From Trainee to Senior Consultant at Highberg: Jerom Fiedler

The Highberg Traineeship fitted perfectly with Jerom's background in business (Finance) and his affinity for IT. Jerom says: “When I was looking for a job, I mainly looked at how I could combine business and IT. The dynamic environment of consultancy really appealed to me; the possibility to learn at different companies. So a traineeship where you get extra attention and grow in content knowledge, but also in soft skills was the ideal next step for me after my studies.”

The flat organizational structure and informal culture also appealed to Jerom: “The great thing about the flat organizational structure is that you work directly with partners and seniors. In fact, at Highberg, partners and seniors are often actually involved in a project, and are not just doing account management, for example. That is very valuable; because you work directly with them, you can learn a lot from them.”

The Highberg Traineeship therefore contributed to Jerom's professional growth in several ways: “We received training where we learned about the different capabilities within Highberg. This ensured that you were immediately widely employable within the organization. We also received training and coaching on soft skills. Think of topics such as: “How do you deal with getting and giving feedback? And how to deal with resistance”.

Since the beginning of this year, Jerom has been a Senior Consultant. According to Jerom, there are several competencies/skills that have contributed to his growth from Trainee to Senior, think about having an analytical ability and strategic insight. “But there were also skills I had to develop, such as stakeholder management and leading a team. You don't learn that in college, but really on the job.”

At Highberg, Jerom says there is a lot of emphasis on personal attention, both professionally and individually, and there is room to walk your personal path. “Highberg has a very entrepreneurial culture,” Jerom emphasizes. “There is a lot of freedom and flexibility in how you shape your career. If you compare it to, say, the big Big Four organizations, they have set routes that employees can take. At Highberg this is much more 'open'; by mutual agreement almost anything is possible. If you have a really cool idea or you want to completely immerse yourself in a different subject with a certain business aspect to it, that can usually be realized.”

In the end, what helped Jerom the most in his journey from Trainee to Senior was daring to make mistakes. “This is where I struggled a lot in the beginning, but making mistakes and learning from them has shaped me into the Consultant I am today. So: Be open minded and dare to make mistakes, and use them as moments to grow. And know: colleagues here are always there for each other.”

At Highberg, Jerom is currently working on several large change issues, at big corporate organizations as well as public and semi-public organizations. Jerom: “At Highberg, we have an approach of not only developing strategies but also working with the client to implement those plans. That makes us truly unique.”

The project Jerom is most proud of? “It was a project for a public organization in the social domain. The process optimization we were allowed to realize for them was especially special because of what they do every day for people who are not as fortunate. It was special to be able to contribute to a project of social value, and to really make an impact that way.”

Also ready for the next step, like Jerom? Get started as a Senior Transformation Consultant (Lead) at Highberg! Apply now on our vacancy.