Shipex

Testimonial Steffie Verachtert

HOME
Testimonial Steffie Verachtert

Steffie (23) is one of Shipex's youngest employees. However, she knows exactly what she wants: work hard and learn a lot in order to get an even better grip on the position she is currently holding. She has been working as a documentation officer at Shipex since August 1, 2019.

Steffie has been living in Schoten all her life. After secondary school, she initially opted for communication sciences. Since she wasn't very happy with that choice, she switched to a bachelor's degree in Logistics at the Karel de Grote Hogeschool in Antwerp. The fact that her dad, grandpa and uncles worked on the docks, certainly had something to do with that choice - but a friend who also opted for that same degree, was the one who convinced her. In April and May of 2019 she had to do an internship. Choosing a company wasn’t hard: "Shipex is a freight forwarder, and I am very interested in that. I immediately had a good chat with Demona Delzainne (HR) and Isabelle Van Bragt, who would become my mentor." The fact that it had been indicated in advance that a work place might be vacated at Shipex, certainly helped.

"After three years of study, I felt ready to go to work."

Two months of internship is not long, but thanks to Shipex's guidance it became a rewarding internship. "They were immediately clear about what I could do. They presented me with a clear plan, from week to week. I didn't get just one task: I took a look at many places within the company. That was very nice and instructive: you learn a lot at school, but as soon as you end up in a company, you actually learn it. My current position is documentation officer, and thanks to my internship I know exactly where the documentation part fits in the entire process."

The internship turned out to be a success, and Shipex indeed asked her to join the company after her bachelor's thesis. She has only been working at Shipex for a short while, and feels that she still has a lot to learn. "Normal things work out really well, but there are so many exceptions in this profession, so many special documents... I have yet to familiarize myself with that. Of course: one day I’ll be able to handle it all myself, but at the moment I still rely on my colleagues quite a lot. Sometimes I find it difficult to ask questions, and sometimes I find myself a bit nervous when a problem arises, but I’m positive that in the end it’ll all work out.

Steffie feels good about her position. "I think I have what it takes: I am stress-resistant and flexible and I like to think along with clients. In addition: I like to check things, ever since I was a child. I enjoy checking documents, so it's perfect!" (laughs). For the time being, she doesn't see herself doing anything else, and certainly not at another company. "I've had the same student job since I was sixteen. In addition, the colleagues are great - also one of the reasons I stayed."