Boring? It never is in Human Resources.
Maaike joined Bright Plus Outsourcing Solutions in 2016 as HR Project Consultant
Six years of experience as an HR Assistant with the same employer... And yet, I was missing something. I had certainly learned a lot during my first years as an HR Assistant, yes, but it was limited to administration and supporting my colleagues in HR as best as I could. I wanted to get to know all areas in HR and broaden my knowledge. I was particularly interested in recruitment and decided to make the switch to HR Project Consultant.
That way, I could sample different employers, sectors and aspects in the field of Human Resources and learn a lot in a short time through practical experience. I have always been more of a practitioner than a theory person. Going back to school was not something I could do and was not financially realistic as I already had a family. Another advantage I saw as a big plus is that being a Project Consultant would not mess up my stable resume. I would not be creating a job hopping resume, because I had been given a permanent contract.
"As Project Consultants, we can be quite proud of the work we do. We keep starting over and making sure our backpack of knowledge is a bit fuller at the end of our project. A backpack that I carry with great pride and take with me to the next project."
"As Project Consultants, we can be quite proud of the work we do. We keep starting over and making sure our backpack of knowledge is a bit fuller at the end of our project. A backpack that I carry with great pride and take with me to the next project."
Waarom ik graag doe, wat ik doe
From hr administration to recruitment to payroll expert
During my first project, I found myself in a company where I would have to cover everything, not only administration and recruitment but also payroll. Payroll didn't have much meaning to me at the time, since I had no experience with it and it seemed rather immensely boring. However, I soon had to come back from that. I was immediately offered a training at the social secretariat to learn how to work with the payroll package and was immersed in the world of payroll. That very first payroll I had processed, which I will never forget, caused me so much stress. But I must admit that I did get a kick out of it afterwards. 'Wow, I can actually do this!'
After an internal stopover at the offices in Mechelen and Berchem to replace colleagues on maternity leave with a focus on recruitment, I became a mother myself once more. After my own maternity leave, I was able to return to work and joined a project where the focus was again on payroll. I could use my accumulated experience and build on it. Payroll became the focus in the project after that and also the one after that. Actually, all other projects over the next few years were payroll projects and I was very happy with that. To my surprise, I had started to enjoy being involved with payroll more and more and it became just the thing that gave me the most energy and satisfaction.
Why I love doing what I do
I started working as an HR Project Consultant in 2016 and have since been on many different projects. Some projects were more fun than others - just like in secondary school where some teachers were more fun and interesting - but always with a challenging set of tasks, learning to work with new software and getting to know new people. It has never been boring. With each project, my self-confidence also grows a little more.
When I finish a project, the customer's appreciation is always great. That is very gratifying and provides a boost and positive energy to start the next project. This also creates a sense of pride, and there no harm in that. As Project Consultants, we can be quite proud of the work we do. We keep starting over and making sure our backpack of knowledge is a bit fuller at the end of our project. A backpack that I carry with great pride and take with me to the next project.