“DAF is surpassing some of the big players in the sector.”
After an intensive period at DAF Trucks, RWTH Aachen University student Robert Wassenberg (27) recently completed his master thesis. In October 2016, he started his internship at DAF. After studying a semester in another country, he wanted to go abroad again. DAF offered Robert the perfect combination of writing his thesis abroad, the chance to improve his language skills and doing an assignment in the field of his study Mechanical Engineering.
“I’ve studied Mechanical Engineering and specified myself in energy engineering. During my masters I focused on the internal combustion engines,” clarifies Robert. “I planned to do my master thesis external within a company and because I had been to Sydney (Australia), I wanted to broaden my experiences even more. So I started looking for a company in which I could combine my preferences. It led to DAF.”
A challenging
assignment
“As a DAF intern, I
was part of the Product Development department, where I focused on
post-processing of engine test data. My main responsibility was to develop a
model that replaces a not perfect working tool. The model I worked on was
demanded and used in an early stage. Before the first release, colleagues were
already asking for it, so I had the pressure to release a good and stable
working model as soon as possible. A challenging assignment, but I got the
option to steer the thesis in the direction I would like to have it. This gave
me the opportunity to find out what I liked.”
Great supervision and
support
“My supervisor,
Maarten Meijer supported me wherever possible and guided me very well with his
supervision and hints towards a good master thesis. I am very happy with the
end product of the model. It fulfilled all progress demanded, the tool was
working well and can calculate all necessary processes,” Robert explains.
“I hope that the engineers within DAF are acknowledging the model as much as I do and that they can use it in their work. The project was not without struggles, but with the help from my supervisor and other engineers in my team, I was able to find the right solutions.”
Proud
“DAF might not be
as well-known as some of their competitors, but the product line is similar. The employees
are well aware that there are less engineers at DAF compared to the big
players, but DAF is definitely surpassing them. I think, you receive more
responsibilities and in exchange you can be even more proud on your work.”
“Without hesitation I can say that the employees at DAF like what they do and are proud of their results. Everyone knows that he or she is equally important and contribute to the end product. I think that is, what makes DAF a great company. Also, the people at DAF are very friendly.”
Just do it
For people who are
still doubting about going abroad, Robert has the following advice: “Just do
it! It is a once in a life-time change. Sometimes the amount of paperwork looks
immense, but actually it is not that much. It is important to look outside of
what you know and to stay open-minded.”
