Jochem was studying in London when he took a course called ‘The Social Psychology of Organisations’. The class proved to be exactly what he was looking for. ‘I read that huge textbook from cover to cover,’ he recalls, ‘and I knew that I wanted to focus more on that subject during my Master’s.’
The perfect fit
Jochem’s search for the right Master’s programme led him to VU Amsterdam’s Culture, Organisation & Management (COM) programme. ‘The COM programme matched perfectly with my interest in supporting a company’s success using its own culture as an asset,’ Jochem explains. ‘It blended business strategy and organisational theory with the cultural and social aspects of a company.’
Jochem says VU Amsterdam’s approach of mixing theory and hand-on experience was critical. ‘To complete the COM programme, I needed to work at a company in order to write my Master’s thesis. That gave me the opportunity to make true impact,’
he explains.
Internships with impact
Jochem did his internship at a major Dutch Telecom provider that was looking to embed its core values among its nearly 10,000 employees. ‘This was my first experience in observing the way a company operates, and offering my insight and advice to help them improve,’ Jochem says. ‘And that’s where I found my passion for consulting.’
Every organisation faces challenges. But Jochem says that he learned why balance is the key to success. ‘Whether it’s implementing a new HR system or introducing an agile way of working, an organisation can never be successful if it only focuses on the culture, or only focuses on the business strategy. Business and culture go hand in hand. At VU Amsterdam, we learned how to help create that balance.’
Consulting for culture
‘I believe nothing beats real-world experience to help you learn,’ Jochem continues. ‘At VU Amsterdam, you learn to think critically about the relevance of theories you’ve read, and how to apply them in the real world.’
Today, Jochem is a consultant at Kirkman Company – a consultancy firm that helps companies become more relevant for their stakeholders: employees, customers, partners, shareholders and society at large. Jochem focuses mostly on involving employees in organisational change. ‘It’s exciting to help companies learn how to improve employee culture and engagement,’ he says.
Passing on the lessons learned
Two days a week, Jochem is also People Manager for junior consultants at Kirkman. ‘I love coaching new consultants on their own development paths,’ he says. ‘It’s a way of passing on all I’ve learned, and helping young consultants find their way.’
Jochem’s advice to those interested in the COM Master’s? Bring an open mind and your critical thinking skills. ‘You’ll learn a lot of different theories and experience a lot of different company cultures,’ he says. ‘VU Amsterdam will teach you how to blend all of that together to help companies reach higher levels of success.’
