Testimonials

TIL: springboard to a full and varied career
The first graduates of the TIL master programme are spreading their wings in the jobs market. How do they look back on their study? And can they put their knowledge and skills into practice? Four TIL graduates tell about their experiences.

The first TIL graduate: Sanneke van Leeuwen

The first batch of TIL students started in 2004. Sanneke van Leeuwen (28) was the first to graduate, on 10 November 2006. "I began the SEPAM bachelor programme in 2000", she says. "Transport Policy and Logistics Organisation (TLO) was one of the domains, but almost all of the students thought it wasn't technical enough. It dealt with issues in breadth, but not in depth. The TIL master programme filled that gap and I, along with many others, jumped at the opportunity." The concept of TIL really appeals to her. "What's so fascinating is that you can choose different profiles and go in your own direction, such as aircraft or ships. Personally I opted for the supply chain (chain logistics) at ports and shipping waterways." Sanneke chose to do her thesis about liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Koninklijke Vopak in Rotterdam. First she made an inventory of the technical and commercial aspects that influence the stock-keeping system (physically and financially) and then designed a registration system to serve as the basis for the terminal's IT system. After graduating, Sanneke spent five months travelling around the world. Back on Dutch soil, she joined Vopak LNG as a management trainee/mechanical engineer, where her TIL knowledge stands her in good stead: "The TIL programme gave me a thorough understanding of how business processes work, how terminals are built and how you can respond to problems or opportunities. But most important of all, because TIL comprises three faculties, I learned that every issue has different angles. Each faculty has its own approach and it is very practical to be aware of this difference. That's a great help in getting a grip on things and coming up with new ideas fast."

Inge Schrama

"You learn to think logically above all"
Inge Schrama (25) finds that "Attending courses at three different faculties confronts you with different perspectives. Above all, TIL was a brand-new degree programme when we started, so you often had to reinvent the wheel yourself. The advantage is that this makes you independent and imaginative." Inge chose to specialise in transport systems and logistical chains. She particularly wanted to focus on the functional design and effective implementation of such systems, notably in aviation and rail transport. Her graduation project involved designing a new luggage handling system for luggage transfer at airports. "I carried out this project for Vanderlande Industries in Veghel. Together with KLM, Schiphol and Vanderlande Industries I looked at the problem of luggage-handling errors and searched for new solutions with all parties concerned. The project was fun to do, particularly because everyone you know has lost a suitcase at some time and understands exactly what you are working on. You also have access to lots of places in airports that most people never see." After graduating on 20 December 2006 Inge worked for three months at the Transport Policy and Logistics Organisation (TLO) department of the faculty of TPM. Then she went to Madagascar for three months to set up and implement her own development project. "In ten weeks' time we built a technical school, literally from design to completion, fitting and furnishing. My training came in very handy with practical matters, such as managing a building team, keeping an eye on overall progress and arranging transport. But the ability to think logically, which is what you take with you from your studies in Delft, was also invaluable." Inge has now been taken on by Heineken as a trainee in supply chain and management. During a one-and-a-half year period she will have an opportunity to explore different departments, such as brewing, logistics and production. And additional training programmes will give her even more relevant knowledge of the business. When she applied she noticed that the TIL degree programme was not particularly well-known. "You really have to explain what your studies entailed. But the same basically goes for lots of other studies these days. The world is changing so quickly. The main thing is to explain the added value of studying at three faculties. What struck me was that people genuinely appreciated that it was about something new. As a matter of fact, I found it pretty fascinating myself, because you have the chance to tell in detail what you learned during your studies."

Claudia Nies

"The programme allows you to make all your own choices"
Claudia Nies (25) graduated in 2007 and really enjoyed the freedom within the TIL programme. "When you start this degree programme, you find out that you've got to choose from profiles (a cluster of subjects aimed at a specific field). That was a good thing. You have to explore what a specific field entails, make your own choices and then just go for it. I plumped for transport and logistics subjects. I did the SEPAM bachelor programme first. The advantage for me was that my optional subjects were already transport-focused. That area has always attracted me." Claudia did her thesis research at UPS Supply Chain Solutions: "I carried out a feasibility study into the implementation of a 'Dimension and Weight Scanner'. That is a system for determining both the dimensions and weight of an item to work out the 'chargeable weight' and hence the transport costs for a freight item." After her graduation on 10 May 2007, she spent a few months finding her bearings and applying for a job. In September Claudia found the job she wanted. "I am now working as a production team leader at one of the six distribution centres of TNT Post, namely Area West The Hague. It's an intriguing environment because the postal world is facing a rapidly changing market. That is an uncertain situation, but also challenging. I will get some hands-on shop-floor experience first, doing shifts. In due course I also hope to do implementation and improvement projects." Claudia looks back at her studies with a lot of satisfaction. "I would recommend everyone who wants to be involved in transport and logistics to study TIL at TU Delft. You have to find out lots of things for yourself and you learn from that. Another thing I like is that you have to make choices and that these are your own choices. What's more, you can specialise in what interests you most."

Fieke Mol

"A logistical job in a port or factory would be great"
Fieke Mol (27) graduated on 26 March 2007. Compiling your own programme was fun but also difficult: "Fortunately I already had my preferences, notably for Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering (3mE) subjects. My profile included Design of transport nodes & equipment, Intelligent traffic services and Engineering of TIL-facilities." Her graduation project focused on empty container logistics and was carried out on behalf of Witteveen+Bos with the Port of Rotterdam Authority as problem owner. "Empty containers are stored on the site of the Port of Rotterdam Authority", she explains. "Container flows are expected to quadruple by 2040, so how much space must you reserve for the storage of empty containers? I analysed the demand for storage capacity by researching why empty containers are stored in the port in the first place. I also made a forecast of the number of empty containers to be stored in depots in the future, including - with the aid of multicriteria analysis - an exact indication of where they will be placed." Since completing her studies Fieke has spent most of her time travelling through Spain to perfect her flamenco dancing and Spanish speaking skills. "At the moment I am writing a paper about my graduation project, and am obviously also applying for a job. I have put my resume on monsterboard.nl and am getting lots of responses so finding a job shouldn't be a problem, because there's a lot of demand for expertise in that field. Almost every company needs logistics in some form or other."