Wondering why our current trainees chose an intercompany traineeship vs. an entry-level position? Quickly read digital trainee Alyssa's blog.
Working full time - or a 'big people's job' as it is sometimes called - almost all of us have to do it. After all, you want to build a bright future for yourself. You're studying now, or have been for a while. Either way; you are looking for something that suits you. However, that is not always easy to find. So, how do you know what fits you? You can take the gamble of applying haphazardly for a job. You might end up somewhere that you like. Or you start looking for a traineeship. In this blog, I'm going to tell you about my experience with an intercompany traineeship and the difference with an entry-level job. Not to convince you that one is better than the other, but to give you some insight into why I chose a traineeship vs. an entry-level job.
Before I start talking about this traineeship, I want to give you a little more context about my situation before SchaalX. During that time I was a student, and I had no idea where I would end up. In fact; I still have no idea. After my bachelor's degree, I was able to postpone my choice by doing a master's degree. I was studying anyway, so why not?
Besides yourself, other people begin to wonder what you are going to do after college. "Well, I don't really know myself," I would say with an uncomfortable smile. You might wonder, you have studied for something, why don't you look for a job, right? This is indeed true, but if your interests are broad you quickly end up on a course of study where you learn a little bit of everything, but nothing specific. That's why I chose Online Culture as my bachelor's and Media Studies as my master's. I don't regret my choices. I prefer to follow something where my interests lie and eventually, it will work out. I believe in that and I will continue to do so.
I did pass my Master's degree. I was extremely happy, but this was also earlier than I had planned. I actually thought writing my thesis would take longer. The period between getting my degree and finding a job was fairly stressful for me. I wanted to continue living in Amsterdam so that meant I really had to look for a job. So, while enjoying my well-deserved vacation, I started looking for a job.
Traineeship vs. entry-level job
I hadn't looked into a traineeship very much, but I was open to it. I wanted to be stronger and gain more experience in the field. With this attitude, I started the traineeship at SchaalX and was immediately welcomed into a friendly group. A few weeks and some master classes later I got an assignment at Circl, a sustainability project of ABN AMRO on the Zuidas. Now I live and work in Amsterdam, which is ideal! Because SchaalX offers an intercompany traineeship, I can work at several companies and try out different functions. This way I can find out what I really like.
I like the fact that I ended up here. In any case, these are my findings from my traineeship over the past months that I did not find in an entry-level job.
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You have a constituency of peers who are on other assignments that you can always fall back on.
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There's always someone from SchaalX that you can fall back on if something comes up, in addition to your assignment manager.
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You have twice as many staff outings and parties.
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You get assignments you wouldn't get so easily as an entry-level employee, and you get to look around at companies you wouldn't normally get into so easily.
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You have master classes that keep you up-to-date on the latest developments in communications and marketing.
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In addition to being challenged professionally, you are also challenged on a personal level.
As you have noticed, I find making choices very difficult. Therefore, I hope this blog has given you more insights into traineeships v.s entry-level jobs. This will make it a lot easier for you to make the right decision. See you soon at SchaalX 😉.
