Interview with Cyriel Hodiamont, Junior engineer at BAM International

How did you end up at BAM?

My first introduction to BAM was at the Inhouse event that Royal BAM Group had organised for Dutch technical students. I was near the end of my Construction Management and Engineering studies and wanted to explore my career options in construction. I was definitely interested in challenges outside Europe. So when I met some people from BAM International, it soon became clear that this was the place for me to start my career.

What do you like about BAM International?

BAM International builds various structures all over the world, except in Europe. They do harbour projects, jetties, high rise office buildings, stadiums and infrastructural projects. Current projects that  are in countries like Tanzania, Oman, Jordan, Liberia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

What I like about BAM International is the wide range of projects and the opportunity to see the world and meet different cultures. I like the challenge of bringing together a very diverse group of people, with different skills and trades, expertise and nationalities and forging a cohesive project team. And what could be better than to work with that team to build amazing marine works that have value for other people?

As a junior engineer, what are your tasks?

As a new joinee I’m in a two-year introductory programme. The first six months I’m spending at the head office in Gouda, the Netherlands, where I get to experience the tendering process. I’m also spending short periods at various departments to get a feel for the organisation and the various jobs people perform. I spent four weeks, for instance, at the purchasing department, where I conducted a comparative analysis of steel quotations.

For the next step in the programme, it looks like I’ll soon be leaving for a construction site abroad, where I’ll be working for a whole year. I’ll be able to take on a variety of responsibilities such as cost control, work preparation, quality control, contractual changes and progress monitoring.

After my year abroad I’ll be back in Gouda again for six months, taking part in more project bids.

What is your future at BAM International?

Once I’ll have completed the introduction programme, I’ll be deployed on various project sites around the world. And then as my experience grows, I’ll be able to take my development further and become an engineering manager, construction manager or even project manager.