blog
Giving it your all in your job and in your hobby. That’s what Eline Van de Putte does. Because one passion strengthens the other, with quite a high fun factor. And this fun is what keeps work and private life in perfect balance. Discover here what you may not know about our colleague Eline.
What is your job at Smulders, Eline? “I’m a Quantity Surveyor and after calculation and tendering, I have to set to work as soon as a contract has been awarded. In this role, I (re)calculate contract values, based on the technical drawings and models. I consider what is required for the work to be carried out, compare the new status with the contract value and calculate the added value. Also calculations with regard to variations – surcharge if the customer requests changes – and claims – for example in case of damage caused by subcontractors – are part of my job. The Quantity Surveyor is actually positioned at the crossroads between contract management, engineering and finance.”
Since when are you on board? “Since 2013. There was a vacancy at the time for a Document Controller at the quality department. I did this job for several years at the Hoboken plant. After a while I got the chance to further my career in a direction that appealed to me most: projects. A supporting role was initially assigned to me, but now I am fully specialised as one of the first in-house Quantity Surveyors. I am also currently taking a remote postgraduate training in ‘Quantity surveying’, and I am gaining more and more knowledge, which allows me to fully perform my job.”
What do you like most about your work? “I work fairly independently, really, but I still need plenty of input from other services. So I get in touch with a lot of people. Every claim or variation is different and it’s always like almost starting from scratch. It's a matter of asking for different pieces of information and making a whole or a puzzle out of it. Then putting together a solid substantiation of the costs and defend it with the customer. Quite fascinating in my opinion. Besides, it is very rewarding to work with so many dedicated and enthusiastic colleagues and to learn from them.”
What about your further ambitions? “First of all, I want to become an expert in what I do. I had reached that in my previous position. So, knowing that you really master something, that you can keep many balls in the air and switch gears easily. That is also my goal now. Secondly, I want to help build Quantity Surveying at Smulders. I learn from colleagues, like the project manager who involves me in the negotiations with Triton Knoll, so I can defend the costs alone in the future. That’s the challenge.”
What drives you in your private life? “My husband and my two-year old daughter. They are my main priority, time with my family is high on the agenda. But I have another great passion: For almost 7 years now I have been the lead singer of symphonic metal band Anwynn. It is a fantastic and meaningful way to let off steam, which allows me to express my love for music to the fullest. Singing is presenting a story and that brings me great satisfaction.”
Where does your passion for music come from? “I’ve been into music all my life. At the age of 15 I started with classical singing lessons and after that I moved from one (opera) project to another. I didn’t limit myself to one style, but eventually what I liked most was metal. During my student days I also sang in a metal band and through an acquaintance I came in contact with Anwynn. I auditioned and was allowed to start as a singer. There’s 7 of us in the band: a drummer, bass player, 2 guitarists, a keyboardist, a male singer and a female singer, that’s me. It feels so good and the performances are exactly what I want them to be. When I come off the stage, all my worries are gone.”
What do you sing about? “The keyboard player and I write the lyrics to the songs we sing. Singing is telling a story and we usually address social and personal problems. Our male singer takes care of the rough metal vocals and melodies, I do the so-called ‘cleaner’ melodies. I use the roughness in my voice as an accent. We play with the dynamics of 2 voices and we look at each song to see what fits best.”
What’s on the musical agenda? “Two singles will be released at the beginning of 2020: ‘Clockwork in the past’ and ‘Unbearably human’. The first one is about the fact that history repeats itself and that man is doomed to make the same mistakes – quite bombastic, with a catchy chorus. In the second single you hear a psychopath talking about normal people and how they experience their emotions as opposed to this ‘normality’ – the melody is tense. Because the visual aspect is also important for us, we recorded a music video for both singles in a special location. Everything is matched: what we sing and what we look like.”
How do you see the future of the band? “Anwynn has already come a long way and is in full transformation. The name refers to the Celtic Valhalla ‘the sky’. Because the theme and appearance have changed in the meantime, we thought the time was ripe for a new image and a new name. From now on we will perform under the name 'InHuman’. We play on medium-sized stages and we want even more. We do everything we can to boost our professional image and with the means on the table, we are aiming for the highest possible quality. And that’s exactly where the link with Smulders lies: what I do, I want to do well. No half measures. And if it continues to be all fun, we’ll go on for years to come!”
Want to attend a performance? Have a look at the calendar on https://www.anwynn.com
Do you want a CD? Mail Eline.Van.de.Putte@smulders.com
Follow us? Check https://www.facebook.com/Anwynn.Official
