Developer Remco came across GDK during his studies and decided to apply for a job. A good move! He has been working for a few years now and he has grown as a developer and as a person. “Delphi, Mendix, React: I try to gain as much knowledge as possible. This way I can participate in discussions with my colleagues and know what is going on. We keep each other sharp.”
More and more fun in programming
Remco started his computer science course in Breda with no programming knowledge. “That was quite tough, because you have to understand the principles of programming,” he says. “I had no intention of becoming a developer at the start of my studies. That changed during my studies. In the second year, I started making applications that worked and did something useful. That gave me a lot more pleasure, because I could now display information in graphical dashboards, make 2D games and develop applications to control hardware. For example, I wrote a program to control Philips Hue lamps and developed a system to monitor energy consumption by reading the electricity meter in the meter cupboard.”
Remco, developer at GDK
After four fun years, Remco joined GDK as a Delphi developer. “We want to get our software to a high standard and keep it there. I notice that when we carry out a Delphi upgrade for a new customer. Then I see pieces of code from an external Delphi developer that is a bit old fashioned.
“For example, at GDK we use specific principles that are not being used often enough elsewhere. We try to write certain pieces of code that are not dependent on each other. If something fails, then another part of the application will still work. This makes writing and maintaining an application much easier and less time consuming. The book ‘Clean Code’ contains guidelines on how to make software as a developer. That is what my colleagues and I rely on.”
The atmosphere within the company is very important to Remco. “This is perhaps even more important than the work I do. We have several Company Days per year, during which we meet our English colleagues. Last year we did a treasure hunt in London with a tablet, going to Big Ben and the London Eye. Of course we were all very competitive, ha ha. At GDK we like a game.
“The annual figures are shared during these days. Team members also present the results of their own research projects. As programmers, we strive for continuous improvement and we are therefore allowed to innovate during Research Days. I developed a JavaScript back end and shared this with the company. Other people are working on different issues. How can we release or build software more efficiently? Which programming structures are used in Delphi projects? It is nice to see that colleagues can present well and that they enthusiastically communicate their results with the group.”
On top of his salary, Remco receives certain perks, such as an annual museum pass, money to buy gadgets, a gym membership and a Kobo e-reader with a subscription. “I really see this as a bonus. I think these perks are more of an incentive than, for example, a thirteenth month. As a programmer you have to look after yourself. With these perks you keep yourself physically and culturally healthy.”
Contact
GDK Software UK
(+44) 20 3355 4470GDK Software USA
+1 (575) 733-5744