“My work feels like I can give something back to society”

Passionate about IT and sustainability? This Spot On spotlights Monique Alvares, a freelancer who works for clients through Babbage.

“Babbage actively searches for suitable roles for me and works in a personal way. "

In Spot On, we're happy to introduce you to our colleagues. This time, we're featuring Monique Alvares, interim communications advisor at the IND.

Monique got off to a flying start in the commercial world, but her curiosity led her to the communications sector. With an eye for what moves people, she now works on themes that matter. "I never really cared about it before, but working for a non-profit organization or the government is so valuable," she says.

Her career began in sales, where she often felt the story behind the product could be stronger. "I often thought: why doesn't this connect better with the customer?" That curiosity about the 'why' led me to marketing. I worked in various roles, from product management to trade marketing, and along the way, discovered my passion for (marketing) communication. I had a good sense of what message would work. I wanted to develop that further.

Surprisingly fun

For a long time, Monique worked in the for-profit sector. “That sector was truly at the forefront of development back then. I could learn a lot there, and that appealed to me. But over time, I felt the need for something new. Through Babbage, I came into contact with my first non-profit project. That got me thinking. Actually, I found it surprisingly enjoyable. I think I simply misjudged it earlier.”

Since then, Monique has worked as a communications advisor on a variety of projects. At the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden (SGR), she focused primarily on external communications. Among other things, she oversaw the communication surrounding the 40th anniversary and managed communications with consumers and travel organizations. At De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), she managed internal communications within IT and data, translating IT topics into clear messages.

Visible impact

In her current role at the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), Monique is responsible for communications within the Sustainable IND program. She develops the annual plan, runs campaigns, and organizes events on sustainability topics. "A concrete example is the sustainable transport pilot program, where employees can try sustainable modes of transport free of charge for four months. I coordinate communications, encourage engagement, and gather feedback to ensure a meaningful contribution to the research. I maintain contact with many colleagues across the organization, enabling me to provide sound advice, organize, and then implement projects with visible impact."

She continues: "As an interim, I quickly find my way in any organization, so I can make a valuable contribution quickly. At the central government, I see many challenging projects that are also interesting in terms of content. What I'm doing now feels meaningful. It allows me to give back to society directly."

Babbage's role

Babbage plays a key role in her career as an independent communications professional. “My colleagues actively help me find suitable roles and work with a personal touch. You don't see that at every agency. And their self-billing system is truly ideal: I don't have to worry about a thing. Thanks to the collaboration, I can continue to pursue my interests. I prefer to choose assignments that suit me and are close to my heart. For me, those are assignments within the IT and sustainability themes.”

For over 25 years we have been connecting organisations with the best marketing, communication and content professionals. We find suitable assignments or functions for junior, medior and senior professionals.

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