'This internship went beyond my expectations!' Meet Kirsten and Dagmar - our 2020 People interns
Who are you and what do you do here at E&C?
Kirsten: My name is Kirsten, I’m studying industrial and organisational psychology and I’m doing my internship here at Edgard & Cooper in the people team. I’m working on lots of cool People related things like looking for the right candidates for our many open vacancies (go check them out!).
Dagmar: Hello, My name is Dagmar. I study organisational psychology at the University of Ghent and together with Kirsten I’m here at Edgard & Cooper for 6 months as the intern of the people pack. My main focus is to support our hiring managers in the selection and recruitment process of several vacancies. I also help with creating policies, organising socials, office tasks - basically everything to make our employees one happy pack.
Our secret passion/guilty pleasure is...
Kirsten: Watching the Harry Potter movies over and over and over again. I have the biggest crush on Draco Malfoy and sometimes I even dream about going to school there... Every day I check my mailbox, but my Hogwarts acceptation letter still hasn’t arrived ?
Dagmar: Singing in my car (as loud as I can).
What is your superpower?
Kirsten: My superpower is to make chocolate disappear, one moment I’m just looking at it and a few moments later it’s all gone... how bizarre!
Dagmar: I know every line from every single episode of Friends. I love that show!
Why did you take Internship at E&C?
Kirsten: I was looking for something where I could be part of a bigger story, and Edgard & Cooper is the perfect place for this. Not only do I learn a lot more about our People every day, I’m also able to support our environment and many good causes by being part of this amazing pack.
Dagmar: Dogs at the office of course! I also just love the company’s values. I care very deeply about the environment and animal-life and so does Edgard & Cooper. And Also, Edgard & Cooper is a start-up/scale-up, which means that it is a fast growing environment and things change quickly. The people team is very new and there are a lot of processes that needed to be set up from scratch (policies, recruitment process...). I think this is way more interesting than working in a big corporate where everything is already there. Here I have the opportunity to create something for the employees, starting from zero, which is the best way to learn.
Is your internship what you thought it would be like?
Kirsten: It goes beyond my expectations when it comes to all the different projects I can work on. I am very grateful for all the opportunities that came along so far. I already learned a lot about different aspects of People team and that was my goal. I am also so happy with the corporate culture here and all of my amazing colleagues!
Dagmar: No, It is better! Edgard & Cooper really is a feel-good company that not only cares about their pets and customers, but also about their employees. I am the intern of the people pack, but feel like a real member of the whole pack. They involve me in so many amazing projects and I learn a lot from all these talented people here. It is a great atmosphere to work in. Everyone is always up for a chat and a good laugh. And of course, the most amazing thing is that there are dogs at the office! I thought my internship would be a very stressful moment in my life, but I just love every day I’m here. I’m always waiting for the weekend to be over, so I can go back to the office (and see the office dogs).
What does a typical day look like?
Kirsten: Some days I’m making a lot of calls to find the perfect candidate and other days I’m organising fun (online) events like our recent Christmas gathering. You never know what's around the corner!
Dagmar: I honestly cannot give you an example of a typical day. So even if I plan something in my agenda, there is always something else that suddenly needs to be done. I do always try to keep my mornings ‘free’ to go through my emails, call candidates, plan meetings with the hiring managers... But the rest of the day is always a surprise!
What is the best memory you have from your time so far at E&C?
Kirsten: My favourite moment was the first time I could close a vacancy because we found the perfect match!
Dagmar: Me too!
Are you a dog or a cat person and do you own a pet?
Kirsten: BOTH!!!!! I really love dogs, at home we have two chihuahuas and they are just so sweet. When I leave the nest, I would like to have a dog of my own (or steal the 2 chihuahuas, still thinking about what the best move is). But we also have 3 cats and I enjoy their company very much, they like to cuddle and bring joy to our house. So why not both dogs and cats?
Dagmar: Both! I love cats and dogs! I used to have a cat, Bernie, but he was very sick and passed away a few months ago. I also have a dog, Bowie. A weird little fellow who claims to be King Charles. He is my best friend and we do literally everything together (also working, because he goes to the office as well sometimes)!
Your most pawesome advice for people who want to join an Internship here in the future:
Kirsten: Push your limits and show a lot of initiative, people love that here and you will learn so much from it!
Dagmar: Dare to challenge yourself, don’t be afraid to take on responsibilities! As an intern I try to be involved in as many projects as possible. I have a lot of responsibilities as well (even as an intern). This can be stressful sometimes, but most of all it is fun! You learn very quick and when you completed a project, it is the best feeling in the world! I don’t think another company would have given me the same learning experience as I have now.
Interested in doing an internship at Edgard & Cooper? Check out the possibilities here or send an application to [email protected]
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