Babette Schilte

My name is Babette Schilte and I studied  Contemporary Asian Studies at the University of Amsterdam. After finishing my Bachelor’s International Development Studies at Wageningen University I was looking for a challenging Master’s programme with an opportunity to go abroad. I was looking to get more experienced in doing research and I was hoping to dive deeper into topics that interested me. Asia has always fascinated me: the economy, culture, diversity, rapid changes and challenges. I developed a strong interest in migration during my Bachelor’s and was hoping to do further research on migration during my Master’s. Contemporary Asian Studies at the University of Amsterdam offered everything I was looking for. 

Go abroad and do research

The opportunity to go abroad and do research individually sounded like a unique experience for me. The programme offered plenty of opportunities to develop valuable skills such as academic writing and conducting research. So far, it has made me feel confident about my research skills and to work independently. I graduated in August 2014 and I am very happy to be working at Booking.com as a researcher. I am creating small messages with travel tips for customers. With this research I am looking into cultural differences in preferences to receive information, and what kind of information is needed for customers from all countries to make their trips unforgettable. I can use my travel experience and knowledge of different cultures for this, topics that never become dull to me.  

Although I never thought I would start working at a large commercial company, I enjoy it a lot. Of course, it is only the start of my career and I don’t know what the future holds for me. For the time being I am still learning and my work offers me enough opportunities to go to work enthusiastically every day. There are plenty of opportunities to develop myself and to grow professionally.

I am still hoping to conduct more research on migration in Asia and to travel for work. I know this sounds too good to be true, but I am confident I will be able to do so in the near future. As of now, I am still in doubt whether I want to study more, pursue a PhD or focus on gaining more work-experience. As I am only 23 years old now, I do not feel rushed to make this decision right away.

My best advice is to be honest to yourself where your interests lie. If certain specialisations look very good on paper but do not fit your true interest, it will not give you the satisfaction of conducting a research that you support a 100%. If you are honest to yourself about what fascinates you endlessly, your curiosity will guide you on your way to success.