My name is Dominique. I hold a MSc in Innovation and Business Development and a BSc in Business Administration and Project Management both from Copenhagen Business School. I’m on the 2nd year of my graduate programme in PFA, where I work in the department of Strategic Health. In our team we advise companies and organisations on health and well-being at workplaces. My role is to engage in customer projects, build and maintain relations with costumers and strategic partners, and to engage in internal product development.
How did you end up at the PFA Graduate Programme?
I was a student in PFA in the project management team during the last three years of my studies, so I was familiar with the Graduate Programme and the culture and atmosphere in PFA in general. We also had a graduate in my team, so I had a clear idea of what the programme involved and where it could take me on my personal and professional journey.
During my time as a student assistant, I had some touch points with Strategic Health, where I got to meet the team. It felt like a great match to me especially because strategic health is purposeful for our customers and for PFA, and the team was very accommodating, yet professional and inspirational, so I applied for the position. Luckily, they also saw the match.
What attracted you to PFA as an employer?
PFA has a strong culture and it’s a good place to explore different roles as it’s a large company with many opportunities. Having a generalist profile there are various options to grow within the company. Moreover, I find that PFA values a good and healthy work-life which I believe is crucial for a balanced life.
What has been the highlight of being a graduate at PFA so far?
Though the onboarding days were super intense, we received extensive knowledge on PFA’s complex business model which have proven to be valuable in my work. During the programme, we have different bootcamps reflecting on where we are on our journey. We have held bootcamps i.e., in facilitation as well as visual communication and argumentation which are practical tools when I’m meeting or facilitating workshops with customers.
In addition, I really appreciate the network I received within the Graduate Programme. I like to engage with both my colleagues in my team and the other graduates in PFA. Even though we come from very different backgrounds, my fellow graduates have become a great part of my everyday life, and we like to do all sorts of things together – whether it being an after-work dinner or a cold dip in Nordhavn.
What has surprised you the most about working at PFA?
How complex and broad working with pension and insurance is. Maybe you don’t see yourself working with pension or insurance, but PFA is so much more than that. Health has for example become an important cornerstone in our strategy and being a part of this important agenda really motivates me. It’s such a complex business where many different clever minds get work together to create the best solutions for our customers.
I’m also surprised of the impact PFA has on the society. Having more than 1.3 million customers, we do have a big voice and influence – both in political discussions, at workplaces and to every each of our customers who might meet PFA at certain points in their lives.
Having more than 1.3 million customers, we do have a big voice and influence – both in political discussions, at workplaces and to every each of customers who might meet PFA at certain points in their lives.
Biggest challenge as a graduate so far?
Unfortunately, I got a serious concussion in the beginning of my graduate programme, and I had part-time sick leave which was really overwhelming to me as being new in both my team and as a graduate where you have high expectations for yourself. The positive side of it was that I got to experience how it is to be a costumer in PFA, which has been very insightful in my work in Strategic Health. It truly showed me the importance of support from your workplace during life situations, which is also a recurring theme in my work assignments.
Advice to other applicants?
Actively reflect upon how you can contribute to the culture and be open about your values. Also reflect upon your position in a team and your expectations from a graduate programme.
How do you see your future with PFA?
I hope to continue in Strategic Health in PFA for a good long time as it’s very meaningful to me and I truly see the benefits for both the customers, for PFA and for contributing positively to solve one of the challenges we face as a society. We are currently working on an exciting project to scale up and heighten the quality of services to become even more relevant to our 6,000 business customers.
