Being young and ambitious and wanting to start your career right is a great position to be in – but it comes with its challenges. There are a lot of companies you want to check out, and a lot of ‘reading between the lines’ comes with that task.
NextPilots wanted to help you out in your search by being transparent from the start, so we interviewed our co-founders, Edwin Komen and Jasper van de Hoek, and asked them all the questions going through your mind right now. Keep on reading to learn more about us!
What is NextPilots?
E: It’s an outreach and sales agency. That means we scout through LinkedIn to find and message clients for our clients. We also create sales funnels, attend sales meetings, and help our clients close deals.
What kind of company would you like NextPilots to grow into one day?
E: I don’t have a particular company I look up to. However, there are many things I like at other companies, so I try to pick the things I love and use them in making NextPilots even better.
J: I would like for NextPilots to be the leader in Amsterdam and the area around it. I think NextPilots has a big potential to become the go-to place for finding leads and prospects.
What sets NP apart?
E: The services we offer are modern, and we offer a fresh view of the market and new industries. We strive to be direct with all clients because we want to show that we really want to achieve something meaningful.
J: We have a new and fresh vision, and we are using the newest sales tools and methods.
What do you do to create a great place to work for your employees?
E: First of all, team diversity is very important to us. We try to create a diverse team with a shared goal and a shared mindset. This creates something special. All our employees have different hobbies and different points of interest. As a result, you, as a person, can learn a lot from other people.
How would you describe the atmosphere in your company?
E: We are very direct; we love to make jokes, and the overall atmosphere is very positive.
J: Friendly and exciting! We all love to party, drink beer, talk, and have fun while still focusing on business and success.
Why should a young entrepreneur wish to work at NextPilots? What do you offer that you think other companies don't?
E: Young entrepreneurs learn how to make a sales process scalable. Apart from that, they also learn how entrepreneurs and managers think and operate.
J: I think knowing how to add and share value is the most important thing that a young entrepreneur can learn here. They also learn different people skills, such as communication and negotiation.
As young people with responsible roles, what were the biggest challenges you encountered, and what did you learn from them?
E: The first thing that comes up to my mind is that 16 hours of work each week while you’re still a student at university can be very challenging. The way of working can also be difficult because you don’t work for two days straight, but you have to spread those 16 hours over the whole week. You need some flow and time management. The pressure of sales can also be challenging – sometimes, you don’t have the results you wanted, and that can be stressful. This is something that I found to be a challenge during my first days at NextPilots, but I learned how teamwork can work for you and help you in times of pressure and stress.
J: It can be challenging and stressful for some people, especially in the beginning, before you get to know the business a bit better. When I started, it was a bit challenging because I didn’t have the results I wanted, and I thought it was my problem. The team and the onboarding of the clients helped me overcome this challenge, and now I know what I can expect from every prospect.
How does your generation look at work, and how does it differ from how other generations look at work?
E: The type of work is less formal, friendlier, and more direct. We are the generation who don’t always make plans – we like to get on our work, do it, and then see what happens. This makes the process faster as we don’t waste valuable time on making plans in advance since we never know what will come out of them. Instead, we learn along the way and create and adjust plans accordingly. Everything is changing at a very fast pace nowadays, and this is something we try to understand and implement in business as well.
J: The younger generation doesn’t want to work full-time anymore like the generations before us had to work. We focus on efficiency and love the hybrid way of working. Being able to work both from home and the office and create your own working hours can do wonders for your productivity and motivation.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
E: Seeing people grow in business.
J: Seeing the company and industries grow and be innovative.
What skills are you looking for when finding new colleagues?
E: I would say that the most important skills are the mindset and the base level of knowledge of business and economics. New colleagues should be interested in what it takes to run a business and how it works. Experience is also important, but if we’re mentioning experience, I think that any experience matters, not only in sales and marketing. Even if you worked as a volunteer or anything similar, you will be able to use the skills you learned at that particular job and paste them into the work you would be doing for NextPilots.
J: The most important thing that people should know if they want to work at NextPilots is how sales and marketings work together. I would also say they should be driven to grow a company. They don’t need to be driven by money but by the fact that a company should keep growing. Success should be a great motivator. People skills are also very important, as well as experience. However, the latter is not the most important. You should know a bit about sales and a bit about marketing and how you can combine these two.
How long does your entire hiring process take, and what does your onboarding look like?
E: Generally, we ask our potential coworkers what they like and what they would like to learn. After a week of the initial meeting, I let people know what their next steps are. This could be an intro meeting with the colleagues and setting up the system. We work on the “buddy” principle, and every new colleague has someone they can rely on.
Why would you say NextPilots is a great company for young people to start their careers?
E: We have very diverse clients, and we are constantly in touch with decision-makers and C-level management. This is very interesting as it can connect you to many people, and networking is much more fun. It’s also interesting to see how business works and how marketing and sales are done. If we’re talking about students who are still at college, it’s very helpful to learn what is going on in the business world at a young age; it can prepare you tremendously for what’s waiting for you.
What would be the first tip to share with someone going into sales?
E: Stay motivated. The road to success can get a bit bumpy, but if you have your goals set firmly, nothing will stop you from achieving them.
J: Be ready to learn. Sales isn’t something you can figure out in a year or two; it takes a lifetime. But, with the right mindset and support, the journey is more rewarding than the destination!
If you fit Edwin and Jasper’s description of the ideal candidate and want to work in a friendly and supportive team, we’re waiting for your application!