Working at WVDB

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Who is Floortje Schroeder?

My name is Floortje Schroeder and I am 23 years old. I was born in Tilburg and have lived in ‘s- Hertogenbosch since I was 11 years old. After high school, I started the hbo study Business Economics/Accountancy at Avans University in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. I completed this program in 2018. Since I wanted to study in the city where I come from, I chose to follow the Pre-Master Accountancy at Tilburg University. After completing the Pre-Master I started the Master Accountancy and consequently, I started the Post-Master Accountancy at Tilburg University in September 2020.

My path to WVDB

My path to WVDB started in 2016 when I signed up for the ‘practice route’. The practice route was a part of my hbo Accountancy studies at Avans Hogeschool and allowed students to get acquainted with the audit practice. To be able to participate in the practical route, a choice of an accountancy firm had to be made. The choice consisted of a Big 4 firm and WVDB. My preference went to WVDB because I believe I fit better in an organization where the lines are short and therefore everyone in the department knows each other and works with each other. In addition, I saw that a medium-sized organization would offer me the opportunity to be given responsibilities and to grow more quickly. WVDB caught my attention because it is a multidisciplinary office where different disciplines work together and because WVDB has a diverse client portfolio. The practical route brought me to WVDB as a junior assistant accountant. The practical route had a duration of 1.5 years where I worked 4 days as a junior assistant accountant at WVDB and followed my studies on Fridays. This allowed me to get an early idea of how everything works in practice. During my working period as a junior assistant accountant, WVDB introduced me to the accountancy profession. They gave me the opportunity to carry out various activities for both the compilation and the audit practice. In this way, WVDB gave me the opportunity during this period to get an idea of the practice and to develop myself. As a result, it was easier for me to make my choices regarding a follow-up study (AA / RA).

“During this interim period, I started as a working student in the audit practice at WVDB. Working a few days a week during my studies allowed me to apply all the theoretical knowledge I had gained during my studies and to maintain and expand my practical knowledge.”

After finishing the Pre-Master, an interim period follows, and then the Master Accountancy starts. During this interim period, I started as a working student in the audit practice at WVDB. Working a few days a week during my studies allowed me to apply all the theoretical knowledge I had gained during my studies and to maintain and expand my practical knowledge. This gave me an advantage over my fellow students in terms of practical experience. Because of the above, after completing my Master’s in Accountancy it was not difficult to choose where I wanted to work. WVDB has given me the opportunity to gain practical knowledge and develop myself during both my hbo and my Master’s studies. I have always found this time to be very pleasant. Because of this, I chose to stay at WVDB and I started as an assistant accountant audit practice at WVDB on September 1, 2020.

My role and activities

I have now been working as an assistant accountant for the audit practice at WVDB for several months. I have benefited greatly from the knowledge I have acquired during the practical training and my work-study, as I can now work independently. As an assistant, I am involved in carrying out audit assignments for various clients. WVDB has a very diverse client portfolio, which allows me to gain experience with the different sizes of clients and the sectors in which they operate. The diversity of the work with different clients and the cooperation with multiple disciplines make it challenging to work at WVDB. In addition, there is room for guidance, management, personal development, lots of customer contact and every team member is ready to help each other. There is also a friendly informal atmosphere at WVDB where it is pleasant for everyone to work. Usually, staff parties and outings are also the focus. However, due to COVID-19, these have not been able to physically take place this past year. Of course, WVDB would not be WVDB if we did not replace these outings with virtual ones. We now have the virtual after work drinks on friday, the control practice pub quiz, and the (Christmas) bingo!

What do I want to give you?

What I would like to pass on to you is that if you have the opportunity to take an early look at the practice to grab this chance. It facilitates your (study) choices in the future, gives you a head start on your fellow students, ensures your personal development, provides extra preparation for the start of your career and WVDB is open to help you with this! I would also like to suggest you take a good look around and see which office suits you best. Go and have coffee at different offices and talk to starting employees so that they can share their experiences with you. This will give you a taste of the atmosphere at different offices. Don’t follow the most popular route, follow your own route!