Who am I?
I am Koen Koot, 25 years old and have been working at Fagro as a Financial Consultant for 1,5 years. Just like you, I did my studies in Tilburg, which is where I currently reside. Luckily, I didn’t have to move too far, since I am originally from Kaatsheuvel. Probably most notable to you for…. the Efteling of course.
What did I do before Fagro?
Like I shortly mentioned before, I studied at Tilburg University as well. After graduating in the Bachelor in Business Economics, I subsequently continued with a Master in Finance. A Master I can recommend to everyone. During my bachelor period I also did an internship at ABN AMRO Bank in Breda. Other than being an incredibly educational period, a really fun time too! Let that be my first tip: make sure that you develop yourself well, but don’t forget to enjoy yourself during this period of your life!
“It became obvious that Fagro attaches great value to the personal development of the consultant.”
How did I end up at Fagro?
The opportunities ahead of you as students, I of course faced as well. When I finished my Master, I had to orientate myself on the job market. An important moment to get in touch with relevant employers are the Economic Business Weeks (EBT). Here I got in contact with Fagro. After a pleasant, personal conversation during the EBT I got invited for a cup of coffee at the office. Things have been snowballing ever since. After a couple of additional follow-up interviews and a competence test, Fagro and I turned out to be a match, and I am still very happy with that!
Why Fagro?
Other than the right click I had with the business manager of Fagro, there are other reasons why I chose for Fagro. In the conversations we had it became obvious that Fagro attaches great value to the personal development of the consultant. A special program was created for starting employees where you and fellow starters of your generation have monthly competency- or subject oriented trainings. Next to the organized training, Fagro also offers the opportunity to study for the post master part time in order to become a Register Controller. There are definitely enough opportunities to develop yourself! In addition, I really wanted to explore consultancy as well. Gaining as much experience as possible across various organizations, both professionally and socially, is very important to me. I believe that it is incredibly important that you can adapt yourself well to the dynamic environment and deal with varying personalities in the business world.
“Try to be active within a study association or local sports club. Not just to strengthen your CV, but to discover yourself!”
What do I do now?
Even though one of my main reasons to choose for Fagro was to develop myself in different types of businesses and environments in a short amount of time, I am ironically enough still working for my first client: Philips Lightning. However, the fact that I’m still working here means in my case that I have managed to develop myself a lot! After starting out as a credit manager at Philips Lighting IP (intellectual property) I have managed to progress into an assistant controller. Primarily I was responsibly for everything regarding the accounts receivable position, but over time I became responsible for the total revenues of the licensing team. An incredible challenge as a starter, but that makes it incredibly exciting and educational. In fact, I was invited to go to America for week to work on a project for Philips. These wonderful opportunities were offered to me partly because of my choice for Fagro, and who knows what exciting opportunities lie ahead of me!
What advice do I have for students?
Since I am probably only a couple years older than you, I don’t want to call it ‘advice’. However, I can share with you what I think is important in this period of your lives. Make sure that you know what you like to do! Create distinction in the courses you attend. What do you think is really interesting? In addition, make sure you are active next to your studies. Both socially and professionally. Explore whether it’s possible for you to do an internship so you can get a taste of what it’s like to work inside a certain company or industry. Try to be active within a study association or local sports club. Not just to strengthen your CV, but to discover yourself! Like I said, don’t forget to enjoy yourself during this period of your life. It is an important aspect of developing and discovering yourself.
You can always contact me via LinkedIn in case you have any other questions, or would like to know more.
