“Being socially relevant, that's what I like about government”

For over 25 years, we have been connecting organizations with the best marketing, communication and content professionals. We find suitable assignments or positions for junior, medior and senior professionals. In Spot On, we would like to introduce them to you. This time, Spot On: Ellen van der Klei, Communication Consultant at Babbage and was seconded as Communication Advisor (ai) at the Municipality of Amsterdam.

“Babbage made me take the step back to a government position”

Communications consultant Ellen van der Klei (62) worked via Babbage as a Communications Consultant and was seconded as an internal communications consultant to the municipality of Amsterdam. “I am actually a self-employed person, but I wanted to work for the municipality of Amsterdam.”

“I lived in Amsterdam for 25 years and wanted to work in the city again. I worked for a small commercial company and wanted to return to government communications. Babbage helped me make the transition back to a government position by looking with me at which positions were and which positions were definitely not suitable for me to step back into.” She was able to start working for Special Projects of the municipality of Amsterdam. Special Projects was created from the program for the construction of the North-South line and is responsible for metropolitan infrastructure projects such as the extension of the tram line to Uithoorn, the construction of road tunnels and the energy transition.

Reinventing myself

Ellen says that Bijzondere Projecten has gone through a number of reorganisations, in which various parts were split off and the organisation had to reinvent itself. This included a new name, but also a new story: who are we, how do we work and how do we communicate that? “I was closely involved in that process. The way that went was a very enjoyable process. Together with an external agency and employees from all departments, we came up with one good story. We visualised that story with news items on the intranet, newsletters and organised meetings.”

Socially relevant

“I also worked on the energy transition of Amsterdam in the Energy for the City project. Since I moved, I have lived in an old house that we renovated completely sustainably. I really enjoyed the fact that I was able to contribute to the major energy transition in the city of Amsterdam.” Ellen thinks the great thing about the government is its social relevance. There is also a lot of professional knowledge available and you can always go to your colleagues if you have a question. Inclusion was taken into account and there was a lot of attention for the needs of the employees.

Route to self-employed

“I once got into the profession via the HBO Tourism and Recreation course, where I specialized in PR and information. I then supplemented that with the Nima A and B and Communication C courses. That's how I worked in marketing for eight years, at the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Congresses. Then I made the switch to the government, where I started at the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management and then ended up at Rijkswaterstaat.” Ellen says that she had a permanent job for a long time, but actually wanted more variety. That's why she continued working as a self-employed person. “That was a bit exciting at first of course, but my first assignment was at Rijkswaterstaat, where I was known. And I had security for the first two years, which was nice. And then you notice: if you build up good experience, you will automatically get a new assignment.”

Benefits of being self-employed

Ellen indicates that she actually does not have much trouble with the uncertainty of being a self-employed person. “I like to take a few months off sometimes. After my education I also traveled for a few years. I think it is a good form between being a completely independent entrepreneur and being a permanent employee.” 

Indicate boundaries

Ellen sometimes finds it challenging to start a completely new assignment as a sixty-something. “Technical developments in the field of communications are moving very quickly. If you are in an executive position, you have to clearly indicate your boundaries.” An example of this was when she had just started at the municipality of Amsterdam, where she had to set up a hybrid meeting. She had never done this herself and the expectations of others were high. “It is always important to indicate boundaries. Of course it is nice to continue working on an interim basis for a long time, but do examine yourself carefully: what am I good at, what do I like and what do I want to put my energy into in the last years of my working life? If it does not interest you, then let it pass you by. The meetings for Communication Consultants, which are organised by Babbage, were very useful in this regard.”

When her assignment at the municipality of Amsterdam is over, she does not yet know what she will do next. “I am happy that I guided the organization through a certain period in terms of communication together with colleagues. I learned a lot from that myself. Now is a good time to hand over the baton to someone else.”

Are you also looking for a new challenge? We would love to talk to you and find your next step together.