Bjorn Fijneman

Dive into the past

I chose to study history because of my interest in the past. Initially, I wanted to become a history teacher, but I found out that some of the aspects of being a teacher did not suit me. That’s when I decided to study the Bachelor History at Erasmus University Rotterdam instead. My passion for diving into the past and choosing cultural history as my focus area eventually led me to what I am most interested in: the question why people do/make/say what they do.

In search of a job

After completing my bachelor programme, I decided to first strengthen and expand my skills by pursuing a master programme in Digital Culture Studies at Tilburg University. Then I started looking for a job, which I found exciting at first as I did not yet have that much work experience. Luckily, through LinkedIn I soon found my current job at the Dutch Inspectorate of Education. 

Variation

As an analyst at the Dutch Inspectorate of Education, I am responsible for drawing an initial picture of a school/board that is about to be visited. I do so based on documents sent by the school and data known about the school. I then share this with the inspectors before they visit the school. What makes this job interesting? Above all, the variety that comes with the position! Each school is different and so are the documents submitted by the school, such as annual reports, school guides or school plans. 

Analysing is a skill that recurs (almost) every day in my work. Whether it is qualitative analysis or quantitative analysis; it is the combination that I learnt to make during my undergraduate studies, as well as how to do it in an orderly way, which now benefits me greatly in daily practice.  

Advice

My advice for the job hunt is to just go for it! Don't think “they won't hire me anyway”, but try anyway. Every email, every interview is a learning moment and a step closer to finding your dream job.