Building a coffee bot, automatically reading receipts: these are just a few of the various activities of trainee Jorik van der Oord. Jorik talks enthusiastically about and what it is like to start with Aegon while working from home.
How did you end up at Aegon?
Jorik: "At the end of my studies in financial econometrics I started looking around. I wanted to start somewhere where I had multiple options. A trainee program seemed like a good idea to me. I didn't have my eye on Aegon at first, I mainly looked at the larger banks. Often there were only a few places or you could only start in March. In the end I talked to Aegon. I didn't really know what to expect, I went into the conversation very openly."
And what are you doing at Aegon now?
"Now I am an internal consultant and I follow the Data Science Development Program. I work in the data and innovation team and come up with smart solutions for data. Is there a problem or does a colleague run into something? Then we get started. And that can be anything, it is very diverse. The flexibility I was looking for is definitely apparent in this job! Colleagues come up with a problem and you are given every confidence to find a solution."
What kind of problems should I think about?
"There were colleagues who bought news updates about European legislation. Unfortunately, this was not possible for Dutch legislation. That is why they asked us to make a Dutch version of the news feed. That was a lot of fun to do. At first you don't know where to start. It's a bit of 'fooling around' and trying it out and when you have a working concept, you build it up. Another example is the automatic reading of invoices for the construction account. When you take out a mortgage, you can opt for a building fund account. You can then finance your renovation from that building fund account. Customers then declare their receipts, but that is a lot of manual work for Aegon. That is why a colleague asked us whether we could automate a first operation. So that it is immediately clear whether any information is missing and whether everything has been supplied in full."
And I also heard about a coffee bot?
"Yes, that was my first project. Now that we are all working from home, many colleagues miss the interaction. Especially with the people you don't work with. You used to meet at the coffee machine, you chatted and you heard something about projects in which you are not involved, for example. The coffee bot links you to a colleague with whom you will have a digital coffee drink during that week. Just catch up, both privately and at work. The coffee bot also takes into account whether you often speak to each other or not. You are less likely to have a coffee appointment with those colleagues. It was a nice project for me, because that way I got to know the department well myself."
The flexibility I was looking for is definitely apparent in this job!
Have things changed in the trainee program due to the pandemic?
'Yes, the program has been adjusted a bit. Unfortunately there are no foreign classes anymore so I don't have any colleague trainees abroad. We do work together with TKP, Knab and Robidus and I really like that. You do a three-month internship outside your department once. I think I will do an internship in my second year.'
How was the online onboarding?
"Of course it is more fun to meet each other in person, but the online onboarding was also well organised. Normally it is easier to chat and get to know each other and you get a certain feeling about a department more quickly. I myself had already started before the onboarding, so I was already somewhat at home with Aegon. My first real working day was getting to know a lot and I spoke to many people from my team. That was very nice even though it was online. Everyone was very open and interested. In short: I received a warm welcome!"
How do you keep in touch with each other?
"Every day after lunch we have a standup. In the first fifteen minutes we chat a bit and then we continue with who did what. This way you stay informed about everyone's work and private life. Those moments are very valuable, especially if you are just starting out in a new team. It gives you a good idea of the team dynamics. You only notice how the social relations are when you are all together."
Do you have any tips for future trainees?
"Listen to your gut feeling, especially at this time. I notice that the atmosphere of the team is more important to me than the work I'm doing. Working from home will take a while so make sure you click with the people you have a conversation with. And that the company you choose is a good fit for you. Fortunately I have a nice department, so I'm in my place for the time being. And I'm really looking forward to working in the office, because I haven't done that yet. Hopefully that will be soon!"
About Martine Zwanenburg
Communicatiespecialist
In a vacancy text you only read what a position entails. But I can imagine that you also want to know what it's really like to work at Aegon. That is why I would like to introduce you to my colleagues and give you a look behind the scenes.
