Interview: Niklas Terkelsen, Ceciliea Poulsen og Sofie Degn.
At pensopay, we’re fortunate to have had several apprentices. Currently, we have Niklas, along with two former apprentices, Ceciliea and Sofie, who are both now full-time employees. Niklas, Ceciliea, and Sofie have each shared their perspectives on what their vocational education has given them.
Niklas is studying office management and sales at EUX Business at Campus Vejle, working daily in pensopay's sales department. Sofie graduated from EUX Business at Campus Vejle, specializing in office administration, and currently works in pensopay's administration and accounting department. Ceciliea also graduated from EUX Business at Campus Vejle, with a focus on trade and sales, and is now part of our onboarding team.
Niklas, Ceciliea, and Sofie all agree that it has been great to combine theory and practice during their education. With relevant elective courses, they have each gained knowledge through their studies that they can now apply in their roles at pensopay.
"E-commerce and online shopping have grown significantly in recent years, making the industry very attractive. I interact with a wide range of people every day—both Dorte, who is 70, and young Mikkel, who just started his own webshop. I generally talk to many different people, and I think that's really exciting!" says Niklas.
Sofie and Ceciliea agree, adding that they believe the e-commerce industry will continue to grow in the future, which means job security at a company like pensopay.
Niklas works in sales, where he not only sells pensopay's payment solutions but also handles customer support and post-purchase experiences. He follows up with pensopay's customers to ensure they are satisfied with the solutions recommended to them. Niklas will complete his education in August 2024, after which he hopes to remain in the industry—ideally with pensopay, if the opportunity arises.
Ceciliea works in the onboarding team, where she approves new customers for payment solutions and ensures they are set up in the systems. In addition to her practical tasks, she also handles legal aspects such as anti-money laundering and verification. Her future plan is to remain in the e-commerce industry, which she has always been passionate about. "I've always liked this field—pensopay and the e-commerce sector as a whole are growing. As e-commerce grows, so does pensopay."
Sofie manages the numerous customer inquiries we receive. She also handles invoicing, cancellations, and follows up with customers who do not always pay on time. Sofie envisions an exciting future with many opportunities. "There is plenty of room to improve my skills in accounting and office work, which is what I do daily. For example, I’m determined to take courses and pursue further education in the future to keep my knowledge up to date," Sofie adds.
Niklas believes he can impact the industry because he often finds himself on the other side as a customer, gaining constant experience and knowledge about what it's like to shop online.
"I want to help improve the final shopping experience for customers on e-commerce sites. I would like to share my suggestions and experiences to influence the industry," Niklas Terkelsen, pensopay.
Ceciliea explains that she believes she can influence the industry through customers. "We have other businesses as clients, and many reach out to us to inquire about what’s trending in the market—like preferred payment methods or current trends. By responding and assisting, we can impact the industry through our customers with our knowledge. Sometimes we’re also asked about integrations, invoicing programs, shop systems, or other topics. In this context, we can make recommendations to our clients, which ultimately affects the cardholder," Ceciliea Poulsen, pensopay.
Niklas, Ceciliea, and Sofie all agree that being skilled is a significant advantage. They have each filled their backpacks with experience from both school and the workplace. They also concur that what they have learned during their education can be translated into practical application in their careers. "Being skilled is important for enhancing your CV and gaining overall experience. Pursuing an education is never wasted effort," adds Sofie.
We asked all three of them to share some valuable advice for anyone considering becoming an apprentice:
"Always ask yourself: what’s the worst that can happen? Take the leap. Remove the barriers and dive in. Don't be afraid to fail—it's the only way you'll learn," Niklas Terkelsen, pensopay.
"Always remember that you won't become an expert overnight. Take it one step at a time. You won't learn everything at once. I still learn new things every day—complex and legal aspects of pensopay. You don't become a hundred-meter champion all at once. Take it easy, work hard, and don’t expect to know it all right away—learn from your mistakes," Ceciliea Poulsen, pensopay.
“Don't be too hard on yourself if you make a mistake. Embrace all the challenges you can—you’ll only improve, even if you need to ask for help multiple times before you succeed. Take on every challenge and task available. If you have the chance to explore other departments and see what the rest of the company is doing, go for it," Sofie Degn, pensopay.
Når man går på en erhvervsuddannelse som Niklas, Ceciliea og Sofie har gjort, er der mulighed for jobdating undervejs. Det vil sige at en række virksomheder møder op på skolen, hvor de studerende har mulighed for at gå rundt og snuse lidt og danne sig et indtryk. Niklas var til jobdating hvor han lynhurtigt faldt over pensopay. Han forklarer at årsagen til han opsøgte pensopay, var fordi de skilte sig ud.
“Jeg var til jobdating på Campus, hvor mange virksomheder var repræsenteret. Ceciliea, Danny og Pierre skilte sig ud i deres pensopay hoodies. Jeg blev hurtigt fanget af virksomhedens stil og kunne se mig selv der. Efter en uges praktik, søgte jeg uopfordret, da de ikke søgte elever på det tidspunkt. Jeg startede deltid i fragtafdelingen, og det gik godt. Jeg blev ved med at banke på døren hos Danny og Pierre, og vi fik åbnet en elevplads i salg, hvor jeg sidder i dag,” fortæller Niklas smilende.
Ceciliea tilføjer, at hun også havde været til jobdating dengang hun gik i skole. Dog var der ikke noget til jobdating som fangede hende 100%. Hun overvejede at læse videre. En dag kom Cecilieas underviser og fortalte om pensopay som gerne ville holde foredrag fordi de søgte elev.
Sofie fik i sin tid en elevplads i en økonomiafdeling i en anden virksomhed. Ceciliea og Sofie gik i sin tid i klasse sammen, hvorfor de talte sammen forinden de begge var ansat hos pensopay. Sofie havde udtrykt overfor Ceciliea, at hun søgte en anden praktikplads. Da Ceciliea en dag tilfældigt talte med Pierre om praktikplads mv., kom de til at tale om Sofie som søgte ny. Pierre bad hende søge og så startede Sofie sin praktik på ny hos pensopay per den 1. januar 2021.
Afslutningsvis var det interessant at høre, hvorfor eleverne valgte at blive hos pensopay. Niklas er endnu ikke færdig med sin uddannelse og er stadigvæk elev – men han håber at kunne blive i virksomheden, fordi han synes branchen er spændende. Niklas forklarer at han, udover at være fan af virksomheden generelt, er fan af den gennemsnitlige alder, der hos pensopay er ret lav, og den gode ‘vibe’ pensopay har.
Ceciliea har været hos pensopay i nogle år efterhånden, hvorfor hun også har fulgt virksomhedens vækst tæt. “Jeg kan godt lide, at jeg kan skabe min egen hverdag. Hos pensopay føler jeg, at der er meget frihed under ansvar, hvilket jeg godt kan lide – derfor blev jeg efter endt elevplads” Ceciliea Poulsen, pensopay.
Sofie forklarer at årsagen til hun blev var blandt andet grundet det gode arbejdsmiljø og den uformelle tone, som hun vægter højt. “Vi kan alle samles til frokost, der afholdes mange aktiviteter/arrangementer og der er generelt god personalepleje. Ikke nok med det, så har jeg lært så meget de seneste år i forbindelse med min elevplads – det er rart endeligt at kunne bruge det” Sofie Degn, pensopay.
Tak for snakken Niklas, Ceciliea og Sofie. Vi er glade for at I er en del af teamet.
Team pensopay