Sander Janssen
Customs Forwarder

Sander trained as an Independent Working Chef and was making good career progress as a sous-chef. But the long hours and the disruptions caused by Covid prompted him to ‘make a switch’. Today, he is enjoying shorter hours and a more structured life at Thermotraffic while learning all about his new industry.

I worked in the catering industry from the age of 14, alongside my schooling. Then I worked full time from the age of 18 to 23. It’s a very nice profession but the prospects for the future aren’t so good and I was often in the kitchen for 12 hours, 6 days in a row. So I decided to look for a role as an administrative assistant at an employment agency.

More structure, more time

It was then that I came across Thermotraffic. There were other options but I liked everything I heard: small team, sharing customers, working normal hours. And I could start immediately, which was convenient. It went very well from the start. I fit in well with the team and working at Thermotraffic is so much more structured. I now have time for a social life and, of course, it will be much better if I ever get a family. 

I am currently an administrative support worker. This mainly involves dossier preparation. I also do part of the customs-work, clearing import and export goods for certain customers and invoicing. It took some time to adjust in the beginning, to being around computers all day. But I soon worked it all out and I receive good guidance. When I have questions, I can ask anyone. We help each other and we do the work together.

Teamwork and accuracy

The team makes the job fun. No two days are the same and I can work independently. The work itself is very detailed. You really have to pay attention to what you are doing and work accurately. I like that and it’s little like following all the details of a recipe so that the dish comes out right. So far, communication with clients has been the hardest part. As someone with a totally different background I don’t always know exactly how to formulate some messages, but the team helps me and the problem is quickly solved.

A new role already

In August 2022 I took on a new role as a Customs Forwarder, and I began to study for a Customs Declarant qualification from September. So, I am already being given more responsibility and moving up. As a Customs Forwarder, I will be more focused on making declarations for clients. I hope that when I have completed the training and gained more experience I can become a fully-fledged and qualified Customs Declarant.

I have no intention of going back to the catering industry and I would certainly recommend applying for a job at Thermotraffic. It’s a good place to work. As a Customs Forwarder, you can come from any background if you demonstrate commitment.

As for the future, who knows? There are possibilities to grow here and there is every chance that I will take more training. There is a lot to learn and it changes continuously. It never stays the same.