Can you introduce yourself briefly?
My name is Lotte, currently 27 years old. In February 2018, I completed the master’s in Business Communication and Digital Media. During my master’s, I was an active member of Flow, first as inFlow commissioner and the following year as a member of the Formal Activities Committee.

Could you tell me something about the company you work for now?
I work at Swietelsky Rail Benelux B.V. in Oisterwijk since September 2018. As an all-round railway contractor, the company specializes in mechanical track renewal. The company is a subsidiary of the Austrian group Swietelsky Baugesellschaft m.b.H. and has the largest high-tech machine park in Europe. Because the Benelux branch was growing so fast, there was a need for someone with a communication background. I am the first to set up a communication department here, a very nice challenge!

How did you get there?
Actually, I had focused my attention entirely on the Zuid-Holland region, but when my secondment agency came up with this vacancy, my interest was aroused. To this day, I have never regretted staying in Brabant for my job. My job is very varied: one day I’m at a rail renewal site in Friesland, the next I’m brainstorming with ProRail about how we can improve the reputation of the rail sector.

How quickly did you get a job after graduating?
With a VWO diploma in my pocket, I made a conscious decision to first follow a HBO study in Communication. This way, I was able to get a good picture of the field of study through internships. My plan was to follow up my HBO bachelor with a WO master’s degree in order to deepen my knowledge. With two diplomas in my pocket, I can easily switch quickly between practice and strategic policy-making. Of course this will also have contributed to the fact that I was hired immediately after the job interview.

How did you select the type of job you wanted to apply for when applying?
Partly because I had already seen many facets of the field of study during my higher professional education, I had a good idea of my interests. In fact, my range of interests has only been broadened thanks to the BDM master’s programme. I looked specifically for online (marketing) communication, copywriting, PR and AR & VR.

What is your job title at the moment?
At the moment I am a communications employee.

Can you tell us something about your daily work?
In short, my work consists of taking care of the internal and external communication with our stakeholders. I write and optimize strategic and operational projects, communication and policy plans, write texts for our website and organize events for the labour market. I also take care of labor market communication. I also supervise and support colleagues during press moments. Finally, I take care of the internal newsletter, social media and I support external parties such as a vlogster who makes a series of vlogs on our behalf.

To what extent does CIW reappear in your work? Does it connect properly?
In my opinion, the BDM master’s is too theoretical to be called a good match with the labor market, but it certainly offers the right deepening. You learn to analyze certain trends that come in handy in your work. Nevertheless, I would recommend that you also do an internship to get used to the practice and the pace of work. In addition, I have noticed that my year as inFlow commissioner has provided me with valuable insights that are useful in my work.