After his pre-university education Van der Randen learned photography through practice and experience, as was customary at the time. His first employer was Koch, a photographer from Roermond. He voluntarily made clichés-verre for Koch. These are photographic print processes. At the same time he studied at the Graphic Design School in Utrecht.

He spent much of his free time drawing and painting. He was a member of the art circle De Blauwe Bloem in Venlo. He regularly designed their posters. He was also an enthusiastic actor in their plays.

His career as photographer started in 1926 when he started working for the Venlose Courant (regional newspaper) as versatile photographer, illustrator and graphic designer. A year later he joined the Press Photo Agency Het Zuiden as photo journalist. After moving to Amsterdam in 1928 with his family he started working at Vereenigde Fotobureaux. He was also a photographer for the daily newspaper De Telegraaf.

When the Catholic publisher De Spaarnestad NV based in Haarlem offered him the prestigious position of staff photographer in 1931 he exchanged newspaper journalism for photography coverage.

Until his death in 1949, Van der Randen continued to work for the publisher, as photographer as well as journalistic writer.