Nuria

For her graduation project Nuria worked on the characterization of sorbent materials for absorption of CO2 from the air. She worked with analytical equipment in the lab for the characterization and also delivered a model.

Key Questions:

How did you hear about ZEF and the project you worked on?

I heard about ZEF because Ulrich participated in a workshop about methanol renewable production (or something like that I do not remember all the details). Later on, Ulrich and I had a chat where he explained me more about ZEF.

Do you feel that your time at ZEF has contributed to your studies and to your work experience? In what ways?

Yes. From the personal point of view, I think being in ZEF helped me to understand myself better which has helped me in my career. I know how I am going to react and I have time to prepare for it and act in consequence before losing my nerves or something similar.

What was the social atmosphere at ZEF like? Do any social activities take place during the project?

I really liked the atmosphere, being able to meet and work with people from different backgrounds.

Do you feel that you got to express your ideas, experience, skills, and creativity during your time at ZEF?

Yes.

Do you feel that you were trusted to work independently on your tasks and that you were given enough responsibilities?

Yes. And even though there were some times I thought I wasn’t going to be able to make it ZEF kept trusting in me.

Was your time at ZEF what you imagined and hoped it would be?

Yes and no. I always say the same when someone asks me. Netherlands has been a dream and a nightmare at the same time. But, just for being the person I am nowadays, I will do it again. I can assure you that without ZEF I wouldn’t have finished the MSc. Maybe that was a bit too much but hey just being honest. So, it wasn’t what I imagined but that doesn’t mean it was bad. Just different.

What did you think about ZEF, and the overall idea/venture of the company?

I really like ZEF and the concept behind it. I think it is a challenging task but one that I know it will have a beautiful end. What I liked the most was the atmosphere to keep improving day by day, smiling etc.

What are you up to nowadays?

I’m working in a biomass company (not doing much engineering tasks) and before that I worked in a R&D consultancy firm (no engineering tasks at all).

Join us!

We have projects for all backgrounds and levels (MBO, HBO, WO). Take the first step and receive personal consultation about projects that fit your background and interests.

01. Initial contact

Every internship is different and each educational institution requires a different approach. That’s why we start with an assesment of your background to see if there could be a match. It starts with sending us some info (like your CV, starting periode, etc).

02. Meeting(s)

After the initial assessment of the info you sent we start with the actual application stage where we plan interviews. In these interviews we discuss your application and give you additional info about ZEF and some specific assignments. If the meetings are positive we can go to the final stage.

03. Onboarding

If it’s a match it’s time to arrange all the formalities. In this stage we make sure that you have a project description which is approved by your educational institution and we make sure that everything is ready so that you have a great start at ZEF!