5 things you have always wanted to ask a (working) student
Sjoerd van Velzen (26) knows what it's like to combine working at Deloitte with studying, and he shares his experiences. Sjoerd has written his thesis in Econometrics for his master’s degree in Business Analytics & Quantitative Marketing within the Responsible Data & Analytics team and started working as AI & Data consultant.
1. Why work and study at the same time?
Sjoerd: ‘A lot of people worked at Deloitte in my network, and I always heard good stories from them. I am currently writing my thesis on the effects of missing values in datasets, how to deal with this in different situations and what the effects are on the final analyses you want to perform.’
2. Are studying and working easy to combine?
Sjoerd: ‘Deloitte is very flexible with the working hours. I occasionally had other obligations in the afternoon. Then I made sure to reschedule meetings and planned to catch up on those hours later in the afternoon which was no problem at all.’
‘In the beginning of your career, you can learn a lot in a short amount of time at Deloitte.’
Sjoerd van Velzen, former Intern, Responsible Data & Analytics
3. What kind of guidance did you receive from Deloitte?
Sjoerd: ‘Besides the flexibility from Deloitte, I really like that my coach and I have regular contact. We discuss how my thesis is going and we look at the plans for the upcoming months.’
4. What does your day at work look like?
Sjoerd: ‘Besides writing my thesis, I also had meetings with someone from Deloitte who works at a large pension investment company, about how companies deal with missing values. That was relevant for me, because in my dissertation, I focus on the business aspect of missing values and not just the academic aspect. Everyone is just a Teams message away. I like to work from home a lot, but I also love being at the office (especially in Rotterdam). The excellent facilities and great atmosphere make it perfect for me to work on my thesis.’
5. Are you really part of the team?
Sjoerd: ‘The atmosphere at Deloitte is very pleasant. In the first few weeks, when you don't know anyone yet, you can easily talk to someone at the coffee corner. Apart from their age, you don't really notice from the conversations whether someone is a partner, working student or a manager because it's very amicable.’
To wrap up: why work at Deloitte?
Sjoerd: ‘Deloitte is obviously a big company because it’s multidisciplinary and you have a lot of experts in all specific areas around you. Here, especially at the beginning of your career, you can learn a lot in a short amount of time. The work environment is also very relaxed, less formal, and less hierarchical.’
‘We all have a different way of perceiving things’
