Alba Sanchez on her Workday traineeship at SuccessDay: “In this safe space, I can develop to fulfil my potential”
A new group of trainees started at SuccessDay in April of this year. The young professionals will learn the finer details of the HRIT profession – and of Workday in particular – and immediately put their new-found knowledge into practice with prominent clients. In this blog, we introduce our new talent Alba Sanchez Nieto to you.
Alba (23) grew up in a small town on the Spanish coast, around two hours’ drive from Barcelona. She was always keen to go abroad. So, while studying psychology in Girona she went to Leuven on an exchange. This foreign experience made such a good impression that she started looking for a suitable master’s course and came across International Business: Organization, Management, Change, Consultancy and Strategic Marketing at Maastricht University. “Maastricht has the same vibe as Leuven: international, relaxed, not too big and the people are friendly. I knew immediately: I feel at home here!”
She is currently looking for a place to live in Amsterdam, together with her Belgian boyfriend. “It’s a tough challenge in today’s housing market, but we think it would be fantastic to live there.” Several months before graduating, Alba started looking for interesting jobs in the Netherlands. She applied for jobs here and there but had not yet come across THE job. Then she was approached by a recruiter for the Workday traineeship at SuccessDay. “I had never heard of SuccessDay or Workday, but I’ve always been interested in innovation and technology. I had also already completed an internship at Sun Pharma in Hoofddorp in the field of HR. Those two things came together nicely here.”
Perfect for me
Alba decided to give it a go. The interview with Steven Thangathurai went smoothly and Alba was impressed with the atmosphere and the people at the SuccessDay office in Eindhoven. She really hoped she would get the job, so she was over the moon when she was told that she could start as Junior Business Consultant at SuccessDay in April 2023. So far, she loves it! “It’s such a safe space here. Everyone is friendly and keen to help. You can learn a lot here and try things out, so that you can develop yourself at lightning speed. You get a lot of freedom, flexibility and independence. This combination is absolutely perfect for me.”
Alba had never before considered the option of a traineeship. It is much less common in Spain than it is in the Netherlands. At first, she thought she was done with studying, after completing her bachelor’s and master’s, but she has now changed her mind. “I want to constantly challenge myself and learn new things. So a traineeship is the perfect choice. It allows you to peek behind the scenes of different customers, to try out different roles and to develop both your hard and soft skills. Above all, it gives a gradual transition into professional life, which I was a bit apprehensive about after so many years of studying. It’s nice if you have good guidance and have the chance to build your confidence.”
Exciting program
The training program that forms part of the SuccessDay Workday traineeship is another positive element for Alba. Together with the other trainees, she is guided step by step through the company, in the world of HRIT and Workday in particular. There are various training days during the year-long traineeship, both internal and external, and the trainees can try out different roles with various customers. “This gives you the chance to discover what suits you best and what you would like to specialize in”, explains Alba.
In the first week she got to know her SuccessDay classmates better and the program was further explained. In the second week they were introduced to the Workday HCM system. That week, Alba immediately connected with her first client, Novamedia – known for the Postcode Lottery, among other things. The third week included an HCM Fundamentals training course. This took place from 3:00 in the afternoon till 11:00 at night in the SuccessDay office, to fit in with the time difference with the United States, the birthplace of Workday. “This week was such a great experience. In the evening, we were the only ones in the building. There was a lot going on, and the peer pressure was enormous. Meals were arranged for us. This was a really good time for team building.”
Getting to work in Antwerp
The following week it was time for the group assignment in Antwerp, where the class worked together to build an initial tenant. “The company and the data were fictional, but it felt completely real”, says Alba. There was good collaboration under enormous time pressure and the week was brought to a successful conclusion with a joint presentation. The group received compliments on its division of roles and level of cooperation, and there was also constructive criticism. “We really learned a lot this week. It was incredibly valuable.”
The class consists of young talented individuals with different backgrounds, both in terms of study and work experience. Some come from IT, others from the HR field. Their cultural backgrounds are also widely varied. “What connects us is that we are all keen to learn and have further development high on our agenda. Personally, I always want to get the very best out of myself, so I am always challenging myself. It’s great to be able to spar with like-minded people”, explains Alba.
Maximum challenge
Alba will be working on the project at Novamedia until late July/early August, focusing mainly on the change management aspect. She will also be shadowing colleagues at another client. “I am working with two consultants that can teach me a lot. I want to be just like them.” In August, her class will delve deeper into the new release of Workday that is due, after which they will inform customers what to expect.
In September, the trainees are expected to choose which Workday module they would like to specialize in. Perhaps it will be Compensation for Alba. “That is one of the most complex modules, so I’m going for the biggest challenge again”, she laughs. From next year, she would like to train new young professionals. “I think it’ll be great!”
