Our second alumni presented in the second series of Alumni of Psychology is Niels van Leuteren. He received his psychology master degree Instruction, Learning & development (nowadays Learning Sciences) in 2014. He currently works at the Dutch inspectorate of Education.
How long did it take to find your first job?
After my graduation I found a job right away. After a short period working in secondary education I started working for the University of Twente. After this research project where I worked as a junior researcher, I worked for two universities of applied science. Nowadays I work for the Dutch Inspectorate of Education.
What are your tasks and responsibilities?
Currently I’m working for the Dutch Inspectorate for Education (Inspectie van het Onderwijs). The Dutch Inspectorate of Education is responsible for the inspection and review of schools and educational institutions. In my work I’m focusing mostly on primary education. In my work as an inspector I visit schools and school boards to review the educational quality. I observe lessons, talk to different groups of people and at the end of the come up with a judgement. We also conduct theme based research where we visit schools to investigate a certain topic true the Dutch educational system as a whole. These findings are presented once a year.
What have you taken along your study which you now profit from?
The first thing that comes to mind are the analytic and academic skills you learn as an academic student. In my job I have to proces a lot of information before I can come to a certain judgement. Thinking academically and analytically helps me to make proper judgements.
What do you hope to achieve in your career?
I hope I will always strive towards good education. For me, education is the foremost important tool to influence society. Therefore I will put effort into stimulating teachers, parents, children, teacher leaders and board members to work as hard and as useful as they can. In my current role as inspector I hope I can attribute to good educational quality in the Netherlands.
If you think about your study time, which memory comes up first?
I considered my study time as a very pleasant time. I think about pleasant lectures, pushing myself towards good results and a good time with friends. I therefore also think about the study association where we organized many events and had a lot of fun.
Which tips and tricks would you like to give to current students?
For me the most important advice is to show yourself. Create a network, be active, organize events and make sure people remember who you are. Therefore, start a LinkedIn account where you actively share these things that influence your professional live. Remember that probably many people are graduating with the same diploma as you will, ask yourself what sets you apart from the rest.
Any questions to Niels?
This alumni has given the opportunity to answer questions about his/her work. If you have a question you are invited to mail this questions to amygdala@utwente.nl. Our moderator will bring you in touch with the alumni, who will answer your questions. For direct career opportunities you are advised to get in touch with the Human Resources department of the employer.
Get in touch!
Do you know someone who has a nice job, has an inspiring career of otherwise is interesting to join the Humans of Psychology series? Please get them in touch with us. To be able to keep this series going more alumni are needed.
Published: September 16, 2019