Graduates overseas: my engineering job in the Netherlands

I’m working in Assen, in the north east of the Netherlands, and living in Groningen, which is a bit further to the north. This is my first job after university; when I joined my company I was offered the choice of working in Aberdeen or Assen and I decided to come here. We tend to stay in the same location for about four or five years so I may be moving on to my next posting in early/mid 2011. I’m not sure where that will be yet but I’d like to go somewhere further afield – Asia or Australia would be nice.

Did you choose to join your employer because of the chance to work abroad?

International working certainly appealed. I wanted to become fluent in another language and living and working abroad is a great way to do this. I didn’t speak any Dutch before I came out here: I had a two-week intensive course when I got here, then weekly one-to-one classes with a teacher, usually out of working hours. I’m now almost fluent.

What does your job involve?

I work in oil and gas exploration and production. My first job out here was a largely site-based role, working on a project to modernise the facilities and equipment of the Groningen gas field. This involved elements of quantity surveying, contracting strategy (working on the strategy for new contracts), and monitoring HSE (health, safety and environmental) aspects, quality and project progress. I’m now in a more office-based role, looking at options for the future: for example where best to drill a well or route a pipeline.

How did you manage starting work in a foreign country?

When I started work I was on a construction site dealing with lots of different people and only just beginning to learn the language. However, attitude is important – if you get it right, people are willing to explain things to you and help you out. To succeed as an engineer abroad you need to be enthusiastic and keen to learn, as well as being assertive and willing to use your initiative.

What are the pros and cons of working abroad?

Obviously my family and some of my friends are further away now but I think I get back to see them as often as I would if I lived in the UK. If you have a partner who lives elsewhere that can be a challenge but I met mine out here in the Netherlands – he also works for Shell. When it’s time for us to move to our next postings we’ll be able to register as a couple so we can go to the same place.

One big advantage of working overseas is having exposure to projects that you wouldn’t get at home. For example, the Groningen gas field is the biggest in Europe and an important strategic asset. I’ve also been able to travel a lot, both in the Netherlands and further afield, at weekends and on holiday. I’ve seen a lot more of the Netherlands than I have of the UK and it now feels like home.

Natalie Davies is a project services engineer at Shell. She graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MEng in manufacturing engineering.