Working conditions have improved considerably

“My girlfriend and I were both working in Barcelona. My girlfriend was in the process of obtaining a PhD but her working conditions were not satisfactory while she almost had a PhD in mathematics,” José explains. “When she was offered a job at the university of Leiden we decided to move to the Netherlands. I myself had studied aerospace engineering in Spain and later in Italy. After I graduated in 2009, I consecutively worked in a research centre and as a professor but at certain moment I changed to consultancy and specialised in software development for industrial processes.”

Working conditions are considerably better here

“When I came to the Netherlands, I therefore started looking for a job as a software developer. In the summer I got two offers. I chose for ICT Group as it seemed to be a very nice place to work and I moved to Eindhoven as my girlfriend needs to be in Germany for her research. My working conditions have also improved considerably. The working conditions of my friends back in Spain, who have been working as software developers for years, are less attractive than mine. And I am still a junior software engineer.”

Encountering new challenges each day

“I now work on the AIR-issue team for ASML, one of ICT’s customers. We maintain software that has already been programmed by ASML developers. It is quite fun to gradually understand how ASML works. The lithography machines they build are so complex. I keep on learning new things every day. Even colleagues that have worked in this team for five years keep on encountering new challenges.”

Without complexity I get bored

“To me the main challenge is in the difficulty. I need to be challenged and I want to solve complex issues, else I get bored. Back in the days when I was a professor my students always hated it when I told them: ‘this class is going to be fun’. Then they knew it was going to be difficult.”

Lots of possibilities for personal growth

“I chose to specialise in software because it simply is everywhere. I want to learn how to develop complex software and, in the end, I would like to be a project lead for instance. ICT Group offers you a lot of possibilities when it comes to personal development. The company works in many different fields like automotive, high tech, healthcare, food and so on and actively encourages you to take a look at what is done in other divisions. It also offers you a lot of options and various possibilities to take courses. The company has its own platform with a courses overview on which you can apply for participating in a course.”

Brainport Eindhoven revolves around technology

“Before I started working for ICT Group I did not really know about Brainport Eindhoven and the high density of high tech companies that you find here. Once you live here, however, you really feel that it is a technology region. The city seems to revolve around technology. Everyone you meet has a tech job or a job that is related to technology. In the Dutch course I am taking, for instance, there only are participants from either ASML or Philips.”

Easy-going atmosphere and great infrastructure

"Eindhoven is a very nice city. Something I love about the Netherlands in general is that you can go everywhere by bike. Eindhoven in specific is a city that is large enough to always find something to do but small enough to ensure an easy-going atmosphere without too much stress and a great infrastructure. Moreover, I haven’t met a person yet that wasn’t nice to me.”