After fifteen years, Sarah switched from a permanent job to consultancy at Finsiders. With an infectious laugh and a down-to-earth view, she dispels the myths surrounding consulting and explains how she combines work and family.
After fifteen years at ECS you switched to consultancy. Why exactly?
"After my accounting studies, I started working at ECS, a large company in the port of Zeebrugge with more than 500 million turnover. I started at the bottom of the ladder - the basic accounting . Over the years I continued to grow and grow closings and consolidation , but also the coordination and implementations of upgrades within our accounting tool . The last two years I was team lead of six people ."
She leans forward and smiles: "After fifteen years I thought: if I want to do something else, this is the time. I'm 37, my children are a bit older... Your life becomes a bit easier. And you no longer have to worry about having to find a new daycare center if you change work! (laughs)"
How do you combine consultancy with a family?
“When I was considering this step, I often received concerned responses,” she says, shaking her head. "'Are you sure you want to do that? Will it work?' People immediately think that you have to go to the other side of the country and will never be home again !"
" The reality is very different . At Finsiders I have a lot of say. If I say 'no' to a project, it's no. My current project is a 45-minute drive away - that was initially for three months, but has been extended. That can be tough sometimes, but..." she winks, "I have already made it clear for my next project: a maximum of twenty minutes' drive."
"The great thing about consultancy is that you... if an external person looks at your hours differently. Like any other job, you may have to make up evenings. Or that you have to work later, but it is different. As a permanent employee, I might be more likely to think 'I'll stay for a while' or open my laptop at home in the evening. Now I am stricter about that - and that is also respected here."
She thinks for a moment. "A new project always requires finding your feet, even at home. But my children are actually not harmed by it . It helps enormously that I can set my own limits."
Why did you specifically choose Finsiders?
"I deliberately rejected a major player because I thought it was too large-scale. And because they are often only 22-year-old starters." She chuckles. "I wasn't really looking forward to that. It would be a bit uncomfortable among only recent graduates. At Finsiders I immediately found a good mix - yes, I am one of the oldest, but you don't feel that way. Many colleagues are also in the phase of having small children." She laughs exuberantly: "Although I no longer go out until six in the morning on team weekends - but that is no longer necessary for me!"
If you had to describe Finsiders in one sentence, how would you do it?
She thinks for a moment, her face becomes more serious. "Finsiders is for me very supportive . If you are having a hard time in a new project, you will feel that support on all sides. That is priceless if you make this career change."
She concludes with a message for other professionals who are unsure about switching to consultancy: " It is really feasible with children . And it's fun for them too. They now pay attention to wind turbines in the car, instead of containers. Thanks to my project! Of course you have to see that you are changes work environment regularly . But you don't have to be a super human!" She laughs one last time: "I just work normal hours, but in different environments. And that's what makes it so fascinating."
