Lara - Software Engineer

“A team from Houdijk Holland has a common objective: to provide a machine that is as efficient as possible to a satisfied customer.”

I began by studying Architecture, but at a later stage I started looking for a more technical course. That is how I arrived at Electrical Engineering, where I feel in my element. During my study, I concentrated mainly on the software side of Electrical Engineering, and this fits in well with my position here at Houdijk Holland. What is also similar between my job and my study is the number of men. When I turn up at a customer site, I am sometimes met with surprise because they expect a man as a Software Engineer. This does make me laugh, because I feel at home in the man’s world of mechanical engineering. Fortunately in the outside world I have enough female friends to keep things in balance.

I spend a lot of my time abroad visiting customers, where I commission the machines using the software I have engineered. On visits to customers, the days are long and the work is hard, but that is something I enjoy too. A team from Houdijk Holland has a common objective: to provide a machine that is as efficient as possible to a satisfied customer. And, of course, we have the evenings and Sundays to discover the country and its culture.

Although I am often abroad, I spend most of my time in Vlaardingen, preparing the software in my department or doing tests in the factory. An advanced part of the machine is often put together so that we can carry out mechanical and functional tests. This ensures that we are properly prepared for the actual commissioning.