A day in the life of Young Improven consultant Julia

Young Improven offers young talents the opportunity to seize professional opportunities and kickstart their careers. Improven has developed an intensive training programme for its young talents that combines professional and skills training, courses and working in projects. In the corridors of Improven, these talents are also called 'yippers', derived from the abbreviation YIP of the 'Young Improven Programme'. 

Have you ever wondered what a typical working day looks like for a Young Improven Consultant at Improven? Step into the world of Julia, an enthusiastic 'yipper', and find out how she fills her days with challenging projects, social interactions and personal growth.  

From alarm clock to workplace: Julia's morning ritual 

The day starts early for Julia. At 06:30 the alarm clock rings and at 06:30 she is actually standing next to her bed. She has already prepared her clothes, breakfast and lunch the night before, so she can leave almost immediately. At 07:00 she gets into her lease car from Improven and starts the drive from Tilburg to Utrecht. 

Once in the office, Julia starts her working day at Improven full of energy, working on fun internal projects and tackling cool client projects. With a cup of fruit tea in hand, she is one of the first to pick a spot. After getting installed, she checks her mails and to-do list for the day. 

Julia is currently engaged in two challenging client assignments. On the one hand, she is delving into a cost study for a large non-profit organisation, while on the other she is supporting the internal project manager at an international wind turbine company specialising in service and maintenance. This ensures that her work is different every day. 

Complex challenges: Julia's Microsoft 365 project 

As a Young Improven Consultant, Julia contributes to solving complex challenges for clients. One of the most challenging projects Julia has worked on was the implementation of Microsoft 365 at her client. Due to Improven's extensive expertise in change management and IT implementations, this project was an excellent match between Improven and the client. 

One of the project leaders at an internationally operating wind turbine supplier could use a right hand in several projects, and found it in the role of a Project Management Officer (PMO). As PMO, Julia supports the project leader in planning, executing and completing projects.  

On the Microsoft 365 project, Julia was mainly responsible for the change process, including providing communication to the internal organisation and training employees to get them ready to use the new software. The latter part required patience and the ability to explain step by step what was expected of users.  

"Because you are working on a programme or project yourself every day, many actions become natural" 

For Julia, the challenge therefore lay in taking a step back and learning to simplify complex issues so that she could effectively guide and support users through the changes. This approach enabled her to ensure the transition went smoothly and that everyone was comfortable with the new software. 

With the implementation behind her, Julia now focuses on aftercare. As the team becomes increasingly comfortable with the new software, she will provide the necessary instructions and training to bring the project to a successful conclusion. At the same time, she will focus on a new project where all end-to-end processes need to be mapped.   

Julia finds in her assignments that her fresh perspective as a young professional often leads to surprising, out-of-the-box ideas. As someone at the beginning of her career, she has the freedom to experiment with creativity and the latest theories and techniques from a recently completed study and the training she receives from Improven. This allows her to come up with innovative solutions that others might overlook. 

Connection and efficiency: Julia's mix of home working and office life 

Besides her client assignments, Julia enjoys throwing herself into creative projects at Improven. For example, she writes the internal newsletter for the 'yippers', keeping the organisation informed about the latest activities and successes of the young talents within the company. This includes everything from new assignments to celebrating successes and fun outings. 

But that is not the only thing she is involved in. Julia also regularly collaborates on change management initiatives and contributes to knowledge sharing on this within Improven. These additional projects give her the opportunity to further develop and expand her skills, while at the same time contributing to the company's growth and improvement. 

When it comes to internal initiatives, Julia prefers face-to-face meetings. She finds it not only convenient, but also simply fun to have regular personal contact with her colleagues. This not only promotes quick decisions, but also strengthens mutual cooperation within the team. 

She appreciates the moments when she can ask questions of colleagues and come up with solutions together. The dynamics in the office make every working day an experience. During lunch, she chats with her colleagues and takes a walk to stretch her legs and gain energy for the rest of the day. 

Julia finds it important to strike a balance between work and social interaction, for her this means a balance between working at home and on location. Both at the client and at Improven. She finds the energy and dynamics at the office ideal for knowledge sharing and collaboration. Working at home, on the other hand, offers her the space for concentrated work, especially during deadlines and more complex tasks. 

"With deadlines, I like having the opportunity to work concentrated and secluded at home in my study." 

This versatile work structure allows Julia to do her best work, fully utilising and enjoying both the energy of the office environment and direct client interactions. 

Young Improven: Growing, Collaborating and Developing 

Twice a year, a new batch of 'yippers' start the intensive Young Improven Programme, which offers a mix of training and practical experience. The programme offers a combination of subject-matter sessions - such as Agile Awareness, Business and IT, and Risk Management - and personal development training. Training sessions often start in the afternoon and are interrupted for a convivial meal together. 

Julia plays an active role within her batch by planning fun activities and outings. For instance, she even organised a weekend away together with the colleagues from her batch. She finds this important because they spend a lot of time together, both during training sessions and outside working hours for fun activities.  

"We have a good relationship with each other, so it's always fun" 

Julia appreciates how the programme supports her in setting learning goals and continuously improving her skills. The personal development training and coaching at Improven gives her the space to reflect deeply on her strengths and development areas. This process not only helps her set targeted learning goals, but also provides essential guidance for her professional growth. Julia considers this approach an indispensable support in her development. 

"A year ago, I did not know that certain learning goals were important to me, but through the encouragement and guidance from Improven, I have started to think differently about them now"  

The programme not only offers the opportunity to set personal learning goals and continuously improve yourself, but also to learn together. During so-called intervision sessions, the yippers dive into various issues and challenges they have encountered in practice. Instead of receiving ready-made solutions, the colleagues ask each other targeted questions that help them gain insight and find effective solutions themselves. This not only promotes personal development, but also strengthens cooperation and problem-solving skills within the team. 

At Improven, it is not only professional growth that counts, but also the close-knit team culture. At Improven, you work with friendly colleagues in a fun corporate culture. Julia encourages future consultants to discover for themselves whether Improven suits them by having interviews and coming to sample the atmosphere. 

"Do what suits you. Sometimes you just have to give it a chance"  

In short, a day in the life of a Young Improven Consultant at Improven is dynamic and full of variety. With challenging projects, social interactions and plenty of opportunities for personal development, Improven offers an exciting working environment for any ambitious starter. 

At IMPROVEN improvement starts with connection. Connection with the customer, colleagues and society. We guide organisations in transition at the intersection of Finance, Risk and IT with a special focus on project and programme management, process improvement, information provision and digitalisation.