We spoke with Jessika, who has been strengthening our Tax team as a working student since April. In this role, she supports us with various tax-related tasks and contributes to the efficient handling of our daily operations.
What do you love about your job?
The variety of tasks and the opportunity to do ‘more’, providing insights into various areas. For example, I have already been involved in projects for the digitalisation of processes, such as the creation and visualisation of a Robo in the Tax Department. You also work cross-functionally and play an important role in different decisions.
What do you enjoy most about working at Berenberg? Why did you decide to work as a working student at Berenberg?
What motivates me most at Berenberg is the team and the collegial atmosphere in the office. I also particularly like the employee benefits and the supportive interaction from the company, which enables growth and development (through training, regular participation in meetings, support for your academic career, etc.). I started here as a working student with an interest in tax law, not knowing how it would develop. My work here has led to gaining more and more knowledge and skills, bringing me many professional and personal advantages and ultimately leading to a permanent position in the company (from September).
What skills, characteristics or behaviours do you possess that have helped you thrive in your role?
Openness towards colleagues and new challenges, along with the motivation to learn new things. This made it possible to quickly familiarise myself with complex tasks.
What has been your best experience at Berenberg?
The best experiences are the smaller and larger events we organise with the team (e.g. afterworks), and the events offered internally by the bank to gain insights into the bank and its departments (e.g. onboarding for new employees or banker training for non-bankers). As a result, you get to know colleagues from Hamburg and other locations.
What surprised you the most about Berenberg once you started working here?
The good induction, the very good working atmosphere and the strong support from superiors.
What has Berenberg done to invest in your professional or personal development?
Thanks to Berenberg, I realised what I am particularly good at, what skills I have and where I see myself in the future. This led to the desire to stay at Berenberg after graduating and enrich my knowledge here. Above all, Berenberg taught me that you can master challenges that are completely foreign to you. I came to Berenberg with an interest in tax, but not much knowledge of it or banking in general. By participating in projects (see Robo Project above) and essential preparatory work for team members (e.g., preliminary VAT returns), I recognized my own skills, which I may not have known before, and became an important part of the team. My colleagues prepared me thoroughly, so I never felt completely alone.
What was your onboarding experience like?
You were given all the important information, insights, and areas right at the start, so it was easy for me to settle in quite quickly.