Perfect fit

Lorence van den Broek likes a bit of a challenge. This is proven by her Erasmus adventure, which she completed in December as the finalisation of her marketing studies. So the distance France - Belgium did not stop her from applying from Lyon for a position at insights&research agency One Inch Whale. And so it happened: with a virtual handshake, the match was sealed to join the market research team a few months later.

Lorence: "What particularly appeals to me about One Inch Whale is their vision for more sustainable research. Not only by creating a sustainable impact with companies by doing targeted market research, but likewise what they want to do for society matches my values. That they adopt whales for each completed project (read along here for more clarification) only made me more excited, because admit it... whales are adorable water giants after all!"

She started her internship, full of enthusiasm, at the beginning of February.
Lorence: "Immediately, I was surprised by the team's hospitality. There is a really nice atmosphere where you immediately feel welcome. It was beyond my expectations that I was able to take part in several team building sessions, with the 'Bob Ross Painting' session as the absolute highlight."

It was definitely the most pleasant error of judgement I could have made.

Nicest error of judgement

But besides the fun stuff, there was also work to be done. Lorence enjoyed getting a taste of real work life, but she was stunned at how much is involved in an average working day.
Lorence: "I didn't expect the diversity of work when I started here. It was definitely the most pleasant error of judgement I could have made. The diversity of the work makes the amount I learn a lot bigger."

Still, besides upskilling her marketing knowledge, she missed going deeper into the market research company's research projects to gain this expertise. But there was a smooth adjustment there too.

Lorence: "Apart from working according to the agile principle during their research studies, the team follows the same principle in their internal functioning. When I indicated that I wanted to immerse myself more in the research world, the switch was made immediately. I was allowed to gain a lot of valuable insights into the research process during the running internship. From data collection through quantitative and qualitative fieldwork to analysis and interpretation of results. I even underestimated how many opportunities there are to conduct research, which makes it extremely interesting to be able to follow everything from the front line. Input that I can also use during my research of my bachelor's thesis."

Rewarding incentive

It became clear to Lorence during her internship what an interesting world the insight&research industry is.
Lorence: "My internship followed the motto 'get out all there is to get out'. Besides day-to-day activities, I got the chance to participate in workshops, webinars, focus groups, taste tests and conferences. So I not only wanted to have made a valuable contribution to the team's operations, but also to enjoy the opportunities that presented themselves. It all gave me better insights into the research world and it has since become clear to me that I definitely want to continue in this direction after this internship. A rewarding experience for my intrinsic motivation, or to say it in professional jargon: a good incentive."