Looking to kickstart your career in engineering? Look no further! We’ve interviewed a group of talented entry-level engineers who are working at some of the biggest and most exciting companies around, including Vattenfall, Ampelmann, Eurofins, and Heineken.
In this exclusive interview, you’ll hear from Eva Houbiers, an Onshore Wind Construction Manager at Vattenfall. She’ll give you a sneak peek into the world of the Vattenfall International Trainee Program, share what makes working at Vattenfall so special, and provide an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to be an Onshore Wind Construction Manager. Get ready to be inspired and learn all about this fascinating field of engineering.
What is your full name and what is your position at Vattenfall?
My name is Eva Houbiers and I joined the Vattenfall International Trainee Program in September 2021. I continued my career at Vattenfall in the Onshore Wind Construction Management team after the one-year Trainee Program. The Construction Management team is responsible for the project management of all our onshore wind construction projects in Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK and Germany.
What did you do before starting at Vattenfall?
Before starting my first job at Vattenfall, I studied at the TU Delft. I started with the Mechanical Engineering Bachelor and continued with the Hydraulic Engineering Master. During my studies, I was always looking for opportunities to broaden my horizon. By working for a student consultancy firm (Young Advisory Group), I had the opportunity to look around in different companies and working sectors. These various consultancy projects helped me gain working experience and taught me that I enjoy working in project teams.
How do you experience your role as an Onshore Wind Construction Manager?
My first year at Vattenfall was a dynamic and exciting one. With a group of 20 international trainees, we had various training sessions, visited our power-, district heating-, and R&D plants, and met a lot of inspiring colleagues at all of our offices. Together with two traineeship assignments in Stockholm and Berlin, this traineeship year gave me the opportunity to extensively gain insights into the company.
My current role is in the Onshore Wind Construction Management Team. In this role, I am responsible for the project management and construction alignment for two construction projects. On a day to day basis, I align with the project team, contractors, developers and other stakeholders on the progress of the construction phase or project development. My workday varies from construction site visits, contractor discussions, alignment meetings with authorities, talks with stakeholders, reporting, to project team meetings. With projects in the Netherlands and in Sweden, I have a wide range of tasks, responsibilities and challenges, which I really enjoy.
What is your experience in working for Vattenfall and what stands out to you?
At Vattenfall, we work towards a fossil free future together. It’s inspiring to be able to contribute to this common goal with colleagues from all over the business. I really appreciate the open and warm culture at Vattenfall and being able to work alongside a group of unique people. The international environment within our wind business inspires me every day, as I am able to learn about different (working) cultures and hear from people with diverse perspectives.
The freedom that you get to be able to define your own career path and role within the team is also something that makes Vattenfall unique. This freedom gives me the opportunity to develop on a personal and professional level, enabling growth as a young professional.
What is something you wish you knew before you started working in your role as Onshore Wind Construction Manager?
Finding the perfect job at the start of your career is not an easy task. Take time to discover all available opportunities that are on the market. Apply for various jobs, and on the way you will learn about what best suits you and what doesn’t. Going through the job application process and talking to future colleagues also gives you more insight into the specific role, much more than the job advertisement will.
Starting as a member of the Vattenfall International Trainee Program enables you to discover what best suits you during your first year. The Vattenfall International Trainee Program gave me the opportunity to find out which role would be suitable for me.
During this traineeship year, I had time to discover various departments and roles within Vattenfall. These experiences, the personal development training and open discussions with my manager helped me to define my current role in the construction management team.
Can’t wait to get started as an Onshore Wind Construction Manager or do you want to stay up-to-date on other job openings at Vattenfall? Connect with Vattenfall on Magnet.me via this link.