I am Jeroen, 36 years old, and live in beautiful Eindhoven. More than three years ago I started as an independent entrepreneur, to make journalistic products in that capacity. In addition to writing, I often work in stand construction and I like to make beautiful things in people’s homes.

Versatility, freedom and above all cosiness

Although I studied journalism, my career started somewhere else. For the first ten years of my working life I worked in stand construction. I started as an intern, but over the years I grew into an all-round foreman/stand builder. Always on the road, often from job to job or just a quick day at home and then a week away. I loved it. The freedom, the versatility in the work, the travelling and especially the sociability of colleagues among each other. Fraternization. It may sound crazy, but when you’re on the road together so often you get a bond that can never go so deep in another work situation. Many of the boys I used to work with I still speak regularly, I even work with them a lot.

New roads, old skills

Yet after ten years of stand construction it started to tickle. I had finished travelling a lot, always at work. It was time for something else. Time for something completely different. So that became journalism. Already in the first year of my studies, however, it became clear that journalism might not be the best choice of study. I started in the days when newspapers and magazines were still looking for a way to stay afloat under the pressure of the advancing internet.

A teacher came in front of the class and said: actually, we are training you for unemployment. Jobs at media companies disappeared like snow in the sun, partly due to the economic crisis and the internet. Nice and motivating. But anyway, we persevered. Still, it’s a shame not to finish it, even though there probably won’t be a job at the end of it. Fortunately, after the study I could also fall back on the skills I had gained in stand construction. By working on my own I was able to do both writing jobs and carpentry jobs, that combination seemed like something to me.

The beauty, versatility and unprecedented possibilities

In all honesty, I must say that in recent years writing has fallen a bit into the background. After all, there’s a lot more work to be found for a handyman or carpenter. That’s why I’m glad that Het Realisatiekwartier asked me to start writing pieces about it in addition to building their stands. Or blogging, as it’s called nowadays. It’s great fun to work on stand construction in a different way.

Because I still think stand building is fantastic. I don’t think there are many other professions that are so multifaceted, in which so many disciplines come together. I would even dare to say that stand building is one of the most beautiful professions there is. In the upcoming blogs I will try to convince you as a reader of the splendour, versatility and unprecedented possibilities of stand construction.

Do you have any questions or remarks, or maybe even a nice story about stand construction? Do not hesitate and contact me via info@realisatiekwartier.nl.