Clay Catch-up: Meet Junior Embedded Developer Marijn

Since the past few months have restricted us from seeing each other on a daily basis, catching up with our Bricks now seems more important than ever. This is why we're happy to release the second instalment of the ‘KS Catch-up’ blog series. We started this series in order to gain a glimpse into our Bricks’ professional lives, including exciting projects they’re working on or any transitions they’re experiencing in their work or creatively.

This time, we interview Junior Embedded Developer Marijn. A current student at Codam College, the first and only peer-to-peer coding school in the Netherlands, his background is a fascinating one. He recently finished his six-month internship with us, making him among the first students to ever finish an internship at this recently established school. After being mentored by our Embedded Software Lead Kalin, we are lucky to have him join our team part-time while he finishes his studies.

Read on to find out more about his experience on the SALTO KS team, how his alternative background prepared him for his internship, and what his future might entail.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself

Hi! My name is Marijn and I am a Junior Embedded Developer at SALTO KS. A couple of months ago, I finished my 6-month internship as part of my studies, and I got offered a position in the embedded team.

About 2 years ago I was actually a snowboard coach, so my life has changed quite a bit. The transition from being in the mountains all day to staying in the flatlands in the office was a big one, but I enjoyed the change. I look forward to continuing my software development career at SALTO KS.

How did you find SALTO KS and what drew you to the company?

SALTO KS was one of the first companies that popped up when I was looking for an internship. I liked the fact that it was a diverse and small team. When I first met my colleagues during my interview, everyone was very kind and I knew I would learn a lot from the people in the team.

How would you describe the company culture?

The people at SALTO KS are diverse and come from all over the world. This creates a very unique working environment. Everyone is very approachable and welcoming, it doesn’t matter whether you’re talking to the CEO or to an intern.

What was your best or worst day on the job?

The best day was definitely when I was asked to do some prototyping with Lego. I mean, who doesn’t like to play with Lego? I definitely got a few jealous looks from colleagues that day.

What is the best part of being at SALTO KS?

The whole team is very open which makes working together very easy. There are also a lot of talented people at SALTO KS so you can learn a lot from others around you. When you’re stuck on a problem, everyone is always willing to help.

What benefits did you gain from being an intern at SALTO KS?

Before working at SALTO KS, I’d never had a job in tech. My expectations were that I would be mostly learning and doing “intern” jobs. I was pleasantly surprised when I was immediately asked to write some code for production. I think this is really cool, because I was treated as a regular developer and not as an intern. This made my internship a lot more valuable and I learned a lot because of that.

What do you believe the next step is in your profession, and how did SALTO KS help you get there?

I am continuing my studies while working part-time. Fortunately, both my studies and my work at SALTO KS are very flexible, so I can continue developing myself both at school and at work. I think it is great that I can immediately apply what I learn at school in my job.

We’re very happy to have you as a part of the team Marijn!

For more information about Marijn’s experience with SALTO KS, watch this Internship Testimonial prepared by Codam College below. Marijn and his supervisor, Kalin, dive into how Marijn’s experience from Codam College prepared him for this internship, how practical skills from an unconventional college experience compare to theoretical knowledge from more conventional institutions and Marijn’s tips for future interns.