Primary school teacher Maarten. Cafeteria owner Mustafa. They found their new careers as career changers at Larsen & Buhl. they help build components for medical devices, rockets and ships.

They are highly motivated and willing to learn a lot: career changers. At Larsen & Buhl in Zeewolde, several career changers work, and they are recognized as valuable assets.

“Are you familiar with the psychological theory of the growth mindset? If someone has that mindset, the 10,000-hour rule applies: you can become good at something if you invest enough time in it.” Therefore, during recruitment, she looks very specifically at a person’s motivations. “More than diplomas, motivations say something about the passion with which someone approaches their work.” Career changers in particular are highly motivated to learn, she observes: “They have already discovered what doesn’t suit them. Now they know: this does suit me!”

Maarten reconnected with his love for technology: “I was always working with my hands: DIY projects, figuring things out on my own.” After a period with a furniture maker, he gained experience in his wife’s company. He enjoyed it very much. “Within a year, I obtained my MBO-3 diploma in Machining, specializing in Turning. One day a week at school and three days working and learning on the job.” Maarten has not regretted his transition from classroom to CNC operator for a moment: “I find the work incredibly enjoyable. The variety too. One day I’m making parts for brain scanning equipment; the next day for ASML chip machines.” Precision work and creative work, he explains enthusiastically.

Mustafa, facility manager at Larsen & Buhl, also made a radical switch. For years, he ran successful cafeterias until he became a single father about 10 years ago. “In the hospitality industry, you work evenings and weekends. That didn’t fit with my son and daughter’s school schedules.” Looking for a job he could combine with his role as a father, he found his way to Larsen & Buhl through a renovation project. “When I started, I knew nothing about metalworking. I barely knew the difference between stainless steel and aluminum.”

But Mustafa proved to be the perfect example of a career changer with a growth mindset. “I took various courses, such as technical drawing and welding.” He first worked in electrolytic polishing. “Once I had a good grasp of that, I set up and organized an electrolytic polishing area.” His next challenge: wire EDM. “I always want to learn new things, and that’s possible here. It’s an incredibly great company: if you’re motivated, you get many opportunities.” That proves to be true. Mustafa recently became facilities manager.