The candidate is applying for an Engineer position and has been working as an Engineer in Training at Sappi Enstra Mill for 2 years. During this time, he has gained knowledge from experienced personnel about both technical and soft skills. He enjoys working with diverse teams and has learned about responsibility and decision making. His short term goal is to gain his GCC to broaden his responsibilities, and his long term goal is to further his studies in finance and management to understand project management and business.

1. To whom it may concern,
Please accept my letter and resume in response to the Engineer position as
advertised.
I am Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Pretoria and have
been working as an Engineer in Training (EIT) at Sappi Enstra Mill for the past 2
years. I have had the privilege to work with immensely experienced personnel and
I have gaining knowledge from them not only work related, but soft skills as well,
which is important for any career path.
I enjoy working alongside people with different cultures, ideas and views on
projects and daily problems. As a developing Engineer I have been able to make
decisions which affect me and other people around me. This taught me the
influence that our daily decisions have on other people, and the importance of
responsibility an Engineer has when making inevitable choices.
I am passionate about teaching others the details of new skills and experiences I
have gained. One should always try and promote others around you, only then can
you expect the same in return.
During my time as an EIT it has been expected of me to ‘put in the extra mile’ and
I have seen the success of my efforts, I am therefore not afraid to do extra if so
required.
My short term goal is to gain my GCC (Government Competency Certificate), this
will broaden my responsibility as an engineer.
I have been involved in situations where finances where the driving force and
learned that everything revolves around money. Due to this my long term goal is
to further my studies in a finance and management direction. I would like to learn
why “money makes the world go around” and effective Project Management.
I am very interested in interviewing for this position and look forward to learning
more about your requirements. Attached, please find my resume for your
consideration.
Thank you,
Diederick Johannes Taljaard

2. Page 1 of 4
CURRICULUM VITAE
DIEDERICK JOHANNES TALJAARD
ID number 9002225112082
Phone number (Work) 27 (0)11 360 0452
Cell phone number 27 (0)82 771 8574
E-mail dj.taljaard@gmail.com
Physical address 2 Park Manor, Meteor street
Northmead
Benoni
1501
Postal address
Marital status
99a Kitzinger Avenue
Brakpan
1541
Married to Zonique Taljaard
Educationand
Training
Secondary Education
Period 2004 - 2008
Qualification Senior Certificate with endorsement
School Hoërskool Die Anker (Brakpan)
Subjects Afrikaans, English, Engineering Graphics and Design,
Physical Science, Mathematics, Life Orientation,
Electrical Technology
Tertiary Education
(completed)
Period 2009 - 2014
Qualification Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering (University
of Pretoria)
Subjects Calculus, Physics, Machine Design, Maintenance,
Thermo-flow & Heat Transfer, Dynamics
Institution University of Pretoria
Short Courses
Period 2014
ENGEN Advanced Lubrication
Project Management
Sappi (In House Training) 5S Methodology
SAP – Maintenance and Project
XContent - Standards Based Data Management

3. Page 2 of 4
Work Experience
Full-time
Period 1 February 2014 – 31 December 2015
Organization Sappi Ltd. Enstra / Enstra Paper
Position Engineer in Training
Tasks Day to Day
- Manage and assist the engineering departments
(Electrical, Mechanical, Instruments and Planning)
in advanced problems.
- Act as the Area Maintenance Engineer when
required.
- Ensure that all Health and Safety Policies are
adhered to by both the engineering personnel and
contractors while on site.
- Study and rectify the maintenance practices
conducted by the engineering personnel.
Projects
Assist the Area Engineer in all projects of the
section. The following are projects completed
- Manage and coordinate a six week Boiler shut,
including the contractors and all internal resources.
Control the budget of R3.5M and insure the quality
of work completed is of company standards.
- Supervise the installation of a new road
weighbridge including the civil, electrical and
mechanical work.
Sections worked (Role)
- Engineering services (Artisan)
- Paper Machine (Artisan, Shut Supervisor and
Mechanical Foreman)
- Finishing House (Project Manager and Process
Engineer)
- Utilities (Artisan, Shut Manager, Project Manager,
Planner, Mechanical Foreman and Area Engineer)
Reference: C Kruger (Engineering Manager) 27 (0)83 626 4572

4. Page 3 of 4
Period 1 January 2016 - Current
Organization Enstra Paper
Position Acting Utilities Maintenance Engineer
Tasks Day to Day
- Coordinate the Mechanical, Instrumentations and
Electrical maintenance of the Boilers, Water
Treatment and Fiber Supply sections with the
assistance of the Foremen.
- Oversee the Planning of the sections with regards
to shuts and scheduled maintenance
- Upgrade equipment where past experience shown
inadequate design.
- Communicate and assess all maintenance risks
with the production superintends of the respectable
sections.
Statutory Requirements
- Insure that all pressure vessels including the boilers
are kept in operation in accordance to the SANS
347.
Projects
- Manage all Capex expenditures in the section
including all maintenance renewal jobs in line with
the business expectations.
- Consult the section process engineers in upgrades
and modifications to the plant.
Reference: C Kruger (Engineering Manager) 27 (0)83 626 4572
Student work
Period During December holidays 2009-2013
Organization Sappi Mills: Enstra, Stanger and Ngodwana
Position Vacation Engineering Student
Tasks - Learning the maintenance processes of the various
plants.
- Gaining experience of working in tandem with other
disciplines (Electric, Instrumentation and Process)
- Learning the function and correct operating
practices of basic hand tools.
Student work
Period During University semesters 2012 - 2013
Organization University of Pretoria Physics Department

5. Page 4 of 4
Position Physics Tutor
Tasks - Tutoring 1st year students on physics theory
calculations.
- Demonstrating and tutoring 1st year physics
experiments.
- Design and setup of experimental tests.
Reference: - L Cilliers (1st Year Administrator) – 072 254 1731
Personal Skills and
Competencies
Language abilities: - Mother tongue: Afrikaans
Fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English
Computer skills: - MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point)
- Basic knowledge of SolidWorks
- SAP System (Projects and Maintenance)
- Basic knowledge of Matlab
Leadership skills: - I succeed in areas where critical decisions are
demanded taking into account resources like
finances, human recourses and time.
- I understand that when you are a leader you are part
of a group and the inputs of all members of the group
are equally important, but one should also be vigilant
to assess the truth in all opinions.
Interests and
Activities
Active – I enjoy my time outdoors (Walking my dogs and Cycling)
Sport – Although I do not play any at the moment I love supporting my teams.
Intellectual stimuli – I enjoy reading and learning new ideas and understanding how
people with different cultural backgrounds approach different ideas.