''A lot of responsibility and freedom, that is what I want in my work.'' Marleen Kalk discovered this during her internship at Detact Diagnostics on Campus Groningen. ''From my medical diagnostics degree, I started with a project internship in this company. I participate in tests that can detect an infection in dialysis patients.'' Hedi Koning, COO at Detact Diagnostics, adds: ''The goal is Improving the quality of life of kidney patients. With our tests, patients can see for themselves, in their own environment whether an infection develops during home dialysis. In this way, they can do their dialysis at home with confidence”.
Interview
Marleen soon was able to do her own projects. For Marleen, the internship was a real success: ''I soon found out that I can grow here. I get a lot of responsibility, very cool. Therefore, I am now also doing my graduation internship here”. Hedi smiles: ''And we are very happy with Marleen, so when Marleen sent her application letter for a position at Detact after her graduation, we were immediately enthusiastic.''
Continue to grow in the North
To be able to grow from an internship to a job is ideal for both Marleen and Detact Diagnostics. ''I also did an internship at other organizations, such as the UMCG. But I am most happy about the opportunities at this company on the Campus. That works out well because I come from the North and would also like to work in the Northern Netherlands. It is not easy for companies to find good, new employees. ''As a company you don’t always know exactly which education program suits well. The fact that we are located on the Campus does help to establish good relationships with study programs and networks such as the LIFE Cooperative.''
Show initiative
There are a lot of opportunities for young people with ambition on Campus Groningen, as Marleen also noticed. ''Don’t wait for your teacher for great internship opportunities. Show initiative. Just send an e-mail to companies yourself. I did that too. As a result, I could even choose from different internships,'' she laughs. “This perseverance is also useful for companies that want to recruit young professionals”, says Hedi. “Go to the Meet & Greets between companies and students that are organized on the Campus. And showcase your company.''
Positively surprised
Meeting each other in real life and getting to know each other is important. Marleen agrees: ''I always thought that research didn’t fit me well. I thought that it would be about plants, not about the human body. Now that I’ve started working here, it is very different from what I imagined. That really surprised me positively, yes!'' In addition to the growth of knowledge and skills, her internship has delivered even more. “I can really develop as a person here. Speak in front of a group. And the responsibility for my own projects really boosts my self-confidence.” Hedi: “That is why we want to continue to work with Marleen in the future.”
