Our zeb.talents: Tizian & Björn

Tizian, how would you describe the working atmosphere at zeb?

During my internship, I found the working atmosphere to be very friendly and productive. As an intern, I was not only intensely involved in project work from day one, but I was also gradually given responsibility and received constructive feedback at all times. What struck me as very positive was the exchange of knowledge and the collaboration across all levels of experience. If I wanted to learn something or needed further information, my colleagues were always available and supported me. Overall, it should be mentioned that I experienced a very good mix of “challenge and encouragement”. 

To what extent did the internship at zeb support or encourage you in your plans to do a doctorate?

I learned at zeb that expertise and knowledge trump everything else (true to the motto “reasoning beats hierarchy”). I want to further expand this knowledge through my doctorate. It allows me to dedicate myself to a topic, dive deep into it and thus build up truly profound expertise. Furthermore, at zeb I got to internalize analytical thinking, which is useful for researching complex causal relationships even beyond my doctorate.

How did you experience the last talents event in Frankfurt? How did you like it?

Huge praise to the organizers and thank you for this fantastic event! For me it was the first talents event in this format. Since my internship, the coronavirus pandemic had prevented any form of such face-to-face events. Therefore, I was even more excited about this particular one, and I was not disappointed. First of all, it should be said that the organization beforehand, but also during the event was impeccable. After we, the zeb talents, had gathered at the hotel in Frankfurt, there was plenty of opportunity to get to know each other and network on the first day. For instance, we participated in the “Frankfodder Challenge” in small groups and explored the city by solving various tasks and puzzles.

In the evening we were invited for dinner and drinks in different venues. Here, we had time to talk to former zeb talents and consultants, but there was also plenty of opportunity for personal exchange within the talents community. The next day, we went to zeb’s Frankfurt office. I have particularly positive memories of the discussion with Andreas Bräutigam (zeb Partner) about current hot topics and challenges in consulting. Overall, it was a very successful event that offered me extremely interesting insights and great networking opportunities. I really appreciate the fact that zeb promotes contact between talents and offers these opportunities – I’m looking forward to the next event of this kind!

Björn, what has been your personal highlight so far during your time at zeb?

My highlight so far has been the highly successful completion of the first phase of my current project. In this project we are working on a new target operating model for a bank in Eastern Europe. I am looking forward to the further cooperation in our international project team. In addition to the daily project routine, the regular Practice Group meetings and office events are also highlights for me. This year, Practice Group events won’t only be held in Munich, but also in Copenhagen, Vienna and Milan.

What have you learned during your internship at zeb?

Due to the “reasoning beats hierarchy” principle, which enables even young employees at zeb to take on responsibility quickly, I experienced a very steep learning curve. I have not only improved my technical and conceptual skills, such as my structured approach to problems. But I was also able to develop my social skills as I worked closely with our clients.

From intern to Analyst: How was your reentry to zeb? What advantages did you have from your internship for your later work at zeb? 

After my internship, I decided to apply for a full-time position at zeb. Due to the interesting work and also my friendly and helpful colleagues this decision was not a difficult one. 

Since I was admitted to the zeb.talents program, the application process was significantly simplified. After nearly one month, I was accepted for a position as an Analyst after my bachelor’s degree. The reentry then was also easy: thanks to the internship, I had already established a small internal network. In addition, I was still familiar with zeb’s way of working and specific tools, so I only needed a short time to get started. 

Tizian's and Björn's experiences at zeb have aroused your interest? Click here to find further information about our internships.