Sanne van der Most is part of the permanent pool of editors

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: Sanne van der Most, Editor at the Tax and Customs Administration.

“I am a writer with a camera around my neck”

Regional television

“I actually didn’t know what I wanted to do when I started studying. I switched from studying Cultural Anthropology to Public Administration and then to Law. After my studies, I worked as a lawyer at an insurance company, but I got tired of that pretty quickly. I worked for a year at an agency that organised conferences. In 2001, I ended up at ETV in Rotterdam, a regional television channel that made educational programmes on social issues. As a researcher, I was allowed to do all sorts of things there. For example, I went out on the street with a cameraman to interview people from Rotterdam. That was really fun.”

Interview and photography

“So I’m a writer with a camera around my neck. I like the combination of interviewing and photographing because it creates a beautiful overall picture. Sometimes it’s easier than having a photographer come by afterwards. I already get inspiration for the photo during the interview. With personal stories, you sometimes want to do something crazy, like putting someone in the middle of a tulip field or having them jump in the air. I can easily do that because I already know someone a little and have heard their story. When I see the end result in a magazine, I think: “Wow, I made all that!”.”

“For Babbage, I am part of the permanent pool of editors for the Tax and Customs Administration. And I also do other assignments for Babbage.”

Working for Babbage

“For my first assignment in 2006, I was also responsible for both text and photos. For the section 'Vacancy filled' in the trade journal Burgerzaken & Recht, I interviewed an employer and a new employee. In total, I made about twenty interviews. At the moment, I am in the permanent pool of editors for the Tax and Customs Administration for Babbage, but I also do other assignments. For the FIOD, I made an interview series about different generations in the workplace. I wrote for Hogeschool Inholland and I support the Ministry of Finance for 4 to 6 hours a week. Babbage is a nice club. There is always good contact, they are flexible and think along with you. It is as if you know them well, you really belong. And they have nice assignments of course!”

Crazy about interview series

“I love series: individual interviews that you can then bundle together. The best thing is when it becomes a book. For the book Hoe diep zit de pijn, for example, I interviewed Surinamese Rotterdammers about the Dutch slavery past and what that still means in their own lives today. I also wrote a book for the Borgesius baker family that bakes the bread for all AH stores. For that, I traveled the entire country, visiting all the bakeries.”

Nice assignments

“I certainly don’t regret my switch to journalism in 2004, but I also don’t regret my law studies. It’s nice to be able to show that you’ve gone to university. For complicated texts for the government and trade journals, that’s an advantage. I am glad that I don’t work for an insurance company or law firm. What I do now suits me much better. I hope that great assignments will continue to come my way. Do I still have dreams? Not really. I am very happy with what I do. All that freedom and a different subject to write about every time. I hope that I can continue doing this for many years to come.”

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