Hear from Kylian van Oosterhout, YGT for Communications

Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Kylian, I am 24 years old and I’m half Dutch and half British. I was brought up internationally, having lived in eight countries. My background is in business; I have a Bachelor’s in International Business Administration as well as a Master’s in Sustainable Business. Before joining ESA as a YGT, I did an internship at ESA SBIC start-up Space4Good and another at SES Satellites in Luxembourg. In my free time, I am an avid guitar player and enjoy basketball.

What encouraged you to apply to become an ESA YGT?
I have always been passionate about space and sought ways to gain experience in the industry. The YGT was a perfect decision and also highly recommended to me by some of my colleagues during my internships. The YGT was an opportunity for me to get my “foot in the door” and learn more about working in space at an international organisation that does incredible things on and off Earth.

What does your role at ESA entail?
My primary role right now is project manager for the ESA Champions Initiative. We are focusing on recognising and rewarding those who show a passion for space in Europe in creative ways. I am part of both the Internal Communication and Newsroom teams. For Internal Communications, I help the team foster inter-directorate synergy and enhance internal operational capability. For the Newsroom team I monitor trends, track industry developments and provide condensed daily reports. As a YGT, I also supported the 2021 Astronaut Selection Campaign’s communication objectives.

What is working at ESA like, for you?
It has been thoroughly rewarding. I love how international the working environment is and I get along great with my colleagues. Working for communications, I have been able to see many different parts of the Agency and broadened my scope of understanding of what we do at ESA. I have learnt a lot about the European space sector and the future possibilities we are working towards. I have been able to meet many other colleagues and learn more about what they do and how the different functional areas at ESA contribute to our collective success. Along the way, I have also learnt a lot about my strengths and weaknesses.

Which ESA establishment are you located at?
I am based at ESTEC, in the Netherlands. The times that I have been on site have been fantastic. It is a beautiful location, nestled at the foot of the dunes, right by the sea. It is a truly fascinating place to be and the amount of exciting and innovative work going on here daily always leaves me feeling eager to learn more. Just walking down the halls you are greeted by decades of history and achievements in European and international space. As it is the most populous (and largest) ESA site, I have been fortunate to meet many friendly, talented and diverse colleagues, some of whom have become close friends.

What is your best memory so far as a YGT?
I find it very difficult to pick just one experience. On a personal level, I was thrilled to be able to interview fellow countryman and former astronaut André Kuipers for a podcast on space debris. Regarding teamwork, a very fond memory was the kick-off of the ESA Champions Initiative. This is a project that had taken on many different forms in the past, and I had been working on it since I started at ESA. After multiple hurdles, countless team meetings and a galactic amount of caffeine consumed, the feeling of launching an initiative of this scale together with a talented team was very memorable. On a social level, although entirely virtual, I had a lot of fun during the YPAG Young Professionals Event. Being connected to all sorts of young professionals across the Agency and learning more about their backgrounds and passion for space left a big impact on me. I also got the opportunity, together with some other colleagues, to present our vision of a future ESA to the Director General, which was a huge honour.

What has been the biggest challenge for you?
I think one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome was fully understanding the internal complexity and interrelated components of ESA’s structure. Working in space is a challenging opportunity and understanding the divisions between directorates, teams and working groups and how they fit together took a while to get used to. Further important factors such as ESA’s funding structure, the process by which missions are accepted, contracted, built etc., also took some time to learn. Working within communications, this understanding was paramount, and I am grateful for the continuous support from my managers and team to help me achieve this goal.

What advice do you have for future YGT applicants?
I would say go for it! If you are passionate about space and want to get a feel for what it is like to work in this sector the YGT is a fantastic way to get started. You will meet some truly special people, experience a great deal, make lasting friendships and learn a huge amount about your personal strengths and weaknesses.

Hear from YGTs

Want to learn more about the work ESA YGTs are doing today? Keep reading about other YGTs and their exciting projects in this two-part article (part one and part two).

How do I apply for a YGT opportunity?

1. Explore our Young Graduate Trainee opportunities here.
2. Select the one opportunity that genuinely interests you and fits best with your educational background. Due to the high number of applications received each year, we can only accept a maximum of two applications per person. Should you apply to more vacancies, all your applications will be disregarded. If your profile is of interest for another position, we will share it with the hiring manager.
3. Register and create your candidate profile with your CV and motivation letter.
4. Apply! You will be able to track the status of your application throughout the process.

Learn more about the YGT Programme.