Fresh Graduates. Gen Z. Young Potentials. Call them what you want, but they enter the job market with a wealth of fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. This new generation of young professionals has grown up in a time of rapid technological change and knows the ins and outs of the latest digital tools & data.
“My first project experience at Martens Brewery gave me a huge boost of self-confidence and ensured that I honed my social and communication skills in addition to problem-solving,” says Kato Mentens, Project Consultant at TriFinance.
We delve into an interesting conversation, discovering the impact a young professional can have on an organization, and have a look through the lens of Kato Mentens (Project Consultant, TriFinance) and Jessy Witters (Finance Manager, Martens Brewery).
Who dares wins
Finding your spot as a young professional is all about harnessing unique skills. But companies can also benefit from these new perspectives and the growth opportunities that this young force brings.
The finance team at Brouwerij Martens was up for a challenge: optimizing the invoice processing and approval flow while maintaining continuity in AP/AR. “In order to strengthen our team with this challenge, we got in touch with TriFinance again. Although Kato is a young professional, freshly graduated, we were definitely pleasantly surprised by her maturity and the crisp answers she gave to complex questions,” Jessy explains.
Enter: Kato leaving her mark as both a Young Hub and Project Consultant. Who dares wins…
The introductory Young Hub week really gives you a huge boost and ensures that you feel confident when you start your first project. And that’s also how I felt when I started my project at Martens Brewery
Kato immediately had a sturdy challenge on her hands at Martens Brewery, but could count on a mentor and career coach at TriFinance during her project. “As a fresh graduate, you have a lot of theoretical knowledge compared to practical experience. It is exactly that aspect that TriFinance capitalizes on by offering targeted support so you can realize the career path you want to follow yourself. As a young professional at TriFinance, you start with a ‘Young Hub’ week, in which you are immersed in processes such as P2P and O2C, receive social skills training and gain the necessary knowledge of the most important finance principles. That introductory week really gives you an enormous boost and ensures that you are confident when you start your first project. And that’s also how I felt when I started my project at Martens Brewery,” Kato explains.
Generation gap or not?
From boomers to Gen Z, you can find a wide mix of generations in the workplace. And that offers unique opportunities, as they can reinforce each other through their complementary skills and competencies. A more experienced colleague can act as a sounding board or even a mentor for a young professional by sharing valuable insights and experiences, whereas a young professional brings fresh ideas and can see things from a different perspective. “I definitely think of it as a plus to be able to work with more experienced colleagues at Martens Brewery,” adds Kato. “Open communication was really crucial here. By coordinating things with each other and exchanging information, we were able to find the best solutions together, even for the more challenging issues. And in turn, I can use those insights during other projects, an absolute added value.”
Gen Z is a generation of doers who grasp challenges with a certain determination. This definitely gives your company a fresh and powerful impetus, which we also experienced with the arrival of Kato
“We very quickly had confidence in Kato, which meant that in addition to operational tasks and streamlining the optimization of the invoice processing and approval flow, she also collaborated on the (consolidated) financial statements. Gen Z is a generation of doers who grasp challenges with a certain determination. This definitely gives your company a fresh and powerful impetus, which we also experienced with the arrival of Kato,” Jessy explains.
(Young) professionals of the future
“My project at Martens Brewery made me understand more about the fundamentals that are important to me in the workplace. How can I fully develop myself? What do I need to take the next steps in my career? In addition, I was able to discover the full range within AP/AR and even step out of my comfort zone by tackling more challenging hurdles, such as optimizing the approval flow, preparing the annual accounts and mapping out the P2P process to ensure continuity after the completion of my project. Thus, I gained a solid first experience in bookkeeping”, says Kato.
We too cannot predict what young professionals of the future will look like, but we sure can give some tools in advance. “I can only recommend a young professional to start in a company like TriFinance. You get a lot of opportunities to strengthen your skills in the short term and get your career off to a flying start. My advice? Be open to everything, try to gain as much experience as possible and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You can only learn from them,” adds Jessy.
My first project experience at Martens Brewery gave me a huge boost of self-confidence and ensured that I honed my social and communication skills in addition to problem-solving
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