My name is Koen Polman, I am 24 years old and working at Fagro Consultancy as Junior Consultant since November 2016. I’m originally from Didam, a small village near Arnhem, but after travelling to Tilburg daily for half a year I moved to Tilburg. What did I study? In Tilburg I studied the bachelor Business Economics first and afterwards chose for the master Finance. During my last year of my bachelor I became active at study association Asset | Accounting & Finance. I was treasurer of the StudyTour 2014 committee, which organized a trip to Japan. Because I thought it was important to do things next to my studies, I chose to spread my master over 2 years. This enabled me to stay active member of A&F by joining the investments-committee and becoming treasurer of the badminton association for students (TSBV Sauron). Enough about my past, where am I now? A couple of months before graduating I came into contact with Fagro by a personal talk during the Economic Business Weeks Tilburg. Twenty minutes went past very quickly and I was invited to drink a cup of coffee at the office in Eindhoven. This first meeting, but also the open conversations that followed were very appealing to me. Fagro is a company that is focused on you as a person and not just what is on your resume. Where some companies work with intake moments, Fagro always has a place for the right people. After a few more conversations, where I got to know all business managers in Eindhoven, followed the competence test; the Virtual Competence Manager. This test analyses your knowledge, skills, motivation, interests and future perspectives. Because of the feedback from this test, you get to know yourself a lot better, not just your strong points, but also your points of improvement. After this test I got offered a contract. I signed my contract at the beginning of June already, even though I would graduate at the end of August. Why did I choose Fagro? Besides the personal match, there were other reasons why I chose for Fagro. I wanted, especially as my first job, to work as a consultant. This way you get in contact with a lot of people, but you also get to see a range of different companies from the inside. To prove yourself again and again and receive different types of challenging assignments, are things I find important as well. Furthermore, I think it is very important to have enough time for my personal life next to my working life. I have noticed that this balance is very important at Fagro too. My first assignment at Fagro? At this moment I just finished my first assignment at Nutricia. I was responsible for mapping the financial obligations they have for the upcoming years. I got the chance to work in an international environment at Nutricia. The average length of an assignment is about 8 to 10 months, but the assignment at Nutricia was a lot shorter. Although there is always space to claim more tasks and more work, thus extend the assignment and improve the business where you are even more. Thus, at Fagro our mission is: ‘Improving your performance’. After Nutricia I got an assignment at Dura Vermeer, a sizeable construction group within the Netherlands, where they needed a replacement for the financial administration. Besides that, Dura Vermeer is combining the financial administration of two of the business units, where they need my contribution as well. That is one of the beautiful things of consultancy, apart from the fixed work a company hires you for, there is room to implement improvements when you think they are needed. If you are in between assignments, the business managers work hard to get you another project. In the meanwhile, you work at the office in Eindhoven (or Maastricht or Arnhem). During this period, you can develop yourself in the way that seems most useful for you. For example, I received two Excel-trainings, the last one with macro’s, but I also got training in both advanced communication and assertiveness on location with a professional trainer. I also got to know a couple of colleagues, who you don’t see often apart from the drinks and business meetings. Until now I have had an amazing time at Fagro and I can’t wait to work at a broad field of different companies and develop myself constantly in the upcoming years. Do you think Fagro would fit you after reading this article? Then I am always open for questions about my activities and I can get you in contact with the right people. Tips for current students? Be active besides your study, this way you can develop yourself as much as possible. And, when you are looking for a job, I recommend visiting the companies that you are interested in. This way you get to know the right people and you get a good image of what the company is like. So if are you interested in Fagro, you are very welcome to stop by!
Working at NBA
Accountants are the future The accountant profession is changing. The accountant of the future is another profession than that of 10 years ago. Pieter Jongstra RA, chairman of the Royal Dutch Institute of Chartered Accountants (NBA), sees mostly opportunities for the profession. IT creates change The fact that the accounting profession is changing will come to no surprise. But why is it changing? According to Pieter Jongstra developments in the IT are the major cause: “Automatic systems are of great importance to our work. These systems develop lightning-fast. The time that the entrepreneur came to his accountant with a shoebox full of receipts is over. Figures come into being differently now than in the past and the auditor is no longer the only that deals with this. Blockchain-technology can change the whole payment system. I see these developments as an opportunity. The more information you have, the better you can look for the story behind the numbers. And the better you can do your job as an accountant. ” New opportunities Some pessimists fear that some of the accounting work is taken over by IT professionals. Pieter Jongstra does not share that fear. “Do not underestimate how much knowledge accountants have! Not only about administrative systems, but also about legislations for example. This is knowledge that IT professionals lack. Moreover, it is increasingly important for companies to comply with all regulations. Therefore, they still keep coming back to the auditor. I also have the distinct impression that there´s a growing need for assurance. Therefore, the auditor there may have opportunities to add assurance to new areas. For instance, consider the annual financial report. At present, the auditor doesn´t expresses its opinion on the management report, only on the financial responsibility. In that area, the auditor could broaden itself. ” “With the adjustments that we do now, the profession is ready for the future!” An improved education What does the NBA do to prepare the profession for the future? The Institute manages the register of chartered accountants, represents the interests of the professional group, maintains the quality and is involved with regulation. But the main task is probably the education of new auditors. In that area, we can expect the greatest changes. IT is given an important role and there are different graduation profiles. Three profiles “All auditors are working toward the same goal,” said the NBA chairman, “namely a better quality of financial reporting. But our roles can be quite different. One works as an internal auditor, the other as auditor, consultant or controller. We adjust the education accordingly. There will be three versions of the title, specializations, as it were: assurance, finance and SMEs. So you are better prepared for the practice. In the past, if you wanted work in the business sector, you first had to gain years of experience in public accountancy. Now you get all the right knowledge during the course of the training. This does mean that you have to choose earlier. Do you want to become a financial advisor or SME director, or do you prefer to work as a controller?” Excellent followers Accountants are not known as the most innovative profession. But that is not necessary, according to Pieter Jongstra. “The accounting profession exists in our country for about 130 years. In all that time accountants have always adapted. When I started as an accountant, I worked with pencil. With the advent of the first computers I was overjoyed. They saved me a lot of time I could devote to the quality of my work. Auditors will also adapt to these changes. We may not be the most innovative profession, we are excellent followers. With the adjustments that we do now, the profession is ready for the future! “
Working at BDO
I’m Stef Jacobs – 24 years old – born in the East-Brabant village Boxmeer. I moved to Tilburg for my Bachelor Business Economics and my Master Accountancy. Currently I’m studying the Post Master Accountancy and I’m an Assistant Accountant at BDO. I would like to share my first experiences in the auditteam of BDO. How did I come in contact with BDO While studying I was an active member at the student association Asset | Accounting & Finance. During this period I became more aware about a future career and I wanted to gain some practical experience, next to the theory we get in the lectures. The conversations I had with employees of BDO made me instantly feel that BDO is a professional organization with a pleasant work atmosphere. That’s why I decided to apply for job opening for a work student at BDO. As a work student I worked three days a week at the Audit & Assurance unit in addition to the lectures at the university. This way, I already had a look behind the scenes at BDO, I became acquainted with the work of Accountancy and I had been to different clients. I really liked it there, so I decided I wanted to write my Master’s thesis at BDO, which I did last year. As of September I am working as an Assistant Accountant at BDO. My first weeks The first two or three weeks were marked by introductions, presentations and training. Together with all new colleagues of BDO the Netherlands, we went to Lunteren for several days, where we followed several training courses. Obviously, this was alternated with other activities to get to know each other better. After the introduction weeks the interim period began. During this period, we went to the customer to identify the administrative organization of the customer and describe the controls and evaluated them. Customer Portfolio BDO has a very diverse clientele. Of course, many profit organizations are included to our customers, but in addition, BDO is also very active in other sectors such as healthcare, municipalities and housing associations. My clientele is a mix of different industries. I personally find that quite interesting. This makes the work very diverse and challenging and definitely a lot of fun. You will draw a clear picture of the differences between different branches and you can experience what industry you really like. Ultimately, this also offers opportunities to specialize in a specific industry. I don’t know yet if I want to specialize let alone what industry. First, I want to orient myself broadly by working with all kinds of customers. What I find important in an employer I think trust and responsibility are very important. An employer must have faith in me and let me have my own responsibilities. I’ve experienced that trust during my time as a work student. I went to customers and was handed control related activities during this period. I also find it very important that there are possibilities to develop yourself and that people are professionally critical. My more experienced colleagues review my work and give me tips for improvement. This helps me tremendously in my personal development. Other aspects that I consider important are a pleasant working atmosphere with friendly colleagues and pleasure in your work. “Look for things that challenge you.” My ambitions In terms of education I want to be a chartered accountant. I also want to continue developing within BDO by picking up new and challenging work. In the coming years I want to see as many different branches and customers as possible, so I know what really suits me. Maybe than I know if I want to specialize in the future. Also it seems like fun to guide new colleagues at one point. I’ve not yet decided whether or not I would like to become a partner at BDO in the future. I feel that I can learn a lot at BDO and the company suits me. Tips I would recommend anyone to think about what you would like to do in the future, in time. Look for things that challenge you. Because I was an active member of a student association, I came into contact with fellow students and several companies. It has increased my network and given me a lot of insight and motivation. I would therefore always suggest students to do more than just attending lectures, so you will find out what’s right for you.