Harshita Senior Software Engineer

‘Last year, I moved from India to the Netherlands to work at VDL Groep. Moving to another country for a new job was quite exciting. Because VDL is very diverse in culture and operations, I quickly felt at home. With more than 100 companies worldwide, active in various sectors, VDL offers many opportunities for personal growth and development. The diverse companies and the cooperation between them provide many opportunities for all colleagues. This sense of cooperation really appealed to me and that made my decision to apply to VDL easier.’

Joining forces

‘My adventure in the Netherlands started two years ago at VDL Automated Vehicles. Here I was responsible for software development and testing of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for, among others, the port of Rotterdam. Together with my colleagues, I worked on improvement points that came out of the tests. The vehicles are now fully operational. It was super nice to immediately work so closely with my colleagues and achieve a joint result. From the start, my opinion counted as much as that of colleagues who had been working for VDL for years. I felt that my knowledge was valued and utilised. I have since grown further in my engineering role at VDL Enabling Transport Solutions. Here I manage a team and work on the innovative shuttle project: we are jointly developing a self-driving bus. I feel that by joining forces we are pushing the boundaries of technology. That's super cool to experience. It makes me proud to be involved in the development as well as the implementation, from A to Z. I feel the impact we are making together. I feel the impact we are making together.’

Strong team spirit

‘At VDL there is an atmosphere of togetherness and accessibility. We start the day with coffee and a chat about our work, but also about personal matters, for those who want to. There is plenty of room for that. At work level, we can freely share ideas and complement each other to achieve the best result. Are we not sure? Then we'll try something together. In the end, we always come out of it. This open communication and willingness to share ideas contribute to the strong team spirit. And our multicultural workforce ensures that different perspectives come together. This enhances the quality of our final products. Moreover, the many organised activities, such as the annual football or padel tournament, ensure that we come together and have a good time not only professionally, but also on a personal level. This makes us work together even better, because we know each other inside out.