Develop your talent: Fabienne's experience with the Babbage Traineeship

What if you are at the start of your communication career, but you have no idea where your passion lies? That is not strange. After all, you have little practical experience. But how do you find that passion? That is the reason Fabienne chose the Babbage Traineeship. “The opportunity to work on different assignments at various organizations helps me discover where my passion lies and what I want to specialize in.”

“During my studies, I worked as a marketer at a company that develops traineeships for young professionals,” Fabienne explains. “This made me know that I wanted to do a traineeship, but specifically focused on communication. The traineeship at Babbage immediately appealed to me.”

What does a working day as a communications trainee look like?

“In the early stages of the traineeship, we worked together at the Babbage office on internal projects. This provided a soft landing and gave me the opportunity to get to know my colleagues there well. Now I work at Beaumont Communicatie, an agency specialising in strategic communication and participation in spatial development and mobility. And every day is different! Due to the diverse projects, no day is predictable. One day I prepare a participation meeting that takes place in the evening, the next day I organise a working session with the municipality and project developers, or I work on a participation report or communication plan.”

What makes your assignment so much fun?

“That variety makes the assignment super fun. I also have contact with so many different people. For example, I work on participation processes for new neighborhoods in Nibbixwoud-West and Lutjebroek, and on the communication around the integration of the heating network in Meerwijk.”

Learning moments and working atmosphere

What have you learned so far during the traineeship?

“We have already learned several things about our personality and work preferences. During the last trainings, an actor was present, where we could practice indicating our boundaries and giving and receiving feedback. This was very fun and educational!”

What is the relationship like with the other trainees at Babbage?

“Very good! We see each other every other week at training sessions and can always contact each other with questions or challenges at work. In addition, Famke also works at Beaumont, so we see and speak to each other regularly, which is very nice!”

Tips for new trainees

Why would you recommend the traineeship to people considering applying?

“The traineeship is a great way to discover where your passion lies, because you can combine work and study. It also offers the opportunity to start working at a new organization after an assignment. In this way, you gain valuable and diverse experiences.”

What do you think a good trainee should bring with them?

“A good trainee is above all enthusiastic and open to learning new things. Because you don’t know exactly what to expect from an assignment in advance, such as the duration of the assignment or the content, it is important to be patient and flexible. In addition, strong communication, social and organizational skills are essential for the work content.”

Future and ambitions

How did the traineeship help you map out your career?

"Where I used to only have experience with the commercial side of communication, I have now also come to know the social side. This gives me a lot of satisfaction and I now know for sure that I want to focus on this further.

What are you most looking forward to in the rest of your traineeship?

“I am especially looking forward to developing myself further as a communications advisor. At the end of this traineeship I hope to have gained a wide range of new skills and valuable experiences.”

Babbage is the place where your talent is seen and developed. Are you ready to develop yourself as a communications professional and be part of a future full of possibilities? Then apply now for the Traineeship Communication at Babbage and take the first step towards a successful career!