"In the topic teams and on acquisitions I work in completely mixed working groups on an equal footing."
Release date: 25 March 2021
„You have the freedom to address ideas openly, regardless of the level of hierarchy. I was surprised and positively impressed by this freedom.“
Alexander works as a Consultant at zeb but started as an Analyst with the zeb.bachelor-welcome program in 2018. Here, he tells us how he came to zeb, what he particularly liked about his start after his Bachelor’s degree and why zeb is the right employer for him.
How did you get your position at zeb?
After completing an integrated degree program at a savings bank, I wanted to get to know the world of consulting work. It was clear to me from my career up until that point that I would like to stay in a financial and banking environment. I became aware of zeb thanks to a former colleague. I then took an internship at zeb during my Bachelor’s studies and heard about the zeb.bachelor welcome program. Since I had had good experience in mixing theory and practice during my integrated degree program, I wanted to do the same in my Master’s degree. That’s why I decided on the program at zeb and would do so again in the blink of an eye!
What do you like most about your work as an Analyst / about the zeb.bachelor welcome program?
I particularly like the fact that while Analysts represent the entry level in the hierarchy, they are still regarded as full project members. In the topic teams and on acquisitions I work in completely mixed working groups on an equal footing. I liked the one year of work between my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees a lot. I used this year to take a closer look at some universities and their Master’s programs and then made my decision. As a gap year, the program is excellent. And by being included in team events, we Analysts are able to stay in contact with colleagues even while doing our Master’s degree.
What was the most exciting task as an Analyst and why?
My most exciting task so far was on a project. I was allowed to support the EBA stress test 2018 at a large German bank as a project member. Meeting the deadlines for submissions to the supervisory authorities as well as the internal project coordination were challenging. I noticed from the beginning that people treated me as a full member of the project team. Despite the tight deadlines, the project manager took the time to bring me up to speed on the project. I was assigned various tasks in coordination and data preparation. Taking on this responsibility from the very beginning was an exciting experience and very instructive for me.
How would you describe the atmosphere at zeb?
I really enjoy working work at zeb. The working atmosphere is a good mix of professional work for clients and open, friendly communication in the zeb team. As part of the application process, great importance is attached to finding people who fit in—and it really shows! The zeb spirit is particularly noticeable at team events such as zeb.Uni, the Christmas party and PG meetings. As zeb has a warm, friendly atmosphere, these events can sometimes run until the early hours of the morning. ?
What surprised you most about zeb?
The phrase “reasoning beats hierarchy” is an essential part of the zeb DNA. It conveys the freedom that you can present ideas openly and they will be evaluated without bias, regardless of whether you are an Intern, Analyst or Senior Manager. I was surprised and positively impressed by this freedom. At the same time, this catchphrase pushes employees to promote their own good ideas.
