In our new interview series “How are things going with former employees?” we speak to former employees about their time at Issuemakers. We are also curious about their current field or place of work and how they can apply the insights gained at Issuemakers there. This edition we speak to Glenn Houtgraaf, who is currently a PhD student at Radboud University.
How long did you work at Issuemakers?
During my master's degree in Public Administration I worked at Issuemakers. For more than 1.5 years from the beginning of 2018 to the end of 2019. I actually started as an intern, but then (despite living on the other side of the country in Arnhem at the time) I stayed part-time to support the team. And of course for fun. I worked mainly on Fridays in that last period. Chance?
Where do you work now?
I am currently a PhD candidate at Radboud University, where I am working on a unique research project that investigates how civil servants come up with new ideas for innovations (creativity). I also teach bachelor's and master's students in Public Administration. I expect to receive my PhD within the next two years. Since I really enjoy the autonomy in research and the contact with young people in teaching, I plan to stay in the academia.
What did you learn at Issuemakers that is still useful to you today?
So much. It was my first “knowledge work” job, so you learned everything from professional correspondence, serious collegiality to simply how Outlook works. I see the IM period as the foundation for the rest of my career. And in addition to these professional skills, the IM period has also provided social insight, by learning a lot from the perceptions of colleagues and monitoring news.
“I see the IM period as the foundation for the rest of my career.”
What do you miss most about your time at Issuemakers?
The shared lunch; 100%. This was always the moment of the day to look forward to and to have fun with colleagues. Nowadays I work a lot solitary to be able to concentrate, and of course because of the corona measures. As soon as things get back to normal, I definitely plan to join in for lunch every now and then. Partly because I moved to Amsterdam and now live nearby, instead of on the other side of the country (while my current job is near Arnhem).
