Testimonial: Wouter Donders

Wouter Donders (26) has completed his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in Delft and is currently working on the final touches for his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Where he gets his energy from? Sport! According to him, that is number one: “Not only does it give me energy, I also need it to get rid of my energy. But where exactly does Wouter get energy from at work? He wanted more clarity on that. The High Potential Academy program gave him answers.

How did you get in touch with High Potential Academy?

“Through Joint Interdisciplinary Project I solved a case together with 5 other students for Husky Intelligent Fridges, one of your partners. Laurens van der Schoot, Head of Operations at Husky Intelligent Fridges, was our supervisor and through him, I got in touch with High Potential Academy. He told me about his good experience with High Potential Academy and said: “who knows, the program might be something for you”. I became enthusiastic and decided to go with one of the other students. For me, it was good preparation for applying: what do I want and what am I going to do?

What was the reason for you to contact High Potential Academy?

“I felt I needed the course to clarify several things. What exactly do I want to do? What type of companies do I want to apply to? How am I going to approach that? And what gives me the most energy at work? My technical study is very broad and it was difficult for me to put my finger on what drives me and what drives me. In addition, as a person, I am reserved and sometimes even a bit modest. During job interviews, I, therefore, found it difficult to present myself well. For this reason, I wanted to learn how to sell myself, as it were, but in a way that suits me.”

What was your experience with High Potential Academy?

“My experience with High Potential Academy is very positive. I got the feeling that it is really about you and that you are going to find your way in it. Who are you? How do you see certain things? And how do you want to shape it? The contact went smoothly and I experienced no threshold to get in touch. Because of the accessible atmosphere, I dared to open up and talk about anything. Also, the conversations during the one-on-one coaching sessions quickly became in-depth. Motivations and things that I had never really thought about before were questioned. “Why do I like this so much?” And going deeper into that.

In addition, the preparatory assignments, preceding a training or coaching session, were the perfect way for me to take the time to think things through. The program gave me the answers I was looking for.

Would you recommend it?

“Absolutely! I would say that it is not only important for your first career step but that it is very valuable for yourself and your further career path. Look back on it in a few years, for example. Am I still fulfilling what I set out to do and how do I see it now? It is relevant to look back even now. It gives you something to hold on to and keeps you on your toes.

Further ambitions?

“In October I will start my technical traineeship at TATA Steel, which I am looking forward to. Over the next two years, I will be working on my further ambitions. For example, do I want to learn more about management or do I want to specialize and go deeper into technology? I’m going to discover that!