Max Pijnappel (27)

“I studied mechanical engineering with a year of industrial engineering and management. I very much like the combination of business administration in a technical environment, and my traineeship is an excellent match for that. Because of its diversity Stork offers plenty of variation and the freedom to make your own choices. What you do at Stork really lives up to the name ‘traineeship’. It’s not just a beginner’s job, but it’s really all about personal development. Together with your coach you identify the points on which you want to develop, and look for projects that match them.

My first project involved a strong element of cost control. By making administrative processes more transparent the project leader gained more insight into the expected results, both before and during the project. In my second project in the UK I focused on the merger between two companies at a new location. That was a real-life case with a lot of responsibility. There were all kinds of wishes – not all of them achievable – that had to be coordinated. Holding discussions and negotiations with all the involved people, both internal and external, formed an important part of the project.

As a trainee you don’t have any hierarchical authority to enforce decisions, so you have to try to persuade people about what you want to achieve. I’d like to learn more about the aspect of ‘empowering others’; the different ways in which you can motivate and convince people, so you can achieve your goal.”