Jana Van den Wyngaert
Can you describe your role at Umicore?
I work in one of the production departments at the recycling plant in Hoboken. As a production assistant, I have a very diverse job: not only do I supervise the production process, but I also drive the forklift truck to supply the production area and take samples to monitor the quality of our product.
What do you like about your job?
What I like a lot is that it is a very diverse job. The different tasks alternate smoothly throughout the day.
What do you like about working at Umicore?
I think it's a great advantage that there are different career opportunities. You can grow into a leading position, for example, but there are also many other jobs on the site that you can learn. As a woman, you have just as many opportunities to develop your career.
Why did you want to work at Umicore?
I grew up in Hoboken and heard a lot of positive feedback from employees. For me, that is the biggest sign of a company: if your employees are enthusiastic, it is a good place to work. As a woman, I took my chance and I am extremely happy that I got it.
What do you look forward to when you leave for work in the morning?
I find it enormously exciting that I learn something new every day. We are therefore closely involved in what is happening in the department.
What has been the highlight of your time at Umicore so far?
I have not been working at Umicore for very long. What is my personal highlight is that as a woman I got the chance to work at Umicore. That as a woman you can also do more physically demanding work and that gender does not matter in the selection process.
Any advice for newcomers?
As a woman, you shouldn't be put off by the fact that production is still primarily a man's world. I also think that working in shifts is a great advantage: you don't have to deal with traffic jams, you're also free during the week.
Who is your female role model?
To be honest, I don't really have a female role model. I would like to be the best at what I do and take ownership of my career. I would like to become a field coach at the Hoboken site: this would make me one of the first female field coaches.