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I can develop myself, meet new people and mean something to society.

This month, finance professional Jeroen van der Kamp is celebrating his fifth year with Maandag®. After graduating with a business economics degree and a traineeship, he was ready for the next step. But he had to make choices in his private life too. 'My girlfriend and I wanted to be flexible because we did not yet know where we wanted to live. When Maandag® approached me for a project in the government, it came at exactly the right time.'

The young couple eventually chose to live in Zwolle. Besides the flexibility of Maandag®, Jeroen really likes working in a government organisation. 'I want to keep developing myself, meet new people and contribute something to society at the same time. They can offer that at Maandag®, so that was decisive for me.'

Jeroen works an average of six to eight months on a project. He has since gained enough knowledge and experience to provide solicited and unsolicited advice to councillors. 'I find politics very interesting but there has to be a sound underlying financial document in all cases. I help with that.’

Developing yourself

Having an organisation like Maandag® behind you has several advantages, Jeroen notes. 'For me, it's nice that they really take care of everything for me. They find suitable assignments, handle the administration and think proactively about how I can develop.' At the end of an assignment, Jeroen's account manager reviews with him how he sees his next assignment and where there is still space for development. Last year, for instance, Jeroen did a training course in big data, preparing himself for the future. Development and forward thinking are important to Jeroen. He does not place that responsibility solely on his employer: 'It also has to come from yourself, of course.'

Meaning something to society

Now that Jeroen has been working for some years as a seconded finance professional, he gets the positions in which his experience and knowledge count more and more. 'You really see the impact of your work on society. You sometimes read in the media that budgets are disappointing, I want to avoid that. It's all about getting public money to the right places in society.'

Governments now have complex issues at play, so there is no shortage of challenges and variety for finance professionals. 'We are now, of course, dealing with the Environment Act and accelerating housing construction. Additionally, sustainability is a priority.' Jeroen is therefore involved in the entire financial operations of the municipality. 'One day I work on risk analysis, the next day I advise on staffing contracts.' It is precisely this variety, responsibility and dynamism that appeals to Jeroen. 'That makes it even nicer as a finance professional, if you love numbers, it never gets boring of course.'

Sufficient challenge

Sufficient challenge, an enthusiastic team and continuing to develop yourself. For Jeroen, these are the three main things that make his job enjoyable. The work-life balance is good, with a 36-hour contract and the ability to work from home, he is happy. He thinks the prejudices about working in the government are unjustified. 'They are not true at all, thankfully. I always work in young, driven teams who have the same mentality and want to mean something to society'.

If, after reading Jeroen's story, you curious about your opportunities at Maandag®, check out our latest vacancies at https://www.maandag.com/finance.