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What is a traineeship?

What is the meaning of a traineeship? What is the difference between an internship vs a traineeship? In this article, you will find the definition of a traineeship, why you should do a traineeship, what the pros and cons are for doing a traineeship and more.

Table of Contents

What is a traineeship?


Simply put, we can define a traineeship as a training programme set up to lead you to become a manager or top specialist. The programme will consist of improving your knowledge and skills sets. Many companies offer different types of traineeships, from management traineeships to traineeships in finance or IT.

What is the purpose of a traineeship?


The aim of all traineeships, depending on the kind of traineeship, is to ensure that you, as the trainee, are developed into a proficient manager or specialist. The intention of the traineeship is that the trainee will be offered a permanent role within the organisation at the end.

How long is a traineeship?


Traineeships can last from anywhere between 6 weeks to two years. However, they often take around 6 months to a year. During this time, you will get the opportunity to explore different departments of the company. You explore different departments throughout your traineeship programme to ensure that you will know exactly which function you would like to take on after it ends. 

When is the best time to do a traineeship?


In reality, there is no best time to actually do a traineeship. Organisations that offer traineeships usually start their application process at different times. You can easily find these times on the company profiles on Magnet.me. Some traineeships have two starting dates, and therefore also two application times, usually in the fall and around spring. 

Who can do a traineeship?


Companies create their own criteria for being qualified to follow a traineeship. As these criteria might differ, it is important to always check the individual criteria and make sure you meet those. This is because only graduates with a university degree are eligible for traineeships, but sometimes employers also demand certain grades. 

What is the difference between a traineeship and an internship?


When undertaking an internship, you are usually with a company for six months, with whom you have established an agreement on the tasks you will be completing, for which you receive internship compensation. Internships are often part of your studies, which is why most interns return to their studies after finishing their internship.

In some cases, it is possible that the intern stays with the company and gets hired as an employee. This also usually happens after completing a graduate internship, but is quite exceptional and only happens when the intern has shown excellent performance. 

With a traineeship, the trainee is seen as a normal employee from day one, will be paid a normal salary (which is a lot higher than internship compensation) and gets a lot more responsibility within the company. In comparison to an internship, trainees are expected to stay with the company after finishing the programme. 

Different types of traineeships


As you probably guessed there are multiple types of traineeships, in various different sectors for graduates to choose from. In the Netherlands, organisations have adjusted their programmes to the needs of their trainee and their organisation. Some of the types of traineeships you can expect to get as as a graduate include:

Management traineeship


Management traineeships are the most common type of traineeships. As you probably guessed, management traineeships are centred on improving your management skills and the trainees’ ability to manage people effectively.

Find management traineeships on Magnet.me today

IT traineeship


IT traineeships are increasing in The Netherlands. This is a direct result of organisations and employers needing well trained IT specialists.

Find IT traineeships on Magnet.me today

Finance traineeship


Finance traineeships are the most diverse in The Netherlands. This is because they cover all industries, and organisations require graduates who are well trained and have a high level of finance/financial expertise.

Find finance traineeships on Magnet.me today

Marketing traineeship


Traineeships in marketing are not as common. However, the opportunities that do exist offer graduates looking to develop a profession in marketing a great start in their career, being trained from day one in modern marketing approaches.

Find marketing traineeships on Magnet.me today

Consultancy traineeship


Consultancy is an industry that requires much training and insights. For graduates looking to start a career in consultancy, this is a great start through a traineeship. A consultancy traineeship offers on-the-job training and insights into how the company works with clients. These traineeships are often very competitive and it is important to express your interest early with those employers offering consultancy traineeships.

Find consultancy traineeship on Magnet.me today

Benefits of doing a traineeship


There are a lot of pro’s to doing a traineeship, as you:

  • Get to know more about the company before you officially start your job.
  • Build networks in your first few months.
  • Understand better where your strengths are professionally.
  • Get to ask questions and gain insights to your job and the organisation through a senior supervisor within the company.

Cons of doing a traineeship


However, there are also a number of cons to doing a traineeship, you can find those below:

  • It requires you to have a lot of social skills early on within a professional working environment.
  • As a requirement to being a trainee, you are expected to be very flexible in your work hours.
  • You are expected to continue working at the company after completion.

In reality, traineeships are a fantastic opportunity for graduates seeking jobs after graduation. There are traineeships in a range of sectors and offering traineeships across a number of different positions.

Find out here which companies are offering traineeships today.

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