Coaching at Ormit Talent:
Insights from Pamela
A traineeship at Ormit Talent means looking in the mirror together with your coach. Why Ormit Talent? What’s the essence of coaching? What is its added value in the early years of your career? For answers, we sat down with Pamela, a management trainee, about the added value of coaching and its impact on her personal and professional development.
Pamela’s story
Reflecting on her initial challenges and the past two years, a recurring theme surfaces: overcoming imposter syndrome. A feeling she already had from the start. The news of being among the top 3% to receive a job offer felt almost unreal. She dismissed it as a mere marketing tactic, unable to believe I could be part of such a select group.
This feeling tagged along in her first assignment at BPost, about which she received warnings from others on how challenging it would be. She couldn’t believe that everyone was happy about her work.
Pamela shares: “Even when my coach insisted that my achievements were a result of my capabilities and not mere chance, I struggled to accept it. The notion that the stars had aligned, and it was merely a fortunate circumstance persisted in my mind. Perhaps it was due to the timing being less hectic, and I questioned whether it was genuinely me doing something right.”
The theme kept resurfaced in her coaching sessions, challenging her to reflect on her fears and aspirations and to question why she couldn’t accept her achievements. Even in her second assignment, this doubt persisted.
Thoughts like “What am I doing there? I’m not going to do well. Other trainees are so much better than me. Can deliver more creative projects and so on.” haunted her.
Yet, during coaching with Joke, a realization struck —there was a consistent pattern of positive feedback, so there must be some truth in it. Delving into discussions with others, Pamela grasped the sincerity behind their positive affirmations.
“I believe I’m quite good at what I do and that’s why I’m also not that stressed about my next steps after this traineeship. “
Pamela’s journey, initially clouded by uncertainty, has transformed into a more confident perspective, where she recognizes her capabilities and the positive impact she can bring to companies. A pivotal factor in this transformation is the unique approach to coaching at Ormit Talent—a personal coach who accompanies you throughout your traineeship, tailoring their guidance to the specific needs of each individual.
“It also helps that you have your own coach who pays attention to details. It’s not that you have one session and then two months afterwards they completely forget about your case. They are really closely following up and it’s really nice to have that kind of attention. These sessions guided me in uncovering my path, understanding my capabilities, and addressing my weaknesses, fostering significant growth in both my professional and personal development.”
However, the story extends coaching alone. Pamela emphasizes the synergy of coaching, peer support, and the distinctive company culture.
Support of peers
Pamela crossed paths with other trainees during training. Valuable moments that helped her to normalize her feelings. “It was really helpful to hear about the struggle of other trainees. It confirms that you’re not alone and that what you are feeling is normal at the start of your career. I felt less weird.”
The company culture
Pamela highlights the significance of a transparent and honest environment, for both giving and receiving feedback. “It is something really specific to Ormit Talent because when I talk about it with others outside the company, they are always surprised about the positive interactions around feedback.”
When asked about how this safe space is created, she emphasizes it is a mix of many elements. “It is a bit like being in a bubble with people who think like you. Everyone is nice and open, making it possible to discuss things without fearing that it’s going to backfire. There is so much trust between all of us even when you don’t see them often. It’s just in the air.”
At Ormit Talent, we believe this safe space is very important to teach our trainees to speak up. Like this, we give them all the tools to give and receive feedback, so they dare to give this feedback in other environments as well. And like this, inspire them to build this safe environment to grow a feedback culture as well. This resonates with Pamela’s experiences and reflects the commitment we have to fostering an environment where open communication and trust are foundational elements.
Now, circling back to coaching (the center of this story) let’s conclude with Pamela’s insights:
Biggest advantage of coaching
at the start of your career
“The biggest advantage would be to have the chance to really step back and identify the points on which I want to work. It’s having a second brain working with you and analyzing the situation—a bit more guidance, especially in the beginning.”
A tip for new trainees
or even those considering Ormit Talent
“Be open to it. You have a lot more to gain than to lose.”
Pamela believes that it is an opportunity to embrace, definitely at the start of your career. And for those that are a bit afraid, she states:
“The coaches are really adapting to the talent in front of them. If they see that someone is really open, then they’re going to dig deeper, and if they see that someone is a bit closed, then they’re going to try to go slower. So no one’s going to force you to talk about something that you don’t want to. For me, there’s no reason to be afraid.”
Ready to invest in your personal and professional growth?
Loved the story of Pamela but still not very sure what coaching at Ormit Talent is?