Casper: sparking connection as student, now full-time field engineer
Imagine a summer filled with opportunities and discoveries. For Casper, it all began with the quest for a student job. What followed was a journey that not only connected him with the Callens group but also transformed him into a proud ambassador.
A sparking connection with a curious student
Summer 2020. Amidst the lockdown and with limited travel options, Casper embarked on a search for a meaningful student job aligned with his studies: electromechanics with an emphasis on air conditioning. He passed up offers from smaller organizations with smaller installations. He wanted something grander. More challenging. More Callens!
The mutual click when we met was immediate, so he started as a student worker in the team of maintenance technicians. "I was warmly welcomed and taken care of by everyone. Experienced colleague Franky showed me the ropes on site so I could practice by doing and learn quickly. So impressive! I saw things I had never heard of in my entire school career," says Casper.
"One of the first days will definitely stick with me. Franky was working on a manhole that was lying on the ground. He lifted it and asked me for a 'Stilson'. I didn't know what he meant, so I just gave him something that was lying around. After a few times of handing him the wrong tool, I realized he meant a pipe wrench. We laughed about that a lot later," recalls Casper.
Three enlightening summers with thesis and internship as highlights
In January 2021, Casper returned eagerly. This time for an internship in the office among the project leaders and for a bachelor's thesis on gas scrubbers – which he even helped design!
Of course, a summer job couldn't be missed. He learned more and more from the maintenance technicians and decided to start a bridging program to become an industrial engineer after the summer. Followed by a third summer as a student worker at Callens.
Casper reached a pre-peak in 2023 when he got the opportunity to analyze, for his thesis, the possibilities for water recovery from flue gases of an industrial cogeneration unit on behalf of Callens-Vyncke. Under the guidance of colleague and expert Wim, Casper conducted 4 months of research.
"The best part about those 4 months of thesis? I tested the theory of my research on a real installation. And with Wim as a mentor, I was extremely fortunate. The knowledge he has is incredible."
Proudly full-time field engineer
Casper had clearly found his niche. After his thesis, he happily signed on as a full-time Field Engineer with Callens-Vyncke.
He says, "As a dedicated Field Engineer, you'll find me on a site four days a week. My seasoned colleague Martijn teaches me everything for this new role: both the technical know-how and the practical flow with clients and subcontractors. By the way, our current site is at 18 meters high, quite impressive! I spend the fifth day in the office for safety training, software, and other tools. And to catch up with the whole team!"
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