A day in the life of Young IMPROVEN consultant Thiarah

Young IMPROVEN offers young talents the opportunity to seize professional opportunities and kickstart their careers. Especially for starting consultants, IMPROVEN has put together an intensive development programme that combines professional and skills training with working on assignments. Within the programme, there are three pathways: Business, Finance and Data consulting. Here get young professionals the chance to develop and specialise in the field that suits them best. 

In this article, we take you inside the daily life of Young IMPROVEN consultant Thiarah (25).Thiarah Is a curious and ambitious Finance professional. While studying Finance and Investments lay the emphasis especially at investing, but they discovered that her interests were broader. To continue discovering where her place within Finance lies chose Thiarah for the Young IMPROVEN programme. 

Who am I and what do I want? 

Thiarah is originally from Curaçao, but because you cannot get academic education there, she decided to move to the Netherlands. Here she obtained her Bachelor and Master Finance and Investments. During her studies, she had some doubts about the direction of her Master and decided to broaden her view: "If I don't want to do Investments, which direction does suit me, without being Auditing?" That search led her to Finance Control and Financial Management, fields that really appealed to her. 

"During my thesis, I had worked with Excel, but this was really a lot more complex. I had to learn a lot quickly and I liked that very much, this was exactly why I went for a ondevelopment programme had chosen." 

On the advice of an acquaintance, she started looking into consultancy development programmes. The idea of doing different assignments in a short period of time without immediately choosing one field appealed to her. It allowed her to discover what really suited her. Through LinkedIn, she came across the Finance track of the Young IMPROVEN programme. After comparing the development programmes at different companies, she made the decision: she consciously chose IMPROVEN because this programme offers her the space to keep discovering, learning and growing within different financial fields. 

"Anything to do with Excel came to me. The project manager often said: 'Thiarah can do that'. That really gave me confidence." 

Just the start she was looking for 

Over a year later, Thiarah has already completed four assignments. Her weeks are a combination of doing client assignments and regular training at IMPROVEN. One of her first assignments was immediately a great opportunity: a six-month consultancy project, where she was responsible for the timekeeping research reports. This was exactly the kind of challenge Thiarah was looking for. In a short time, she developed in terms of both content and professionalism, and immediately felt she added value for the client. 

"During my thesis, I had worked with Excel, but this was really a lot more complex. I had to learn a lot quickly and that was exactly what I liked, this was exactly why I had chosen a development programme." 

Thiarah dove into the content and made strides in her hard skills. She felt directly responsible for a part of the project: "Everything to do with Excel came to me. The project manager often said, 'Thiarah can do that'. That really gave me confidence." 

Besides the practical experience, she also got a lot out of the training and personal coaching at IMPROVEN. "At IMPROVEN, they are always open to input and ideas. For example, if I indicate I need specific training for an assignment, our manager picks it up immediately." 

"Just have a conversation with someone in the office, dThen the enthusiasm just spills out. From the open corporate culture to the varied, challenging assignments: everyone here is really positive. And don't forget the events, which are ideal for really getting to know your colleagues."

What does a day look like? 

Thiarah is now on her fifth assignment and is gaining plenty of new experiences at this government agency. A typical Tuesday starts with a check-in with her IMPROVEN manager. Sometimes this is a short call to catch up, other times a longer conversation about her goals and development. Then she jumps on her bike towards the client's office. "We sit together with the team every day. As a result, the atmosphere is open and friendly, and it's easy to get on each other's nerves." 

"At IMPROVEN they are always open to input and ideas. As for example, I indicate that I need specific training for an assignment, then grabt our manager that right away." 

Thiarah usually works on two different financial products. In the morning, she focuses on the first product. Then she takes a well-earned break, followed by a team meeting. "Then we discuss how everyone is doing, what the budget is, how many requests there are and how we will proceed," she says. Finally, she finishes the day with work on the second product. 

Thiarah experiences a dynamic working day at the client: her day is well filled and varied. Thanks to the pleasant working atmosphere, she is right at home. This is evident not only from her own experience, but also from the satisfaction of the client who has now extended her assignment. Great confirmation that she really adds value.

"Because there are little hierarchy is palpable, you just sit back and relax. You dare to ask questions and learn a lot from colleagues with more experience. Since everyone is accessible, working together and learning from each other comes naturally, which makes the work extra fun."

YOUNG IMPROVEN - Improving starts with connection 

IMPROVEN is all about connection, with clients, colleagues and society. With this in mind, IMPROVEN helps organisations in transition, at the intersection of Finance, Risk and IT. For young professionals like Thiarah, this means an environment full of opportunities, challenges and personal growth. A senior colleague responsible for quality control plays an active role in this. He encourages active thinking on your own: "He motivated us from the start to give our own input, but because he reads all reports before they go to the client, there is a safety net." For Thiarah, this freedom took some getting used to, but now, partly thanks to this encouragement, she feels much more confident about sharing her ideas. 

What appeals to her at IMPROVEN is the open organisational culture. "Because there is little perceptible hierarchy, you are just comfortable in your own skin. You dare to ask questions and learn a lot from colleagues with more experience. Because everyone is approachable, working together and learning from each other come naturally and that makes the work extra fun." 

Work-life balance is also good. Although the combination of client hours and training can be intense, working hours are flexible. This allows Thiarah to plan her week smartly and effectively. 

In addition to her assignments, Thiarah is involved in the marketing of the Young IMPROVEN Programme. This team is responsible for all pieces, LinkedIn posts and newsletters written about the Young IMPROVEN Programme. "I think it's important to put the programme on the map, and besides that, it's a fun way to collaborate with colleagues from other programmes." 

What would Thiarah say to future Young IMPROVEN consultants? Her answer is clear: