Thijmen (23 years old) already got to know Boskalis Nederland a couple of years ago as an intern. It was an obvious choice to return as a trainee. “I’m currently developing myself on a professional and personal level during my role in project control.”
“My internship at the Earthmoving and Mining department got me excited about a future here“, Thijmen starts. “After I finished my degree in Civil Engineering, I traveled to Curaçao, Mexico and the United States. I was relaxing on the beach with a beer, thinking about my future plans, when my former internship supervisor called me. ‘If I wanted to sign up for the trainee program.’ Long story short: I passed the selection procedure and was ready to start in September.”
Thijmen currently has a position in project control, at a big infra project on the RijnlandRoute near Valkenburg. “Our plans and drawings describe exactly what we’re going to do on the project. But sometimes we have to deviate from these plans, to cut costs or to improve the original idea, for instance. In these cases, it’s up to me to investigate the cause and consequences together with those responsible. This is a great learning experience, because every situation requires a unique approach. Besides, I want to get to know as much as possible about the other aspects of project control. Delivery, quality management and so on. It’s these less technical sides of the job that I didn’t learn as much about at school. So this is the ideal moment to gain a lot of experience.”
No matter what you’re ambitions are, Boskalis Nederland is the place to be”
So far, Thijmen already learned a lot about himself. “I didn’t take personal development that seriously before”, he admits. “But I quickly changed my mind during the introduction weeks. I realized I could be quite held back in new situations and wasn’t too quick to give my opinion or ask questions. I know it’s good to do the opposite. Learning this was very good for my self-confidence. Together with the other trainees, we have a monthly personal development session with a coach, during which we reflect on our personal development goals as a group by discussing cases. That’s a great way to get to know each other. We’ve been very close since the start, keeping in touch and supporting each other. And we visit each other’s projects on a regular basis to share experiences.”
Thijmen is pleasantly surprised about all of the opportunities within Boskalis. “I’m happy to get the chance to look around here. I want to gain a lot more (technical) knowledge and broaden my view of the organization. One thing I know for sure, is that I prefer to overview a complete project, rather than specializing in a specific part. So in the long run, I’d love to aim for a management position within Boskalis. It’s good to set ambitious goals for myself!”
Do you want to learn more about traineeships at Boskalis? Check out the possibilities here.
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