As an 8-year-old girl, standing in the engine of an aircraft, the spark between Monique Bootsman (1983) and Schiphol had struck. She grew up a stone's throw from Schiphol and was always interested in a career at the national airport. A guest lecture by Schiphol's former Finance Director during her Accounting & Control studies acted as a catalyst. Monique sent him an email after graduation and applied for the Financial Controller position at the same time. All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and Monique started her career at Schiphol. "Still feels like a wish come true."

"A career at Schiphol is a dream come true."

"I work as Business Controller. At Schiphol, that's called Group Navigator. Basically, I am a sparring partner for the business, for the Safety, Security & Environment department. That means I contribute ideas on the future of things like airport security, the sourcing security companies and the fire brigade at the airport. I consider everything on a strategic level: which direction do we want to take, what are we going to do, what does it cost and of course what will it yield?"

Flexibility

Recently, I have been very busy with the 2023 plans for the Schiphol fire brigade, among other things. Related to this is a long-term 10-year vision. That was really hard work. You have to be flexible in this job, there are peak periods and sometimes things are quieter. Then you can slow down. That gives you freedom, which in my opinion is a huge advantage of working at Schiphol. Even if I did my work in the middle of the night, nobody would mind as long as I delivered results. And whether you work at home or at the office is also up to you. That's great, I have a busy job and a busy family, I can give both the attention they need."

"It's always good to get out from behind your desk and get involved on the floor."

Team Flamingo

I worked several times in operations last summer. At Schiphol, there are extra shifts for people from other departments during peak periods. I was part of the Flamingo team. We all put on pink vests and walked around the terminal. All day I was answering questions. It was fun to do, and I also got a lot out of it. It's always good to get out from behind your desk and get involved on the floor. It gave me renewed energy. I always go back to working behind my computer with a smile after those shifts.

Unique vibe

"Even though it was a childhood dream to work at Schiphol, I was a bit nervous at the beginning. Would the reality meet my expectations? I can now say that it's even better than I ever imagined. The vibe at Schiphol is unique – people are going on holiday, looking forward to faraway travels. That gives the place a certain vibe that you don't find anywhere else."

Unique place to work

"Working at Schiphol means working in a unique place unlike anywhere else. Operations are very interesting and very complex. There are many departments, but there is also a lot of legislation. This means our work has to be very precise. For example, the Aviation Act determines what costs we are allowed to pass on to airlines in port charges. The Consumer and Market Authority (ACM) keeps a very close eye on that. Such things make working at Schiphol extra challenging; it keeps you on your toes."

"The people are down-to-earth, and everyone talks to each other at the coffee machine, regardless of their position or level."

Steep learning curve

"In my previous job, I had final responsibility and couldn't really spar with anyone. Here it is different. My learning curve is very steep, my colleagues have so much knowledge. I learn something new every day. Moreover, people are nice and down-to-earth, which suits me. And everyone talks to each other at the coffee machine, regardless of their position or level. Everyone here feels that we have shared responsible. I hope to start training soon so I can contribute even more to the future of our airport. That would really be the icing on the cake."