In the highly technical and fast-growing industries we support at Aalberts advanced mechatronics, customers expect you to deliver high quality work, and fast. This is of course not easy, but we manage to do it thanks to colleagues who enjoy overcoming challenges, working together, and going for excellence every day. One such colleague is Martijn van Waarde, Project Engineer Work Planner at Mogema.
“working here felt right”
Martijn discovered that he had a passion for working with his hands at a young age, and started a metalworking internship when he was just 14 years old. He continued to study and work at a few companies, but didn’t find a good fit until he joined Mogema in 2017 when he was just 20. His first role was as an all-around fitter, which he describes as “a wonderful job where I was able to learn the tricks of the trade. From the very beginning working here felt right, and I’ve never felt like I didn’t want to go to work.”
itching to learn new things
Eventually, however, he did start to itch to learn new things. “I thought to myself, ‘I want more!’” Martijn explains. “I had mastered fitting, but I wanted to grow further in the company. That was possible, because Mogema helped me never stop learning.” He was able to keep studying and his supervisor helped him keep finding new challenges. That includes his current role, which he just started in May.
the spider in the web
In this role, Martijn ensures that everything around the ordering process runs smoothly, which means he connects with people and departments across the entire organization. “I really like my job,” he says. “It’s very social and I can really be the spider in the web. I’m also constantly switching gears and helping solve different problems. It’s a super challenging and fun job I learn from every day.”
“there are no stupid questions”
All that learning is made easier by having helpful colleagues. “I’ve worked at companies where I was made to feel like I was less than other people,” Martijn says. “Mogema is not like that. You can talk to everybody, everybody respects you, you can always ask for help, and we believe that there are no stupid questions. This has helped me be more positive with myself and have a lot of fun while still also doing high quality work.”
getting opportunities within Mogema
So what’s next for Martijn? “For now I’m just focusing on learning my new job, but next year I would like to do an associate’s degree in technical business administration,” he says. “I will study at night and work during the day. It will be yet another challenge, but I think if you want something you need to go for it.”
“I want to continue to have fun, feel like I’m learning, and grow within the organization,” he continues. “I don’t know how yet, but what I do know is that I will get that opportunity within Mogema, if I just ask for it. It’s wonderful that I can grow so nicely so early in my career. You don’t get that chance with every company, but here if you earn it, Mogema gives it to you!”
Click here for our other stories
