“As a young girl, I attended technical secondary school in The Hague. I then went to work for a metalworking company where I was involved in setting, bending, and folding sheet metal. Because I am eager to learn, I also wanted to learn how to weld. The transition from working with heavy metal in The Hague to soldering small wires and connectors at a large cable assembly company in Rijen was a big one. I thought I would never learn it. That was long before I responded to a job vacancy at MCAP in 2007.”
Variety of tasks
“I was too late, because Corina told me on the phone that she had just hired someone else. So I asked her to write down my name and phone number in case the other person didn't work out. That turned out to be the case, and shortly afterwards I was hired to do soldering work. That went well and quickly, so a while later I was given other tasks as well, which made the work nice and varied.”
Feelings of guilt due to sick leave
“At that time, we mainly produced relatively small series, but nowadays the series are sometimes much larger. Several thousand pieces of the same item are no longer an exception. I find it challenging to work quickly and flawlessly, but for a while that didn't go as I wanted it to. Due to a hereditary condition, my spleen was removed at a young age. As a result, I am more susceptible to illness than many other people, and at one point I developed Crohn's disease, a chronic intestinal disease. This means I am absent more often, and I sometimes feel guilty about that towards my colleagues and management. I find that difficult, but I try to stay cheerful. Fortunately, Corina is very supportive.”
Focus on what is possible
“In the past, I was a fanatic sports enthusiast and felt like a real power girl. Since then, I have undergone several operations and been through a lot. Although this has left me with some discomfort and I need to rest a lot, I focus on the things I can still do. Fortunately, there are quite a few and I am still in good shape. I enjoy cycling with my husband and going on long walks. We live near a forest, and that really helps me relax.”
Crafting all day long
“I recently started working three days a week, which suits me very well. I want to keep it that way until I retire, because after all these years, I still really enjoy my work. When I have to explain to friends and family what my job entails, I say, ‘I spend all day doing crafts’, although we do have to stay focused. Because with all those tiny wires and connectors, it's easy to make a mistake.”
Are you, like Ellen, able to focus well and would you like to work in an accessible family business that manufactures large and small series of high-quality cables? Then get in touch and make an appointment for an introductory meeting with Corina van Aperloo. We are always looking for enthusiastic colleagues.
