'My field of work is very wide,' says Fokkens. 'Research focus can range from cemeteries to the night culture in Enschede. It is our goal to show the residents' perspective. We do this by surveying regular panels per email, organising focus groups, holding round table discussions, and conducting interviews or polls. I am talking in particular about the department where I work. Within Kennispunt Twente, we manage various data concerning the region of Twente and conduct research in the social domain and regarding the economy and living environment as well.’
Subsequently, the information and data gathered from the studies are processed. 'We do this ourselves and present the results to the municipality, which is our client. We often also make a fact sheet to give the residents clear feedback. Our research creates a well-founded picture of what residents think; a municipality can benefit from that. A good example is Hengelo and its city centre, which colleagues of mine are researching. A few years ago, in a survey on residents’ opinions on the topic, the city centre did not score particularly high. A number of adjustments have been made since and we noticed in a subsequent survey that the city centre ranked much better than before.'
'Life in Twente feels like home to me'
In 2020, Fokkens received her Master's degree in Psychology of Conflict, Risk & Safety at the Faculty of BMS. 'In 2018, I did an internship at the Ministry of Justice and Security in The Hague. I was able to stay there while finishing my studies. A first job is very different from studying: you get to know the working life and you discover how you are as a professional.' In The Hague, she worked as a policy advisor. 'It was truly a political arena, with a formal working atmosphere. One dressed correctly for the office and experienced colleagues who kept a professional distance. Was this the right environment for me? I had only been working there for a year and then the Covid-19 pandemic struck. I was there on my own, working from home.'
For the alum, one and one still was two. Although she found it complicated, she moved back to Enschede, and after a while also changed jobs and discovered what was important to her in working life. 'In the beginning, when I applied for jobs, I was mainly concerned with the question whether they thought I was suitable? I paid less attention to the working culture and the job’s contents. But these are subjects about which you must really ask critical questions as an applicant, because a job interview works both ways.'
Open atmosphere
For Fokkens, the match came at Kennispunt Twente. 'In this job, policy and research come together nicely.’ I learn about a variety of issues within our organisation and the municipalities of Twente. These are often practical topics that residents are dealing with, and that appeals to me, as well as conducting research across the board, for example for all fourteen municipalities in Twente. Our organisation consists of thirty people and we are celebrating our tenth anniversary this year. There is an open atmosphere and colleagues are truly involved, which makes it a very good place to work.'
Fokkens has now moved from the centre of Enschede to Borne, where she lives with her partner. 'Life in Twente feels like home to me. I have friends here, family, I like the down-to-earth attitude and there is plenty to do. That is why they sometimes call me hunkertukker.’
roots
This interview was previously published in career magazine ROOTS, a new initiative of U-Today. In this magazine we want to connect students and companies. We do this by bringing stories of starters on the labour market and by placing advertorials. In this way, companies come into the spotlight of students and students get an idea of the life that awaits them and what opportunities there are in the region.
Are you a recent graduate (<5 years), do you live and work in the region of Twente, Achterhoek or just across the border in Germany and do you want to share your story? Or do you want to advertise as a company? Let us know via [email protected]
support
The career magazine ROOTS has been made possible with financial support from the Province of Overijssel and Twente Board.