Name: Job Heidkamp
Track: General Management
Studied: Financial Economics, Corporate Law
Trainee year: 2020
Starting your traineeship at NN Group is like diving into the unknown, twice. First, like starting at other multinational companies, it means that by entering a huge (digital) office with thousands of new colleagues, you’ll find yourself in completely new surroundings. But in NN’s case, it also means immersing yourself in the complex and for most people unknown world of pensions and insurance. Luckily, as a trainee, you’re part of a group of around 18 trainees, and that offers three different lifelines to handle the challenging double dive.
Lining up
Although the traineeship starts on September 1st, a few weeks before you’re already informed about your first assignment and team. This allows you to have a first chat with your manager and supervisor before you actually start working. And although these two, together with the other team members, will be your direct colleagues, the first people within the company you’ll really get to know are your fellow trainees. During the Introduction Week, which is full of training, interactive sessions with board members, and informal dinners, you’ll spend the whole day – and often the evening – with this group. Getting to know your ‘class of 202x’ gives a nice sense of belonging before you make your first dive with your ‘working team’ a week later.
Support hotline
Starting a new job always comes with its challenges, but this is especially the case when from day 1 you carry the responsibility for the big project that is your assignment. In general, your NN colleagues are very supportive and willing to help out fresh hires, but it is also a comfortable idea that you can fall back on your fellow trainees that are challenged in the same way as you are. This support ranges from nagging about typical NN language – abbrev. everywhere – to sharing what colleague you need to speak with in order to get things done. Given that trainees are dispersed over all the various business units and brands that NN Group has, this is especially useful when you need insights from outside of your own department.
Bottom line
Of course, it does not stop with the challenge of the first assignment. The second and third assignment are usually even more challenging, but that is the whole point of it: you are hired to learn, challenge, and in the end, change things. The nice thing is that your fellow trainees are able to support and advise you, and vice versa. But the nicest thing is that this group comes with loads of fun: from borrels to bingo evenings and from Secret Santa’s to Sinterklaas shenanigans – pulled off digitally if needed. So, buckle up and drop dive in…! Also, drop me an email through job.heidkamp@nn-group.com if you have any questions or just want to dip a toe through an informal chat.
