After his studies Accountancy and Taxation and a successful internship at Titeca, Alex signed his contract 6 months ago and joined our team in Bruges. Brigitte has been working with us for two years now as team leader in the Bruges office.
Six months ago, like everyone else, we were faced with the Corona virus which caused us to completely switch to working from home as a company. This meant that the supervision of the employees had to be done more remotely. How this all went, you can read in this interview.
Why did you choose Titeca?
Alex: I had occasionally heard the name 'Titeca' mentioned at internship events at school. But often only the big 4 were mentioned. When I was looking for an internship, I bumped into Titeca again. The offer appealed to me: an office where the employee is central and a varied range of tasks. Later, great colleagues and a nice atmosphere to work in were added as extra advantages.
What were your expectations in advance?
Alex: In the job posting it said that it would be a varied job, so this was therefore my greatest expectation (laughs). This soon proved to be the case. I am also responsible for answering questions related to our digital platform James. In addition, I have already gotten to know several customers and know how to respond in different ways. (laughs).
Brigitte: It is also true that Alex has now attended his first client meetings. We strongly believe in this because we believe it is the best way to learn and to develop. It is also interesting for our client to get to know his/her client manager in this way.
How did your first day go?
AlexMy first day took place just before the Coronavirus broke out. Fortunately, it could still take place at our headquarters in Roeselare. In the morning I received an explanation by Miet (Talent Scout) about the mission, vision, strategy & structure within Titeca and a tour of the building. In the afternoon I received all the information about the accounting programs & the way of working from Brigitte in our office in Bruges.
BrigitteWe find it very important that our new colleagues are well received from day one and are 'confronted' with real working life. With the necessary help and guidance of course.
How is contact with colleagues (at beginning and now?)
Alex: There is a family atmosphere within each office so it did go smoothly to keep in touch with all colleagues while working from home. For example, we had a Messenger group, held video meetings through teams and had a remote aperitif time.
BrigitteSince the Bruges office is a relatively small office, it is easy to consult very quickly in case of any questions or problems.
We are now trying, to the extent possible and allowed, to have another drink on Friday night "our friyay's" or have lunch together.
Do you sometimes work from home?
Alex: I try to work at home one day a week. I often do work then that requires me to be very focused. The advantage is that Titeca works completely digitally, so we can work remotely. And I don't have to charge for travel time (laughs).
Brigitte: During the period of Corona, it became clear that the group could work well from home among other things by using the digital tools we had at hand. As a result, it was decided that it would be possible to work from home one day a week. We are convinced that this is an additional asset to be able to offer this to our employees. In this way they learn to deal with making a planning and they also learn to work independently. This does not take away from the fact that we are always available to each other.
How do you experience the corona event and the work?
Alex: In addition to wearing the mouth mask when moving around the office, I am especially struck by how happy I am that Titeca works digitally. In addition to the system where we can log into our work environment remotely via Citrix, I could always call or send a message to my colleagues via Teams.
Brigitte: I was used to giving guidance and feedback face-to-face and not digitally, this was an adjustment for me, but through Teams we were able to quickly and smoothly check in with each other. Fortunately, the work didn't stop there, because we received many questions from the customers regarding the various support measures. In order to be on the ball, we often had to make many team calls on a single day. We all missed the face to face contact with colleagues so we are happy to be back working in the office (laughs).
What different tasks were you given at the beginning and now?
Alex: I have had the opportunity to do many different things in the 6 months I have been working at Titeca. From book work, to personal tax on closing VAT to preparing annual reports. And now an 'education' in client meetings.
Brigitte: It is of course logical that starters start with the basics, namely the bookwork. Gradually, the range of tasks and responsibilities are expanded and we mould them into a fully-fledged accountant.
What does a typical workday/workweek look like?
Alex: Like my job description, it looks very varied. Our job content is linked to deadlines and certain periods of the year. As a result, almost no day is the same and this makes the job very exciting.
BrigitteThe only thing that is the same every day is my rounds (laughs): I go round to my colleagues every day to hear if there are any questions or to give and receive feedback about certain assignments...
How do you yourself look at the period from the start and now?
Alex: In the meantime I can already work more independently and since my work is so varied, I notice that I have also grown considerably as an Accountant. Of course I had already learned the basics at school, but in reality there are always special 'cases' in between.
Brigitte: It is true that Alex has indeed grown a lot already: he has become very independent and can soon solve tasks without questions or extra guidance.
Would you recommend Titeca to friends and acquaintances to work here as well?
Alex: Yes! Within our sector, Titeca is a family firm that works in a modern way. Titeca works very digitally, which makes us very different from other firms. Titeca has the personal touch and way of dealing with colleagues.
In terms of work-life balance with the sliding hours and working from home, Titeca also scores well in my opinion.
Brigitte: And of course we mustn't forget the many events (which unfortunately can't all be held due to the corona virus at the moment). So you have the summer starter, Friday night drinks "friyay's", New Year's reception, staff party and our team building weekend.
What internal/external training were you already able to attend?
Alex: I myself already took a lot of internal training courses that are provided. Now I am looking to follow the BANABA Applied Taxation. This is paid for by Titeca.
Brigitte: Within Titeca, Alex is included in the key user working group of Exact online. Alex is not sitting still and is happy to learn more.
How do you see yourself continuing to evolve within Titeca?
Alex: I see myself, when the experience and knowledge is there, having my own portfolio of clients. And who knows later supervisor...
Brigitte: First let them taste everything and then grow that way (laughs).
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