From facilitating to realising

With a background in sports and a keen sense of organisation, as well as a growing love for real estate, Manja found her place in project management. She currently works in the Design & Build department at Spring Real Estate, where she is given plenty of space to develop projects and herself.

From sports education to real estate!

Manja started her career in a completely different field, having studied sports education at the CIOS. 'I still like sports,' she says, 'but I quickly realised that I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do something involving organisation." She found that in Facility Management, a broad study in which she discovered her talent for coordinating processes and people. During that course, she also completed a minor in real estate.

'I just started applying for jobs and ended up at Savills. That was my first real job," says Manja. She started there as a facility manager within a management team of about sixty people. “I arranged everything, from window cleaning to landscaping.”

The transition to project management

After three years in facility management, Manja realised that something was missing: 'I wanted my work to have a beginning and an end. A tangible result.' Savills gave her the opportunity to transfer to the BPC (Building Project Consultancy) department. 'That's where I really fell into the profession. I knew straight away that this was what I wanted to do. This is what I want to be the best at.'

During that period, she was closely supervised by her colleague Els. 'She taught me everything: from setting up a project to interacting with clients and contractors. She took me along with her for everything. That was incredibly valuable.'

To further deepen her knowledge, she also took two construction modules at NCOI. 'That gave me a little extra basic knowledge. But I mainly learned through experience."

Building with confidence at Spring!

Manja has worked at Spring Real Estate since September 2024, as part of a small, enterprising team. "Here, I am given the confidence to tackle things independently. Let me swim, as I always say." She mainly carries out design and build projects, in which Spring acts as the main contractor. 'That means we work directly with subcontractors and purchase everything ourselves. This brings a lot of responsibility, but also freedom."

The office as a meeting place

'Offices have changed,' says Manja. 'They don't just have to be functional; they also have to inspire.' They're an extension of your living room." Think of nice meeting rooms, good AV equipment, a well-stocked kitchen and space for meetings. Sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in this. 'We try to work in a circular way where possible, for example by reusing furniture or materials from previous tenants. However, budgets often play a part in this too."

Short lines and a large network.

What is the strength of her current workplace? 'The short lines. I'm in the same room as the brokers, investment managers and asset managers. You know what everyone is doing, and it's easier to help each other.'

Manja sees networking as essential in the real estate sector. 'You meet each other all the time. I have to get my own assignments, and without the right network, that would be impossible. You have to show your face every now and then, at the right moments. If you stay in your own bubble and focus only on yourself, that's what you'll get back.'

She adds: 'Once you understand who has which role and how you can help your colleagues, the work becomes more enjoyable. If I ever want to take the next step in my career, I know exactly who to have coffee with."

Advice to her younger self:

Looking back on the beginning of her career, Manja has a clear message: 'Give it time. If you really want something, you will succeed. Motivation and interest must come from within."

'When I started out, I thought I knew everything. Now I know that you grow over time. Once you've got somewhere, you often want to move on. Just get started, do what you like, and everything will fall into place. Even choices that don't suit you will help you move on. Then at least you know what you don't want.'

With her background in facility industry, her flair for organisation and her eagerness to learn, Manja has mapped out a career path that suits her perfectly. And she has only just begun.