Our zeb.talents: Lisanne & Daniel

Lisanne, were your wishes and interests taken into account during the internship and were you able to contribute your own view?

I was encouraged to play an active part from the very beginning. As a result, I immediately felt integrated and had no problems communicating openly. I was also asked what my wishes were for my internship, so we could jointly plan to what extent my ideas and interests could be taken into account. In concrete terms, this meant, for example, that I could participate in the discussions and the planning that took place in meetings. 

I was also able to get involved internally and choose projects that interested me the most: in addition to project work with clients, I worked in trend management and for TABULARAZA’s social media channels and newsletter. Due to the direct involvement and challenging tasks, I had a great time being a “temporary consultant”!

Work-life balance in consulting – can’t be achieved? Or can it?! What was your experience at zeb?

The workload depended on the projects I was working on. The most important thing, however, was that my team made it clear that I should communicate openly when a task became too much. There were days when the stress was sometimes more and sometimes less pronounced, but it was always ensured that there was still enough time for life outside the job. What I particularly like at zeb is therefore the fact that you work with people who are very focused and effective, but still don’t just live for the job. So my answer is: a work-life balance can be achieved. 

You participate in the zeb.Female Buddy program. How have you experienced this so far and what are the advantages?

Since I was immediately assigned a CDC (Career Development Counselor), I didn’t feel that I needed an additional female buddy. Through the CDC, I already felt very well cared for and connected. In the end, however, I am glad that I became a member of the program anyway, because I was given an additional contact person. It was a great way to exchange ideas freely. We get along very well so it’s a lot of fun! 

It can happen that female consultants work almost exclusively with men on a project, and the Female Buddy program offers you the opportunity to have a female mentor by your side. I can decide for myself how often I want to meet up or how close the contact should be. I think that’s great because it shows how important it is to zeb that women feel comfortable in the company – and I for one really do. 

Daniel, why did you decide to take an internship at zeb?

I decided to take an internship at zeb because it offers me the opportunity to pursue my two professional passions: financial services and IT systems. In terms of the size of the company and the scope of the projects and clients, zeb seems to me to be the ideal platform to immerse myself in different, complex projects – without being just a small cog in a large wheel. Here I can take responsibility early on and gain “visibility”. This was confirmed in my internship, which is why I subsequently decided to work as a student assistant.

After completing the internship, you were taken on as a student assistant. How do you reconcile this job with your studies and how flexible are your working days?

I can arrange my working hours very flexibly, and location-independent working is normal at zeb. Therefore, my student assistant job can be integrated very well into my daily life as a student. It allows me to combine my theoretical studies with relevant practical experience and current technologies.

How do you feel about the support provided to you at zeb – both as an intern and in your current position?

I applied to zeb as a student assistant after my internship because the company exceeded my expectations in terms of work content, but also regarding the “cultural fit”. This is also true for the support provided. The fact that we work remotely obviously means that the requirements for independent working and on-the-job learning are higher, but the supervisors always actively offer their help. Personal initiative is important, but is also encouraged by superiors, and I am motivated to ask questions. For particularly difficult issues, all colleagues take the time to have a discussion in the office and in person too. Especially the regular team events allow you to settle in well at zeb and to make friends.

Lisanne's and Daniel's experiences at zeb have aroused your interest? Click here to find further information about our zeb-culture.