A soft launch into consultant life
– The trust you’re shown, combined with the security you have in the fact that it’s okay to make mistakes, makes me feel very comfortable in Mazeppa, says business consultant and Trainee, Haldor Åsheim.
In 2023, Mazeppa employed six young and talented people in a trainee program we’re setting up together with our biggest partner, Infor. The goal is to find new talent and develop the next generation of ERP consultants.
First up is Haldor Åsheim.
Åsheim is 26 years old and comes from Drammen. He has a double master's degree from NHH: One in strategy and management, and one in international management through the CEMS program.
– The reason I chose this career path was an interest in and a drive to work with international business, and not least to travel, he says.
The urge to travel and experience different cultures has been with him for a long time. Åsheim lived in Japan and Germany as an exchange student before he got an internship at the global technology company PTC in Spain. Specializing in augmented reality (AR), IoT, CAD and PLM, PTC also piqued Asheim's interest in helping companies implement innovative technologies.
– My tech interest is what’s driven me to where I am today and to Mazeppa. In addition, I want to work in a smaller company where I’m not just as mall cog in a big machinery, but where I can have an impact.
An environment for a slightly quirky brain
It was after doing a lot of research for companies he wanted to apply to, that Åsheim landed on Mazeppa. The boxes for company size, technology and business were checked off early.
– Learning that ERP is the heart of a company matched both my interest in business and in technology, he says.
What finally sold him was finding an interview with Mazeppa's first trainee, Even Ramstad. The article is Even’s description of being a trainee "guinea pig".
– That honest look into the company resonated with me. It wasn’t the typical corporate description. It made me think that Mazeppa is an environment that will suit me and my slightly quirky, creative brain well, he says.
Creativity is a key word for Åsheim, with photography and music being defining many of his hobbies. He believes that a creative mind comes in handy - also in the ERP industry.
– Although there are some guidelines in an implementation process, we always work with very different companies. They’re organized differently and they have different procedures. The key is to meet them where they are and help them implement systems in a way that suits them. I think a good creative brain, that can see challenges from different sides, will come in handy, says Åsheim.
Plunging into deeper waters
Åsheim started his trainee journey a month before the rest, spending the first weeks learning LN Analytics, a tool for visualizing data in Infor LN CloudSuite. After just a couple of weeks, he presented his findings to a customer.
– I felt valued right away. I really enjoy being thrown into things. I see it as a declaration of trust. And it’s a good example of how things have been so far in the program, says Åsheim.
Since the other five trainees joined, the group has been through intensive courses and training. Åsheim is convinced that there’s a big difference between entering a company as a new employee and entering as a trainee, that there’s great strength in being new together with others.
– We’re all within the same age group and we have great chemistry. We’re all useful individually, but together we have a synergistic effect. We figure things out and make each other better.
Even though starting as a trainee, where everything is about learning the basics and building a foundation, Åsheim is looking forward to plunging into deeper waters.
– Learning all this is one thing. It’s something else entirely to be "out in the field" with the customers. That’s something I look forward to, says Åsheim.
– I know that I have the ability to learn new things. At the same time, I know that Mazeppa are patient, available and willing to get me there. So, I'm ready for what comes next.
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