At Titeca, we have been strongly committed to offering challenging internships for many years. This school year we had as many as 30 students complete their internships with us. Even the Corona virus couldn't stop us, we did everything we could so that our students could continue their internships and graduate this school year.
Interested in doing an internship at Titeca? In this article you can read how our interns experienced their internship.
Speaking are the two trainees from our Ypres office. Axelle Vanhoorneweder started her internship in February and was thus able to complete several more regular internship weeks. Jana Bodein started in the middle of the corona crisis and for her, home work was immediately applicable.
Why did you choose Titeca as your internship site?
Axelle: Titeca came to visit us at school for the "Profession Day". I immediately noticed that the contact with Titeca was the most pleasant. The office in Ypres is close by. After a number of interviews with different offices, my first impression was confirmed and the fact that I was sure I would not be left to my own devices was the deciding factor in my choice.
Jana: At school we have internship lists with different offices and companies. In the Ypres region there are mainly smaller offices. Titeca is an exception to this. It is an office with several branches. The size of the company ensures that Titeca is strongly committed to digitalization. It was precisely this digitization that I definitely wanted to experience during my internship. For me, the choice was quickly made.
What expectations did you have in advance?
In chorus: Learning more and ending up in a cool group.
Axelle: It was difficult to have real expectations, because this is our first practical experience. To a certain extent I let it all come to me, without too many expectations. When I listen to my fellow students and see how their internships are going, I am very satisfied with my choice. The internship taught me a lot in terms of content and we were immediately given a variety of tasks. I notice in the group work we do for our bachelor thesis that certain things go a lot smoother now thanks to the practical experience I gained here.
Jana: Given the startup was in the middle of the Corona period, it was hard to know what to expect. I, too, was able to work in a very varied way at my internship compared to some fellow students. It was anything but scan & enter work. This is a fear that every student has when choosing an internship.
How did your first day of internship go?
Axelle: I was first welcomed by a colleague from HR, and later on when the other trainees had also started, we organized starter's days in the Roeselare office to get us acquainted with the programs and certain tasks. It was great to get to know the other trainees, to see fellow students again and of course to have dinner with everyone. Fortunately, this fell just before the lockdown.
Jana: For me it was a little different, we were not allowed to work from the office. So I was welcomed by the teams. Maybe the technology failed me sometimes, but on the first day I was already welcomed by HR, I had a meeting with my internship supervisor and I was immediately explained the crisis management plan that other students were already working on. We flew straight in! In the beginning I was a bit worried whether I would be able to complete all the tasks properly, but in the end I succeeded every time.
How was the guidance throughout the Corona period?
Axelle: I much preferred working from the office, because this makes working easier anyway. You can ask questions more quickly to a colleague in your area. I really missed the dynamics of the office when working from home. From home it is sometimes more difficult to know when you can reach colleagues. Finally, there was always someone I could go to with my questions.
Jana: Since we were not allowed to work in the office in the beginning, my internship supervisor always gave me feedback by e-mail, if necessary with a number of screenshots, so it was clear to me what I had to pay extra attention to. It was very nice that my internship supervisor did everything she could to offer me an instructive internship. Now I am glad that I can work in the office. When you are at home with everyone in the family, it is more chaotic than being able to work at the office. At the office it's also nice to catch up with a colleague and you have a certain routine in your day.
What tasks did you get to do throughout the internship?
Both: A lot of closings of one-man businesses, booking for VAT and booking for financial, checking VAT returns, preparing PB returns. During the Corona period, crisis management and financial plan were also added.
What was the most instructive moment of the internship?
Both: Being able to sit in on client meetings!
Axelle: It is very nice to know in this way how things work in reality. The more difficult, more complex issues are often discussed during these meetings. It taught me how I can make the difference as an Accountant and how to give good advice to the client.
How do you yourselves look back on your internship?
Again in chorus: Positive!
In September we will both start our career at Titeca. This is because we are satisfied with our internship and we feel good in the team.
Would you recommend others to do an internship with us?
Jana: Yes, it did. Especially compared to fellow students, we were able to learn a lot. Because of the corona, not everyone was able to do an internship either. They were then given a replacement assignment. This assignment may have been less work, but I am still very pleased that my internship went ahead. Otherwise it would have been a missed opportunity to gain practical experience.