Who am I?
My name is Jeroen Florissen, and I am 23 years old. Originally, I am from a small village near Nijmegen, where I grew up with my parents and sister. Then I dove beneath the rivers and ended up in Tilburg. I lived there for over a year, after which I moved to the Burgundian Den Bosch. I have been happily living here for almost a year now.
What have I done?
As I mentioned, I am originally from a village close to the cozy student-town Nijmegen where I enjoyed studying for my bachelor Accountancy at the University of Applied Sciences of Arnhem and Nijmegen. Although I discovered during my internship that accountancy wouldn’t be my future, I am still satisfied retrospectively. I am still reaping the benefits of the foundation I constructed during this bachelor. I noticed I was more interested in the business aspect and therefore opted to go study for a master Strategic Management in Tilburg. Once again, I really enjoyed my time in Tilburg and at the university! After graduating I worked for a little less than a year for a small accountancy firm in Eindhoven.
How did I end up at Fagro?
Your time as a student is not solely made up out of working hard, partying, sleeping in and trying to figure out how you enroll for the correct schedules and tutorials on Blackboard… It is also the moment when orientating on the job market starts playing a major role. I advise you to be proactive in this aspect. You can do this by putting in the small effort of updating your LinkedIn profile. For example, I had never heard of Fagro, but I was approached by their recruiter via LinkedIn for an orientating interview. This interview clicked on both sides and I ended up in the official application procedure and I am working for Fagro since August.
Why Fagro?
Next to the relaxed and informal vibe that struck me during the interviews, the organization as a whole suits me. Especially for someone still in the starting phase of their career, and not exactly sure where their ambitions lie, working on secondment is an ideal way to get a taste of each part of business. Business Managers within Fagro take the time to select a suitable project for you and are very involved in your personal development. In addition, personal development is stimulated by the large amount of training the company offers its employees. In this manner you can improve on a professional as well as a social level.
”Within a short amount of time I have to become familiar with all systems and make sure the client is satisfied with our service after the job is done.”
What am I doing now?
I am currently working for Patheon Softgels in Tilburg. This is a manufacturing company for pharmaceuticals and they requested assistance in restoring and analyzing part of their administration. I collaborate with a small team in the finance department in order to clear the back log, as well as to make improvements for the future. More specifically, I am occupied with sorting the suspense account on the accounts payable. It is a short but intense assignment. Within a short amount of time I have to become familiar with all systems and make sure the client is satisfied with our service after the job is done. I am really enjoying it and am looking forward to the assignments ahead!
What advice do I have for students?
I want to advice you to explore the possibilities for an internship during your studies. As I am a graduate of the Applied Sciences program I had to do an internship as part of the curriculum, but this isn’t mandatory at the university. Completing an internship lead me to making the right choice for both my Master program and field direction. An internship is an excellent way to apply your theoretical capabilities in practice, and to get a taste of a certain discipline or industry. There is a lot to learn next to the reading material.
Furthermore, I want to advise you to thoroughly enjoy the best time of your life; your time as a student!
In case you have any questions, or want to know more, don’t hesitate to contact me via LinkedIn!
