Former Discover Trainee Commercial (B2C)
Joined VodafoneZiggo as a Discover Trainee Commercial B2C in September 2021
Is now a Channel Manager
Works in Utrecht and from home
Lives in Amsterdam
Commercial Trainee Maura Abrahamse looks further than figures. The human aspects of marketing are important to her, too. It’s an approach that leads her to meaningful questions and practical solutions. What, for instance, do elderly customers really need to become acquainted with to get the most out of our digital services?
"A traineeship at VodafoneZiggo lasts 18 months and puts you on three projects. Maura started in the Corporate Social Responsibility team, which focuses on what VodafoneZiggo can do for society as a whole. I took an interest in inclusion. "How can we make our products and services accessible to everybody in society?" To find out, I interviewed customers aged 60+ on the one hand and colleagues who have regular contact with elderly customers on the other. My research led to proposals for a number of changes at Customer Service, as well as a pilot: a weekly Q&A for senior citizens at one of our shops."
"Before I started, I was a little nervous about where I’d end up. A huge organisation like VodafoneZiggo; would I be just another number in a formal hierarchy? To my pleasant surprise, I soon found out that traineeships here have a personal focus. You have three managers to turn to, as well as a very helpful buddy who has recently completed the traineeship. Everyone is very welcoming and you get lots of personal attention. And as for the hierarchy, it’s perfectly OK to send an email with a question or suggestion even to directors. That’s quite unique for a big company."
"VodafoneZiggo is also a lot more fast-paced than your average corporate. Lines are short and you’re encouraged to use them. My first project within the CSR team was a case in point. Many of my colleagues were already involved in initiatives concerning the elderly before, and when I launched mine and shared a few coffees here and there, the project came alive, momentum built and I got support from the most unlikely corners of the organisation. My plan for the pilot got a very swift green light."
"My second project took me to Human Resources, where I worked on an Employer Branding challenge: attracting young talent to Data & Technology. Another assignment that was by no means generic. It was very different, and that’s exactly why I enjoyed it so much. I developed a proposal for a new talent program in Technology. I already knew how appealing the traineeship was and how strong Vodafone Ziggo is at attracting talent in general. But attracting specialists is a different story. I spoke to many people in Tech. I learned how different profiles need unique approaches. An insight I definitely took with me to my third project back in B2C!"
"As I studied Marketing, I was eager to understand the dynamics of our market. Telco is a fast-moving industry and I wanted to learn how to react quickly to new developments." Her final project allowed for just that, as she became part of the Channel Management team. Maura worked on a retention discount plan for different sales channels, designed to keep customers loyal and reduce the number of customers leaving VodafoneZiggo. She strategically chose which discounts would work best to increase retention rates. "I liked this challenge and the team so much that I knew I wanted to stay after the traineeship. I was lucky that a position was opening. Within this role, my focus had already shifted several times. From big campaigns like Black Friday, to more high-level strategic projects. I am having so much fun. I enjoy sitting right between Marketing and Sales, at the heart of everything commercial."
"This traineeship has been a great challenge and getting the freedom to be creative has brought out the entrepreneur in me. Working on my own project was a bit daunting to begin with, but it forced me to take the initiative and knock on people’s doors for help and advice, which taught me an awful lot. I met many people in many departments and worked on completely different topics. Those experiences gave me a broad view of the company, something that would have taken me so much longer without the traineeship. It really helped me understand the business inside out."
