I first met Anne during the careers days, when attending the lecture (presented by her and her colleague) on the #FITGIRLCODE community. As soon as I found out she is an IBCoM student just as me, I asked her whether she would like to sit down for an interview. Thinking that she didn’t have an interesting enough story to tell, Anne was really surprised by my offer but still agreed to tell me more about her life – which turned out to be quite fascinating.
First of all, Anne comes from the South of Netherlands and moved to Rotterdam when she was 20 years old, ready to start the IBCoM program. As a third-year student who is almost done with her studies, these are her thoughts about the program: “Like many students out there I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do in my future. I was interested in marketing and advertising, but also liked the idea of writing articles so I thought IBCoM was the study program that suited me the most, although I was never 100% sure about it. In the end, however”, says Anne, “it turned out to be the perfect match for me and I am really glad my choice turned out to be the best one.” Anne’s advice for current first-year students who are still doubting the program, is to not quit yet – “The great thing about IBCoM is that in your second year you get to choose your courses and choose as consequence the direction in which you want to go. Have patience because greater things are definitely coming.” Another aspect Anne really enjoyed is the possibility to do an internship – and hers was one many girls would be jealous of. It all started during one of the guest lectures organized by the faculty, where Anne met one of the representative of #FITGIRLCODE – an online community for women who want to have a healthy and happy lifestyle, which started as an Instagram account. It wasn’t long before she was an official intern at #FITGIRLCODE, enjoying her internship which soon turned out to be her part-time job. “Just like I chose IBCoM without being 100% sure about it, I decided to try out whether a position in brand relations fit me, which turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life and which in the end provided me with a job I very much like and enjoy.” Anne is happy that she has made some good decision concerning her study/career so far. However, because good things in life do not come without sacrifices, Anne had to give some things up: “I decided not to go on exchange, mostly to be able to continue working there. Although I still would have loved to go abroad, in the end I am very happy with my decision”.
When asked whether you have to lead a certain lifestyle when working at #FITGIRLCODE, Anne said: “You definitely have to like and enjoy what you are talking about and promoting, but of course each one of us has different lifestyles and just does her own thing. I am vegan for example, but that doesn’t mean everyone in the team is as well.” On that note Anne shared some advice on how to feel accomplished on a fitness and nutrition level: “Find something that works for you, whether it is working out 5 times a week or only once. Find food and specific recipes that you like and don’t make eating healthy look like a struggle.” One of Anne’s favourite meals is pasta, followed by a delicious dessert – Ben & Jerry’s Vegan Ice-cream which she’s been waiting for for many years.