'It's okay to change jobs after two years'

Although her career has only just begun, Linda Grafen already has extensive experience under her belt. During her mechanical engineering studies, she worked twenty hours a week. 'My fellow students thought I was crazy, but I don't have any student debt now,' she says, before quickly adding: 'And I can buy a house.'  No part-time job in the supermarket for her, but a job as a technical draughtsman. 'However, I didn't really like the classic engineering work,' she says, 'and after graduating I opted for a job that involved more research.' 

'It clashed'

She started working as a research engineer at a research centre focused on thermoplastic composites for the aerospace and automotive industries. 'I was involved in the development of new sustainable repair methods. Although repairing materials has a high level of sustainability, it clashed with my own social conscience. It's still the aviation industry. I struggled with that. In addition, I experienced research as lonely, since you are not working in a team.'

She describes herself as someone who is not scared of change and appreciates a challenge, so she decided to keep looking. Through a friend, she came into contact with TMC, a (high) tech consultancy organisation where employees work for many different clients on a project basis. TMC sent Grafen to work for a company in Deventer as Lead Developer Engineer in the heat pump systems department. That organisation wasn’t a match for her either. ‘It was a relatively large company, not that it was impersonal, but in my current work I know what everyone is doing and where my colleagues are.’

More ‘people’ needed

'As a TMC employee, you are entitled to a budget for personal development and a coach. I took advantage of that. While sparring, I realised that I needed more 'people' in my work environment.  Technical engineering is very interesting, but so is the people side.'  That is why she started teaching Professional Skills at the University of Twente for three days a week while continuing to work on improvement and innovation projects within TMC for two days. 'But two jobs with a lot of responsibilities and working fifty hours a week: that wasn't right either.'

Penguin

In her current job as a project coordinator, she is more at home and always has many irons in the fire. 'At a smaller company, you can work outside the box. For example, I'm taking on the  marketing, because I think it's fun and that's possible.' In addition, she supports employees who want to start their own business, sets up traineeship programmes and is no longer a hardcore engineer. 'And I don't really miss it at all. I felt like a penguin at times. They swim very well, but hardly make any progress on land. I finally left the land and took the jump into the sea."

'Travel time, colleagues, your moral ambition; it all counts'

But no one tells you about that search, says Grafen. 'During your study, it's mainly about the technical content. Of course that is good, but there's so much more to it when you enter the job market. Colleagues you spend forty hours a week with. Travel time counts. Your moral ambition. And you may think you've found the perfect job on paper, but in practice it's disappointing.'  Around her, she sees that people settle at that point. 'They conclude: working life is not fun. Full stop. Such a shame. Above all, keep going, keep looking. It's okay to switch jobs after two years. You will very quickly be absorbed by everyday life with its obligations. Even when renting a house, a contract is required. And at the end of the day, you do want that house. Therefore, make sure the job you have is right for you. That's what I like about TMC, you get the opportunity to try different things but with a permanent contract including career coaching.'