Former student shares North Pole adventures

Brigit Heddes completed the Media and Entertainment Management programme (Creative Business) at Inholland Haarlem four years ago. After graduation, she embarked on an adventure in the sailing and skiing industries. At the invitation of lecturer Zac Woolfitt, Brigit visited Diemen to deliver a guest lecture to Tourism Management students about her career path.

Brigit: 'Students often wonder: what are my options after I graduate? The same thought was on my mind when I entered my graduation phase. I wanted something different, something adventurous.' Knowing that she would get more enjoyment from a job that was not in an office, Brigit started networking in slightly less conventional situations, for example while on a sailing holiday and during a bachelorette party. 'You have to define networking in much broader terms than the usual networking events; it could also be an everyday conversation with a random individual that inspires you to come up with ideas.'

Fall down and get back up
'In the guest lecture, I wanted to let students know that they do not have to think along tried and tested lines, such as "I can do this, but I can't do that," or "I can go in this or that direction." So much more is possible than you think if you just go for it. Persevere, try out things, fall down and get back up, and keep going until you find your destination.' And you can be sure that Brigit herself has fallen down on more than one occasion. 'Sometimes you don't get that job that you wanted, or you get the job and it isn't what you had hoped. Still, I don't have any regrets. After all, you learn something from everything. Sometimes, you have to make mistakes in order to learn, or you'll never get anywhere! At a certain point, you'll know what your dream is.'

Chasing dreams

For Brigit, that dream manifested itself two years before she graduated. 'I went on a sailing holiday in Croatia and I caught the sailing bug. I really wanted to work on a yacht! Eventually, I submitted an application to an outfit that was a predecessor of Quarterdeck, where you are trained to become a captain or hostess on a yacht. The programme was full, but I was determined to get in. I stayed in touch with the programme manager the entire time and persisted until a spot opened up!'

Transatlantic crossing
Brigit subsequently underwent training – initially to become a hostess, but later she even qualified as a captain. In order to earn your certificate of competence and be able to officially call yourself a captain, you must sit numerous exams, but most of all you have to log thousands of sea miles and spend a lot of time on board a sailing or motor boat, actually piloting the craft on your own, starting with small boats and working your way up to larger vessels. 'You gain more confidence in the process. That's something you definitely need! You're responsible for a ship that easily costs anywhere from 200,000 to one and a half million euros! I practised mooring boats for hours, spent weeks learning theory, crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the direction of the Caribbean, sailed from England to Spain, calculated the tides and currents in new areas, mended ropes, inspected the engine room, checked safety on board, made weather forecasts, you name it. During the guest lecture, a student asked: "Could I sail a boat, too?" Don't underestimate it! After all, you are also responsible for your guests. On average, I have eight guests on board. What do you do if, say, someone cuts themselves, or breaks a leg aboard the ship? How do you handle passengers who don't know how to swim? What if the weather turns bad?'

Wakeboarding in the Arctic Circle
Ultimately, Brigit was able to start working as a certified captain. 'I'm self-employed, and sometimes I'm contracted by travel agencies. For example, I take my guests island-hopping and they can dive, snorkel, explore the islands, etc. In addition, I train students who are interested in becoming a yacht stewardess or chef aboard sailing boats. I worked as a chef and first mate on an expedition ship in the Arctic Circle. It was hard work, but there was also time for tour skiing and wakeboarding in the icy water in between the fjords!

More exciting teaching
Brigit argues that the programme should be even more rooted in practice, that case studies should involve real cases for actual companies and be even more realistic. That way, you know why you are doing it, and also see in concrete terms that a company is doing something with it. At the same time, teaching itself could be more exciting, with wider use of video, more personal experiences or a lecture somewhere other than the usual classroom. 'I felt that was somewhat lacking when I was in school. I really want to contribute to this and let students know that there are so many possibilities after you graduate, as long as you keep chasing your dreams. That's why I would like to give more guest lectures.'