“Interesting to look into different kitchens”

In Spot On… we would like to introduce our colleagues to you. This time in the spotlight: Kirsten van Kleeff, Communication Consultant at Babbage.

“I find it valuable to exchange experiences with other consultants during the intervision sessions."

From communication about the resilience of political office holders at the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations to spokesperson at the Education Council and the youth care transition at the municipality of The Hague: Kirsten van Kleeff's path is anything but straightforward. But it is precisely this variation that suits her like a glove. "I find it interesting to look into different kitchens," she says. "That way I learn new things every time and I discover better and better what suits me and what doesn't."

In contact with the government

Through various positions at Stichting Reclame Code, among others, Kirsten came into contact with the government more and more often. “Then I thought: maybe it would be something for me to work for the government. In my search I came across vacancies via Babbage time and again. Nice assignments, diverse clients. That appealed to me. I have now been working as a Communication Consultant at Babbage for 2,5 years and I really enjoy it. I can see myself doing this for many years to come.”

Her first client: the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, at the Democracy and Governance Directorate. “A fascinating theme – resilience of political office holders – and socially extremely relevant. Think of the protection of mayors and aldermen against undermining and aggression. After that, I started working at the Education Council, where I worked as an all-round communications advisor, followed by the municipality of The Hague. There I supervised the communication around the outsourcing of youth care – an exciting change with a lot of impact. My last assignment was at the municipality of Amsterdam. In that role, I informed Amsterdammers about the regulations and assistance regarding debts.”

Quickly of value

Kirsten is proud of what she has achieved in a relatively short time with various clients. But even more important to her: “With every assignment I learn something new. I know faster and faster what is needed, who I need to talk to and which documents are important. That means I can quickly be of value in a new environment.”

In between, Kirsten also works on her development. “When I started at Babbage, that was the moment to further deepen myself in the field of communication. I followed the training to become a Senior Communications Advisor C. Quite tough, with a thesis and a nine-month trajectory. But also extremely valuable. The contact with Babbage is accessible and pleasant. They think along with you, are approachable and are really there for you. Not only in terms of work content, but also if you have doubts about an assignment or your development path, for example. In addition, I always try to attend the intervision sessions with the other consultants. I find it valuable to exchange experiences with them.”

Keep learning

For those who still have doubts about whether Babbage is a good party to work with, for or through, Kirsten has clear advice: “Just do it. Especially if you like variety, are curious about different organizations and like to keep learning. Babbage is not a standard recruitment agency. They really look at who you are and what suits you.”

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