‘Learning, growing, becoming all-round…’

Raymond Both (1972) is in charge of the Amsterdam branch. His experiences reflect those of his Haarlem colleague Serge Leloux: ‘Young people in particular do not know exactly what our business entails. When they come in, they are surprised by the scope of our work. Once they are inside, their reaction is almost invariably: “Yes! This is what I want to do!”’

On the job
‘The business is learned on the job, really’, Raymond Both says. ‘HEAO BE, for instance, is a solid starting point. And then you take off. You will find out that our clients are very different. Some will want to keep matters more in their own hands than others. By entering up the invoices themselves, for instance. That is a trend, particularly among young entrepreneurs. Of course, we still handle it for a lot of clients. Many new colleagues will yet have to get a grasp of these activities. When you start out, it can feel quite intimidating to tell clients how their company is doing, based on the numbers. You learn along the way. The job gets more and more interesting and complex as you go. A great deal is learned on the job: by doing and by learning from your colleagues.’

All-round

‘We feel less restricted than specialized accounting consultants. Their speciality has become more and more nailed up by strict legislation. Besides, it’s probably easier to move up in the ranks here, too. Every type of client teaches you new skills and presents new questions. When you start out, it may take some getting used to. But you will grow into it. As you will grow in your consulting skills. Interpreting the numbers. Thinking along with your clients. And definitely considering your timing. You do not work for us as much as you work for your clients.’