Annette van Loosen (27 years old) took a turn in her career path and started at Boskalis as an International Trainee Dredging. “This is a perfect opportunity to explore the world of dredging and find my way in international operations.”
A future in engineering consultancy was always emphasized during Annette’s water management studies. But after applying at several engineering firms, she realized she had different ambitions. Being outside and contributing to the actual execution phase of impactful projects: that’s what she wanted to do. “That realization”, she says, “combined with my desire to work abroad, lead me towards a Boskalis traineeship.”
One year in, Annette just started her third traineeship period at the Seabed Intervention tender department. Annette: “It’s very interesting to learn how projects are acquired, especially after working on-site at two international projects. My first trainee assignment was on a land reclamation project in Bahrain. I travelled there and got the opportunity to learn everything about creating new land, as detailed as recognizing the sound of good sand as it’s rushing through the pipes. I spent my first weeks learning from our sandfill masters, followed by a superintendent role, performing all kinds of on-site operational tasks.”
Annette’s second project brought her to a different part of the planet and showed her the other side of the dredging business: a channel dredging project in Finland. Annette: “I really found my way there. It’s easy to lose yourself in a project - the traineeship is over before you know it - so I clearly stated my ambitions and picked up many different tasks to learn as much as possible. As a superintendent, I had a position in between the office and the project site. So I did spend some time behind my desk, handling work preparation and customer contact. But I spent as much of my time as possible on the water, right in the heart of the action.”
During her time aboard various dredging vessels, Annette really got to appreciate the onboard atmosphere and mentality. The diverse crew members all rely on each other to work hard and get the job done, but also to create a warm family setting. “They made me feel at home”, she smiles. “I realized how important it is to create a good work environment, to make everyone feel appreciated and motivated to improve teamwork. My colleagues gave me a lot of freedom to pick up tasks. This traineeship really is a pressure cooker of collecting the skills and knowledge you need for a future in dredging. I don’t know where I’ll find myself at the end of this traineeship, but I’m sure there are plenty of opportunities for me to pursue my international career at Boskalis.”
Are you ready to put you’re (international) ambitions into action? Check out this page for more information.
Create a job alert
