my Post-master degree in Accountancy. This means that I am working four days in the week and attend lectures on Friday. Why did you choose for Wesselman? How did you get in touch with them? During my study, I visited multiple in-house days from different accounting firms, like the Big Four and mid-sized companies. It became clear to me that a mid-sized accounting firm fits me better and I got in touch with Wesselman. Wesselman offered me what I was looking for: a high degree of professionality in combination with a warm and personal approach, eye for development and lots of job satisfaction. What do you like the most from working at Wesselman? There are a several aspects I like from being a part of- and working for Wesselman. “First of all, you get a unique look inside and behind the scenes of companies. What is their strategy? How do they control their company? What is their staff policy?” Every company is different and has its own characteristics. At the same time, you are having conversations with the CEOs and CFOs and you get to know everything about their vision and goals. Second, I like the variety in the work I do and the variety of the teams and clients I am working with. Next to the audit of a company’s annual figures, I perform limited reviews and compile financial statements. Furthermore the client portfolio contains numerous clients from a wide variety of branches and sizes. Since this all takes place within a warm and personal environment and conditions that allow for a decent work/life-balance, everyday it is a pleasure for me to work at Wesselman. How are the primary and secondary working conditions at Wesselman? Working at Wesselman is a good step for motivated and ambitious professionals. Wesselman constantly invests in talent, knowledge and the learning of her employees. You are offered multiple internal trainings, both on technical and personal aspects, and get a personal mentor who will assist and help you with all of your questions. Furthermore, Wesselman offers a good and market-oriented salary, pays your study and provides you with your own laptop. If you make it to Senior Assistant Accountant (usually within two to three years) you will be offered a lease car and a business phone at your disposal. What are the opportunities at Wesselman for graduates? Just as me several years ago, every year new graduates start their career at Wesselman. At this moment we are still looking for new and motivated colleagues. So, if you are interested in my story and in working for Wesselman Accountants, please don not hesitate to take a look at our website. Perhaps I will see you soon at Wesselman! – This article is translated by an editor of Faces Online
Insight with Nienke de Wit
Nienke de Wit, Chairman Accounting Insight 2014, was asked to give us some insight regarding her experience at Asset | Accounting & Finance. She mentioned to have gained both social and business experiences. If you would like to learn more about why she became an Active Member or why she believes you should attend Accounting Insight, you can read her story. Who are you and what do you study? I am Nienke de Wit, Chairman of the ‘Accounting Insight 2014 committee’. I just started my master in Accounting. Last year I graduated from my bachelor in Business Administration Why did you join Asset | Accounting & Finance? I joined Asset | Accounting & Finance in January 2014. I was in my last year of my bachelor and decided I wanted to be involved in something besides my bachelor studies. I decided to take a look at the committees that Asset Accounting & Finance offered. After some well thought out considerations I decided to choose Accounting Insight because its details fit my interests very well. I wanted some extra challenges besides the lectures I had during my study. Next to that, I also wanted to meet new people at Tilburg University and I always got the impression that Asset | Accounting & Finance was a really nice study association. And I was right! Why did you join Accounting Insight? I wanted to gain more knowledge and experience in accounting and organizing an event. Accounting Insight suited my interests’ the most because you are continuously involved in topics that are up to date in the accounting news. What is the purpose of you and your committee organizing Accounting Insight? Accounting Insight is an event to help bridge the gap between the academic lectures given at Tilburg University and the practical situations that individuals are exposed to in companies. During lectures, students only get theoretical information from books, while during Accounting Insight there will be topics discussed that are more applied and relevant to the accounting world today. What and when is Accounting insight? Accounting insight is the 6th of November this year. During Accounting Insight multiple statements will be discussed which are focused on fields related to accounting. At this event you will hear the opinions of several important speakers, who all are very experienced in their own profession. The speakers are from four different categories, these are business, government, accountants and academic. Students are invited to participate and discuss the statements with the speakers and this makes the event interactive and interesting. Another element of Accounting Insight are the speeddates at the beginning of the evening. Students can choose to sign up and join the speeddates which give them opportunity to get in personal contact with the companies: KMPG, EY, Joanknecht & van Zelst and Wesselman. Have you gathered any benefits from being involved in this committee? The cooperation and collaboration required in a team is one thing that I learned whilst being involved in this committee and it is something I really liked doing. Another aspect of the committee that I really liked is that I had a lot of contact with the high profile speakers and professors that will attend the event. During your study it is hard to come in touch with important CEO’s and CFO’s and I had fortunate chance to visit them. Which guest speakers will there be at Accounting Insight? Gosse Boon will be one of the guest speakers. He is a registered accountant and CFO from Nutreco. Jan ten Kate, RA will also attend the event. He is the CFO from Amsterdam Commodities. Another guest speaker is Jan Dalhuisen, managing partner from EMEA Deloitte. A professor in accountancy at Nyenrode Business University, Marcel Pheijffer will be present as well. Finally, Henk Nijboer, member of the parliament for the PvdA and spokesman for Finance will attend and speak at Accounting Insight. Which companies will be present at the event? The key companies that will be present are the big 4 accountancy firms: KPMG, EY, PWC and Deloitte. Besides these four companies we will have some other very interesting firms attending the event, these are Joanknecht & Van Zelst, Wesselman and NBA. How did you develop the event? What were the processes from beginning to end to organize Accounting Insight? The first thing we did as a committee was establish the different topics to address and then we started contacting possible speakers. This was harder than we expected at first, but in the end we managed to find some seriously interesting and enthusiastic speakers. During the process we came to the conclusion that we would not focus on one specific subject, but rather on many different and relevant statements. We decided to organize the evening in a ‘house of commons’ setting. When this was all finalized we started looking for sponsors for the event. Once we found our sponsors it was time to cross our t’s and dot our i’s. This meant starting the promotion of the event! What are the benefits to participants of the Accounting Insight evening? Why should students participate? The students who have chosen to participate in the speeddates have a huge advantage because they have the opportunity to network and come in direct contact with companies that they could be working for in the future. For the other students it is an interesting and informative evening that will provide important insight into accountancy topics. They additionally have the chance to get actively involved in the discussion about very relevant and interesting issues. And besides that, how often do you have the chance to get into a conversation with a CEO or professor? Discuss your experience with regards to the contact with companies and speakers for the event? I thought it was very interesting and I learned a lot from it. It was nice to visit the companies for which the speakers will be representing on the event night. Most of the contact was made through the secretaries of the speakers,