Your first job as finance student: The experiences of job student Magali

As a senior in economics, a lot is expected from you. Final exams, comparing vacancies, job applications and interviews … To sign for your first job. The amount of offers in finance jobs is broad and diverse. How do you decide? We asked our job student Magali Van De Walle, who will soon be starting her first job.

Why did you apply for a student job?

“Since I have been studying for 5 years, which is pretty long, it seemed to be useful to earn some extra money. Also, I wanted to experience the work life. How do I like it? Which atmosphere has a work place? I looked out for companies within the financial sector: this way the job matches my studies and it is a nice contribution to my CV. iCredit fits within this image, because here I focus on financial recruitment.”

Can you tell me some more about your start and the daily tasks?

“As a job student I got an extensive introduction. What does iCredit? Which finance professionals do they search for? Which vacancies do they offer? It is essential to really understand this, to be able to find the right people. After this my daily jobs mostly included calling candidates. Different documents with scripts were my guide and I could always ask questions to other job students or iCredit colleagues. The past year, my focus shifted towards LinkedIn to speak to finance professionals and share vacancies. I really notice an evolution there.”

You have been working for iCredit for 2 years. What is the most important lesson you will value in the future?

“My social skills have grown a lot. When I started as a job student, I was afraid to call people. Maybe they don´t have time or think it is annoying … That freight is totally gone today. I learned to speak to people and always be polite, no matter how the dialog is going. I used this skill during my job interviews. My conversation partners thought this was of added value, as I will be dealing with a lot of customers. This is definitely useful in my job!”

What are the biggest assets to have iCredit as an employer or career partner according to you?

“As an employer, mostly the familial atmosphere caught my attention. All colleagues are ready to help or provide you with tips. And above all, they involve me with all activities, like afterworks. As a job student you are not only a real colleague, but also part of a group of friends. When I look at iCredit as a career partner, the personal approach speaks to me. Candidates are not a number, but human beings who they honestly want to help with finding their finance job.”

You already have been accepted to your first job. Where will you start within the next few weeks?

“In September I will start as an assistant advisor accountancy at VGD Accountancy. I will mostly work on bookkeeping and accounting.”

Exciting! Did you search for jobs yourself or did you notice a lot of interst from companies?

“I looked at intersting finance vacancies, but I noticed a strong need from companies for accountancy profiles. Sometimes the amount of messages was overwheming. I was regularely contacted, especially via LinkedIn. Eventually, I was contacted by the manager of VGD Accountacy via LinkedIn.”

How did you eventually decide?

“A personal approach was very important to me. I have had conversations with a larger company where they only spoke about offers and demands. At VGD Accountancy on the other hand, everyone was very open and social. They emphasized that we would go for it together, looked at more than just my diploma and focused on my personality. This made the difference for me. The most important thing is that I will go to work and have fun, at a place where I feel good.”

Do you have any tips for other students who are in doubt over making the right choice?

“Most importantly, follow your gut. There are many finance jobs, dare to look beyond the salary and offers, especially when you don´t have a good feeling with the company. To me, that seems like the best choice on the long run. Also the inside days, when companies open their doors. Those are really a recommendation. This way you immediately see what the atmosphere is like, and how colleagues treat each other. This helped me with my choice.”

Are you in doubt wich the search for your first job? We will guide you through the finance vacancies and match you with the company that fits you and your ambitions. Get in touch and we will look at the different options togehter.