Clary Saldanha works at Kaya as a senior software developer. He is very enthusiastic about the insightful opportunities and challenges he gets from his work. In this blog, Clary will tell you more about his work at Kaya.
Clary, you already had some work experience in IT in the Netherlands before joining Kaya. What made you choose for Kaya?
“Kaya works with a lot of Microsoft products and technologies. When I saw that, I was really inspired to join Kaya to increase my knowledge and expertise in Microsoft technologies. And I also got to continue learning the .NET programming language.’’
Can you tell me something about your professional development as a software developer during your time at Kaya?
“It’s a continuing process, I’m still learning new things every day and improving my skills.
The professional life at Kaya is different from what I experienced in other companies. It is not only focused on my core expertise, which is .NET developing/C#. Kaya was trying to see in which areas I can develop. So, last year, I had the opportunity to do a few certifications on Dynamics, Microsoft Power BI and Python. These are new programming languages and I had chances to grow in those products as well.’’
As you are from India, how do you feel about working in Kaya’s international work environment?
“Kaya has a very diverse workforce. I have great colleagues who come from diverse backgrounds. Even though the first language spoken in The Netherlands is Dutch, everyone at Kaya is well-versed in English, so we have no communication barriers and a very inclusive work environment. That makes us all come together and find the best solutions to any given problems. Also, when I joined Kaya two years ago, Kaya already had a goal for me to learn Dutch, so it was my plan to work and study last year and take exams. So, I have already studied the basics of Dutch. At the moment, I am not very fluent, but I am learning and improving every day. When I speak Dutch with my colleagues, they correct me and help me improve when I make a mistake. That is something I really like.’’
Your work at Kaya has mostly taken place during the Covid-19 crisis. How do you maintain contact with your colleagues and clients during this time?
“We have great business continuity at Kaya. We are equipped with great platforms to stay connected, which makes it super smooth to operate in any given circumstances. One of the ways we make sure we are all on the same page is by having a standup call once a week. This helps us understand each other’s work and where we stand as a team, as well as what our respective action items are. With that clarity, it helps us to have a roadmap for the week ahead. Sometimes it’s not very good to work from home, because then you don’t interact with that many people and there is less knowledge-sharing. However, Kaya has really worked this out well by facilitating ‘knowledge sharing’-sessions some time ago, which also helped me grow.’’
What kind of work do you do on a daily basis?
“As I am a senior software developer, most of my time revolves around coding, finding solutions for the products, finding easier ways for automating the products… Besides that, I also help design the structure. I have also worked on another project with Power BI, which visualizes the reports and allows you to view your data in a visualized form. So, I work for one client with Power BI and for another client I work with .NET programming. Apart from that, we also have opportunities to work on our certifications or on blogs.’’
What ambitions do you have for your future work at Kaya?
“For my growth at Kaya, I always look for opportunities in terms of technologies, or I see if there is a challenge. When I, as a developer, face challenges, the way how I tackle those challenges will help me to be more experienced for the future. With one of my current clients, I have a lot of new challenges which I never faced in previous companies. This is helpful for me to grow. Kaya also facilitated my certification in another programing language, Python, so I look forward to opportunities to work in Python.’’
Do you have any advice for international people like you who are looking to pursue a career in IT in the Netherlands?
“The IT field here in the Netherlands is growing rapidly and there are great opportunities for people in the IT industry. Also, international experience always helps you to grow in different aspects. This country offers great work-life balance as well. The people in the Netherlands are very friendly and helpful, which makes the integration smoother. The only barrier is the language but over a period of time, that can also be taken care of.’’
Are you interested in a job at Kaya? Have a look at our vacancies. Can’t find the perfect vacancy? No worries, we would love to receive your application. Send an email with your CV to hr@kaya-consulting.com, then we will contact you as soon as possible.