Five questions for Danny van Eijk, recruiter at MARPRO.

Who are you and what is your job description?

My name is Danny van Eijk, I have been in the maritime industry for over 25 years working in both the supply industry as well as in the service industry. The largest part of my career I was responsible for sales of the Europort Exhibition. These days I am a recruiter for the maritime industry. We specialize in shore-based personnel with a maritime background.

What does a typical day for you look like?

Every day is different. A lot of time is spent on identifying the right profiles, conducting interviews and client meetings. It is dynamic and hectic, but we try to never let customers and candidates feel that we are swamped. We take our time in personal interactions as these are the most important aspects of the job.

What was the best advice (workwise) someone gave you?

Help your client understand what it is they really need.

Often customers want to find the sheep with 5 legs, it is my job to help them find out which leg they can live without.

How could you be of help to others in the industry or RMSC?

I like to solve problems. If there are personnel issues, I want them to think of us the go-to solution for those issues. Especially a service-related industry such as the ones operated by RMSC members really fit our services. Our membership to RMSC feels like a natural fit and we enjoy the events and social interactions with the other members.

And lastly: What’s in the news which relates directly to your profession?

All most all news relates to the job market, whether it is inflation, low unemployment, schooling, geo-politics, etc. it all trickles down to the job market one way or another. However, I am particularly interested in AI developments at the moment as now there is a huge demand for skilled labour with technology looking to take a huge bite out of that in the not too distant future.