Erika wasn’t actively looking for a new job. Yet a phone call from CTRL-F came at exactly the right time.
Not by telling her there was one vacancy she absolutely had to look at, but by asking questions. What was she missing today? What was she looking for in her next move? And what conditions were important to her?
That approach eventually led her to All-inSurance & Finance. A year and a half later, she’s still happy there.
We spoke to Erika about her journey, the support she received from CTRL-F, and why the right match sometimes starts at a time when you haven’t even really thought about making a change yourself.
You were Not actively looking. Why did you start looking around anyway?
Erika: “Things had already been a bit tricky at my previous employer for some time by then. But I wasn’t actively looking for a new job. ”Then Bart from CTRL-F got in touch with me. It actually came at just the right time. That phone call gave me the nudge I needed to have a look at what other options were out there.”
What made you want to have a conversation with CTRL-F?
Erika: “It was particularly the way Bart and Paulien went about the search. They didn’t just start with a single job vacancy, but asked lots of questions to understand what I myself wanted.”. ”The story remained very open-ended. I found that quite pleasant."
How did the search go after that?
Erika: “I ended up having three job interviews with different companies. That was around Christmas time.”.
Before each interview, I received a phone call. I was wished good luck, but I was also given a summary of the role and the company. That way, I knew exactly what to expect and felt well prepared.
”Feedback was provided promptly after every interview, even when it turned out not to be a match in the end.”
What made All-inSurance & Is Finance ultimately the right choice?
Erika: “For me, it’s mainly about the atmosphere at the office and the colleagues. I currently work there in a support role within sales support. I draw up proposals and quotations, manage policies and deal with matters such as investments, pension savings and long-term savings. But a job is, of course, more than just the work itself. The work is nice, the management is ”It’s great fun and there’s a really friendly, family-like atmosphere. I get on really well with my colleagues, too."
What’s more, you started at a very special time.
Erika: “Yes, I started at March, just as there is one a merger between two companies took place. It was quite exciting at first. Things started to work differently, and there were other managers and some new colleagues. But ultimately, the two offices complement each other very well and have grown into a strong whole.”
When did you feel that you’d really found your place?
Erika: “Mainly because of the way I work with my colleagues. We work really well together and complement each other. If anyone has any questions or needs further explanation, we can turn to one another. We really are there to back each other up.”.
”Even though we work in different locations, it still feels like one team. Every three months, the two branches get together for a meeting, usually combined with a fun activity. That helps, of course.”
Was there anything about CTRL-F’s support that you hadn’t expected beforehand?
Erika: “What happened after I started. I actually thought the process would come to an end as soon as I’d found a new job. But Bart and Paulien kept in touch. They asked how I was getting on, whether the job lived up to my expectations, and whether I was settling in well in my new environment. ”I thought that was really positive."
I wasn’t even looking, but I’ve found the right job
A new job doesn’t always start with actively looking for vacancies.
Sometimes it all starts with a single conversation at just the right moment. And, above all, with someone who first tries to understand where you’re heading.
That was also the case with Erika. CTRL-F looked not only at her experience in banking and insurance, but also at what was important to her in her next career move. The nature of the job, the people and the working environment all had to be right.
A year and a half later, she is still working at All-inSurance & Finance. Perhaps that is, after all, the simplest measure of a good fit.
If you’re singing on your way to work, you’re probably doing pretty well.
