I am Nawshad, a 30 years old mechatronics consultant. I originally come from Bangladesh but recently became a Dutch citizen. I did my bachelor in Bangladesh before moving to Sweden to pursue masters in Electrical Engineering. In 2013, I came to Eindhoven to complete the final year of master at TU/e. I have been here ever since.
After graduating in 2014, I worked in an engineering and construction company called Fluor in oil and gas industry for almost 4 years. During my tenure in Fluor, I was involved in designing, procuring and constructing electrical components/machines of refineries, chemical plants for customers like Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, BASF and few government organizations from the Middle East.
Why the Netherlands?
The Netherlands doesn’t really have a hierarchical society which helps to have an enjoyable and easygoing work culture. Moreover, typical Dutch directness in combination with eagerness to have a healthy debate makes communication within teams much more efficient. To top it off, work-life balance in the Netherlands is great. All of these together convinced me to stay and work in the Netherlands.
The moving process to the Netherlands was quite smooth. As I was a student back then at TU/e, the university provided guidance regarding all the administrative tasks I needed to do. The intro week organized by the Uni was also of great help to know the city, bit of culture and make a lot friends in almost no time ?
The most challenging part was actually applying and getting the VISA to come to the Netherlands. Once I was here, I needed to make sure to be patient to get to know the culture, people and Dutch society in general. As soon as I arrived here, I joined a volleyball club which helped me to integrate into the Dutch society quicker.
The three biggest differences between Bangladesh and the Netherlands would be: work life balance is much better here, people are way more direct compared to my home country and everyone has their own agenda/schedule which they follow wholeheartedly.
My start at ALTEN
I started at Alten 2 years ago after deciding to take up new challenges in a completely different industry. A friend of mine who used to work at Alten introduced me. I work as a mechatronics consultant at ALTEN. Currently, I am stationed at ASML where I have dual roles within Electronics development department. M y main role is ‘ cabinet owner ’ (think of it as product owner) and I am responsible for planning, designing and delivering electrical cabinets required to run NXE lithography machines. Within my secondary role, I help customers of ASML to prepare their facilities so that ASML machines can be installed on schedule without any issue.
The excitement of tackling a new challenge almost on a daily basis is the most interesting aspect of my job. Interestingly, this is also the most challenging part. I have to adapt quickly to the new situation and adjust planning and priorities. Since we have a multidisciplinary team which includes various departments such as design, logistic, supply chain and our suppliers; clear and continuous communication is a key.
Within ALTEN, we have a vibrant and comparatively young group of colleagues which helps to immediately feel at ease. In addition to that, regular work and social activities with the colleagues makes ALTEN a lively place to work for.
If you consider to relocate, here are my tips
Before deciding to relocate: Look not just at the prospective position but also the life outside of it. After relocating: Try to immerse yourself in the local culture with open mind; You never know you might fall in love with the city and the country ?
Nawshad
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