CVP Belgium and Netherlands sales manager Niels Lubbers talks us through his working week, and suggests anyone looking to enter the media industry should focus not on how busy they are, but the joy of working in a great team.
Talk us through an average day in your role.
Every day is different, and I love that. Normally, I’m working from my home office in the Netherlands on Mondays and Tuesdays, and on the last three days of the week I’m travelling to visit customers, rental companies, studios, DoPs, and talking with people.
How did you get started in the media industry?
I’ve been in the industry for more than 23 years now. I started in the photography sector, which was growing rapidly at that time – I’ve always liked the technical aspect of it, and learning how technology makes things work.
What training did you have before entering the industry?
I had the best training ever, learning on the job. I had my own company for more than 15 years in the Netherlands, in which I got to learn from every line of the business, and got to build my own network of industry contacts meeting with customers and employees.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry?
Working in this industry is not a job for everyone. I, for example, handle customers from all over the European Union, Dubai, the Nordics and suppliers from all over the world. That means that weekends are not always weekends, but I really enjoy the personal contact that we have with customers – talking about business but not only business. It’s about people making connections with people and building trust.
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours?
Don’t think about the time that you will be busy doing your work, think about the joy of working in a great team with lovely people to build a business together. I am very happy to have been part of CVP Belgium from the beginning. It is tremendous to see a company growing and be a part of that growth – we’re listening to our customers, and learning what they need so that we can take that extra step.
