What kind of work have you done since you graduated?
A few months after I graduated, I found a job at the Municipality of The Hague. First, I worked as a policy officer in the field of sustainability, energy transition, and public space. Nowadays, I still work at the municipality of The Hague, but in a new role as Sustainability Advisor.
Is this what you always wanted to be? What are your future goals?
I never had a very clear picture in mind of what my dream job would look like. However, I did have some ideas about what was important to me in a job. I have a background in architecture and urbanism, so I knew I would like to combine strategy and design. Furthermore, I was interested in making cities more sustainable. When reading the job description for policy officer and later the description of Sustainability Advisor, I felt that both roles perfectly fitted my criteria.
I now get to work on redesigning cities and advising the Municipality of The Hague on how to make the city more sustainable. In my role as Sustainaility Advisor, I contribute to improving the world in a few ways. Firstly, by developing new policies that set the standard for sustainable urban development. Secondly, I make sure that the new policies are implemented, by consulting project leaders or property developers. Lastly, I find it very important to set the right example myself (personally and professionally) and be an inspiration for those around me.
I would like to continue to work in the public domain and focus on the public good. In the coming years, I would like to start working as a consultant within a large governmental organization. In the further future, I aspire to work in a decision-making role, preferably regarding urban development and sustainability.
How did your time at the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute) prepare you for your career?
The MADE program was a logical continuation of my architecture and urbanism education, especially because it provided me with both theoretical as well as practical experience. The master covers a wide range of themes and by choosing your electives, Living Lab, and thesis topics, you can create your own profile. My challenges at work are mostly about integrating different sustainability issues. Different themes such as the energy transition, sustainability, mobility, and green infrastructure lay claims on public space. Solving these spatial issues ask for a multidisciplinary approach in which social factors are included. This is exactly what we came across in the MADE curriculum. I even thank my job to MADE. During the last course ‘professional profile’ one of the speakers, who previously worked at AMS Institute, recruited me to work for the Municipality of The Hague.