Paul Veldhuyzen
My advice to students is to focus on what excites you—whether it's AI models or another area. Building expertise is easier when you're genuinely interested in your work. Also, remember to sleep well and stay active.
My name is Paul Veldhuyzen, and I graduated with a Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence in 2022. I now live in Roden, near Groningen, and work as a Data Scientist at Gasunie. In my free time, I enjoy bouldering and staying active.
I chose the AI Master's programme because I loved my BSc and wanted to continue solving complex, interdisciplinary problems. The intersection of fields like psychology, linguistics, mathematics, and computer science fascinated me... I particularly enjoyed the hands-on projects and the deep dive into research for my thesis.
While I didn’t go abroad during my studies, I encourage others to take the opportunity if they can. The Master's prepared me technically, but I quickly realized that university doesn’t teach the real-world aspects of a job—like stakeholder management and project scope—which I’ve had to learn on the job.
I’m currently part of Gasunie’s PIO team, working on business-oriented projects that leverage data science and AI. My role includes building proof of concepts, creating models, visualizing data, and managing project scopes. I was fortunate to quickly grow into a senior position, where I oversee progress and collaborate with stakeholders.
I found my job search easier than expected—thanks to starting early and being proactive on LinkedIn. I received several job offers, but I chose the one at Gasunie, which was a great fit. I am most proud of my contributions to a group of models that predicts co2 emissions of the Dutch electricity network, because the models' outputs serve the energy transition. For example, RTL uses our predictions to build their energy weather forecast.
Long-term, I hope to keep working on projects related to the energy transition, continually developing my skills. My advice to students is to focus on what excites you—whether it's AI models or another area. Building expertise is easier when you're genuinely interested in your work. Also, remember to sleep well and stay active.
In terms of essential skills, critical thinking, analytical skills, and communication are key. These were honed during my studies and have continued to develop in my career. Specific job skills like feature analysis, modeling, and results evaluation are critical in my work, but the real challenge is connecting technical expertise to client needs.
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