How you grow into a fully fledged First Class specialist
As a First Class specialist at AFAS, you are the fixed point of contact for your own group of clients. These clients use our software intensively and are of strategic importance to AFAS. You build a strong relationship with their administrator team, get to know their organisation and make sure they know how to find their way within AFAS. You speak with the client regularly via Teams and occasionally visit them in person, so you truly understand what is going on.
This requires substantive knowledge of AFAS, genuine interest in clients, overview, ownership and the ability to involve the right colleagues within AFAS. You look beyond individual client questions. You want to understand what is happening at the client, which projects are coming up and how AFAS can help them with those.
That is why you start with the Traineeship First Class. During this period, you learn step by step how our software, clients and processes work in practice. You first build a broad foundation and then increasingly focus on First Class.
As a trainee, you support clients with questions, think along about processes and learn how to translate client needs into advice, action and collaboration within AFAS. You work together with colleagues such as First Class specialists, service managers, consultants, product specialists, product development and success management. This way you receive guidance where needed and freedom where possible.
Phase 1
The first phase is the same for all our traineeships. You build a broad foundation in client contact, software knowledge and problem-solving.
- You pick up client questions and learn to set priorities.
- You learn AFAS, our software and our clients.
- You work along in practice and follow targeted training, both for the software and for soft skills.
- You learn how to align expectations and clearly bring clients along in what is and is not possible.
- You develop a feel for business processes and learn how clients use AFAS in their daily work.
Phase 2
From phase 2 onwards, your development increasingly focuses on First Class. You go deeper into client relationships, proactive advising and representing client interests within AFAS.
- You learn to build and maintain intensive client relationships.
- You gain increasing insight into what is happening with your clients and what they need.
- You practise preparing, conducting and following up on client meetings.
- You learn to proactively advise clients on successfully using AFAS.
- You discover how to involve the right colleagues within AFAS, for example from product development, product management or success management.
- You learn to clearly represent client interests within AFAS.
- You deepen your knowledge of sectors, client processes and implementation issues.
- You grow in planning and organising your own work week.
How you help our clients further
After the traineeship, you work as a First Class specialist with your own group of clients. You are their first point of contact within AFAS and make sure they feel seen, helped and represented. As the AFAS specialist, you help them further with their questions and challenges, or to simply think along about the content.
You discuss not only open questions, incidents or product development requests, but also look ahead. Which projects are on the client's planning? Which developments are happening within AFAS? Where can the client get even more out of our software? And which colleagues need to be involved to help the client further?
You get to know your clients well, including through on-site visits. As a result, you know what is truly important to them. From that knowledge, you provide valuable input for product development, think along about our services and help clients during events such as Succestival, AFAS Open and other client moments.
The focus of this traineeship is on First Class, but with the knowledge and experience you gain here, you can possibly also grow towards consultant, service manager or product specialist.
The week of a trainee First Class Specialist
And once I have completed the traineeship?
Then you are a fully fledged First Class specialist. You have your own group of clients, increasingly know their organisations and administrator teams, and ensure they receive the warm, exclusive First Class experience that AFAS stands for.
You combine client contact with substance, overview, advice and ownership. You know what is happening with your clients, represent their interests within AFAS and make sure the right people get involved at the right time. You are then in the driver's seat with all your acquired knowledge, skills and energy. You communicate what we stand for. Indeed: you are then an inspirator yourself.
TL;DR: Get to know strategic clients truly well and become their fixed point of contact, advisor and representative within AFAS.