Staff Spotlight: Anne-Fleur Vaartjes

My favorite travel memory is probably sitting around the table on a boat in Halong Bay, Vietnam, with people from all over the world, ranging from Israel to Romania and Venezuela, and just listening to their life and travel stories. One woman told me that she comes up with the best ideas while traveling, simply because when you travel you break your routines, you are taken out of your comfort zone, you see new things and become more open-minded, which in turn stimulates the creative brain. Just listening to them really inspired me and made this trip one of the best ones I went on – even though the beautiful scenery of course also played a role.

Underrated: I would say that Singapore is definitely a destination that is often underrated. There is not a place that can even compare, with its modern skyscrapers, perfectly clean streets and one of the most sophisticated transportation systems in the world. Some might say its modern structure is associated with a lack of culture, but in my eyes the opposite is true, with Singapore hosting a more diverse mix of cultures than I have seen in a single country. Although it is a young nation, it is branching out, becoming more present in for example the art and music scene, with street artists singing on the bridge at Clarke Quay as you make your way to one of the numerous outstanding restaurants that serve unique blends of food from different parts of Asia. Singapore is lively and dynamic: there is always something to do and the opportunities are abundant, with the country often found at the top of the rankings regarding ease of doing business.

Overrated: To be honest, I have not lived in a place that I believe is really overrated, and it is difficult to say a destination is overrated after only having visited the place for a few days. Living in Hong Kong has been an unforgettable experience for me and it truly is the gateway to Asia as I see it, filled with opportunities. Currently living in Shanghai, this city is fascinating to me in a very different manner, yet equally resourceful.

I believe a combination of communication, transparency and passion are the key to being a successful company. As people in the top section of the hierarchy, it is important to communicate important decisions to the lower parts, meanwhile, lower-level employees should be able to voice their opinion to the higher-level employees. This, together with transparency, creates an open work culture which has been proven – as I learned in business school – to positively affect the output of the business. Additionally, people should not start packing and get their keys out to be ready to leave when the clock strikes 5. If the employees really enjoy what they do and have a passion for their work, they will be willing to work more hours to achieve a certain goal or simply to deliver the best service and in this way allow the company to grow.

In the short time that I have worked at Absolute Internship I have become more confident, a better communicator and learned what it is like to start and expand a company through the behind the scenes exposure to this successful and exciting start-up. From the start, my co-owners really involved me in every decision and made sure I knew that my opinion also matters. I am given a lot of responsibilities, which is challenging to handle when you are new to a job, but that is what I was looking for. I came here to learn and that is exactly what I am doing, every day. Moreover, my ultimate goal is to be an entrepreneur, and working at an international start-up like this, that just keeps growing yet continues to deliver outstanding services, has given me a taste of what it is like running my own company.

The main thing that stood out to me from the beginning was how much each employee loves what they do, as well their ability to motivate their colleagues. Everyone knows the name and interests of each applicant and they all support each other and work incredible hard to find the best internship for every candidate, even if this means working many over-hours.

This is definitely one of the best work environments I have been surrounded by and it is what allows us to provide this unique service the way we do.

It may sound cliché, but to be honest I am always proud to say that I am working at Absolute Internship. Within five years this company has grown immensely, and it continues to do so, with an additional program in Madrid which was only recently created, and the co-owners looking to expand further. To be able to grow so quickly, yet keep improving the service that is delivered is very impressive to me. Yet, if I would have to mention one moment that made me particularly proud it would be when I received a message which mentioned that Absolute Internship is part of “The 10 Best Sites for Finding an Internship in 2016” according to Forbes. But then again, I have not been part of this team for long, and to me the thing that would make me the proudest would be when a student says that we made a difference in their career path or even life, and from what I have heard from my colleagues, this happens often. I could not ask for more.

To be honest, I have heard a lot of stories that brought a smile to my face. One student was talking about how clear it is to her that we love our job and really care about the students. Another student is currently working in a reputable firm and told us how grateful he still is for the opportunities we provided him with. Lastly, it is always awesome to hear when a student is asked to stay at the company after completing the internship and the student accepts, as this means we have done our job well; the student was happy with the internship and we were able to have a positive impact on his or her career path.