From photographer in Holland to electrician in Denmark
The Dutchman Jeroen Smit has been employed at Viktech for five years. The freedom and the opportunity to work with many and very diverse tasks in his field as an electrician is the ‘live wire’ that gives him energy in his day-to-day life.
Right now, Jeroen is putting the finishing touches to Rigshospitalet’s Teilum building. He is working for Hansen & Søgart, a firm of electricians based in Rødovre, which is in charge of modernising all electrical installations in the hospital’s laboratories.
“I have been working on this site for four months, and we are due to hand over the project next week. Then I will take a holiday and visit my mother in Holland. After the holiday I'm going to have a meeting with Jørn, my Viktech consultant, where we'll talk about my next assignment,” says Jeroen Smit.
For the last five years he has been employed by Viktech, who helps the Danish construction industry find the right people for their jobs, whether an electrician, a plumber, a carpenter, a painter or any other type of tradesman within the fields of electricity and technology or building and construction, and regardless of whether the client needs a skilled tradesman or a labourer.
The freedom to decide
“I love that I'm free to decide. In fact, I normally take a short break, just a short breather, between jobs. I need to prepare myself mentally for a new workplace, new colleagues and a new mindset. For me, the best way to do that is to take a break for a week or two. Others may need a longer holiday between jobs to recharge, but that’s precisely what you have the freedom to decide yourself,” says Jeroen.
Great variety of jobs
The variety is another advantage; having the opportunity to try many different tasks and workplaces.
“When I had just completed my apprenticeship, it was perfect to get the chance to try many different jobs. I quickly accumulated a lot of useful knowledge and plenty of experience, which is a huge advantage today when I'm out working on projects,” Jeroen adds.
Of course, having a permanent job and working for a single company also has its advantages. It means that you are familiar with everything, have regular colleagues and are part of a team.
“But in a permanent job you are more likely to feel stuck. Everything runs according to fixed schedules. Right now I enjoy the freedom to make my own decisions. If one day I am offered a permanent job in a company I like working for, I would definitely consider it, but until then I really appreciate my freedom and the variety of jobs”, says Jeroen.
Photographer in Denmark
Jeroen did not take the direct route to Viktech. Twenty-one years ago, Jeroen worked as a photographer in Holland. A good friend of his – a Danish journalist – persuaded Jeroen to come to Denmark. They could share a place for a couple of months, perhaps do some work together and travel around a bit.
That was the plan, but some time later Jeroen met a Danish woman and therefore wanted to remain in Denmark. Before long they had a little daughter who today is 21 years old.
Reinventing yourself
At the beginning, Jeroen worked as a photographer and supplemented his income with jobs in photo shops; however, smartphones and digital cameras put an end to that. Developing photos quickly became an occupation of the past. In conjunction with the financial crisis in 2008-2009, Jeroen decided that he had to reinvent himself once more.
“I originally had a Diploma in Electronics from Holland. Perhaps I should go back on that track. I paid a visit to Teknisk Skole in Frederiksberg and asked for advice. They thought it had been a bit too long since I last had my hands on live cables and recommended that I complete the education again. Why not? I was unemployed, and we were in the middle of a recession, so I could just as well spend my time doing something sensible. Five years ago I received my apprenticeship certificate, and since then I have worked as an electrician for Viktech,” says Jeroen.
A single contact at Viktech
Jørn Nielsen from Viktech is Jeroen’s regular contact person. The idea to have a single contact person is really good, because it makes for easy and smooth communication. The parties know each other really well, and this is a great advantage when Jeroen has to be matched with the right companies and the right tasks.
“Everything is so easy, because we have a clear agreement about when to talk and when I need a break. It works really well. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have worked for Viktech for five years,” Jeroen concludes.
Would you also like the freedom to decide for yourself?
At Viktech you decide for youself which jobs to take. Your regular consultant will do his absolut best to make sure you are offered another project when the current one is finished. So if you wish you can have a daily life with many different tasks and challenges. Does this sound like you and are you a skilled craftsman, then contact us right away here:
