Story Margriet van Maaren- de Groot
Receptionist and switchboard operator in Arnhem
Besides taking phone calls, answering questions, accepting parcels and keeping an ear out for alarms and alerts, Margriet van Maaren-de Groot is often the face of ArtEZ in Arnhem. What does being a receptionist and switchboard operator at ArtEZ involve? Margriet shares a typical day at her job.
Chasing dreams
What attracted me to this role was working in a setting surrounded by artistic people, which I really like. The lovely thing about ArtEZ as an art academy is that there are all sorts of people here chasing their dreams. I sometimes see the most beautiful things in the course of my job. Plus, no two days are the same here. At the start of the morning I may think it's going to be a quiet day, then suddenly the fire alarm goes off.
A real connection
I've been working here for 22 years. Before that, I was an administrative assistant in the Hague, which is where I’m from. When my children were small, I stayed at home to care for them. Once they grew up a bit more, I started working at ArtEZ and have been since. No work situation is ever completely perfect, but if I have an issue, my dear colleagues and students will help me through it. I have a genuine connection with a lot of the people here. When I see my colleagues again after I've been away on holiday, they feel like family. That's something I really treasure about my job. The assistants here feel like my closest colleagues. I can have a good laugh with some of the caretakers here, too.
“I have a genuine connection with a lot of people here.”
A mother figure
I also really enjoy my interactions with students, which are always pleasant and fun. In all the time I've worked here, I've never had an unpleasant experience with any of them. One time there was a student who was a bit rude, but when I said something to him about it, he immediately apologised. He mentioned it was because of stress, so I asked if there was anything I could do for him.
Sometimes I'm like a mother figure to the students. If someone is sad, or if something is up with them, I pick up on it immediately. I have a sort of radar for that, and I'll usually give them some water or a cup of tea. Students often feel especially comfortable with me, because I’m not judging them. I’m just there to provide a warm welcome.
“My colleagues are friendly and don't have a hard-nosed mentality.”
Permission to be yourself
There's no one type of person here at ArtEZ. It truly is very diverse. What the people who work here do have in common is that just about everyone is very empathetic. Colleagues are friendly and don't have a hard-nosed mentality. People are kind; several cards are often sent and bunches of flowers often received in the school. It's a really nice atmosphere.
I also like the fact that you are allowed to be yourself here. There isn’t a strict dress code, for example. I don't have to sit here in a posh blouse and tights – that's not me anyway. One time we had a temp who had quite a few tattoos and she rang me beforehand to ask whether she should wear a long-sleeved top to cover up. Luckily, there's no need for that here.
You see people walking around all the time in full makeup and bold clothes. And that’s just the boys! I've seen it all in my time. Because I get to see everyone from where I sit, I'm also the first to spot the latest trends.
An open perspective
If you work here, you do need to be able to handle chaos. For instance, in the room where I sit there are always parcels and beeping sounds circulating around me. You have to be flexible and adapt to different situations, and be able to see the fun side. The most important thing is that you don’t have a grumpy attitude and keep an open mind.
“A smile costs me nothing.”
You get rewarded for it. I sometimes bump into former students who thank me for my smile or for always waving to them, but that costs me nothing. Sometimes when people arrive for a job interview, I tell them they look good and advise them to just be themselves. Afterwards, when they’ve got the job, they often come by and tell me I made them feel comfortable, which is always nice to hear, of course!
Work at ArtEZ
Want to come work at ArtEZ? Have a quick look at our vacancies to see what kinds of people we are currently looking for.
