It is important to keep learning and developing yourself, because standing still means falling behind.

“I am Lars, maintenance engineer at Waterbedrijf Groningen. My heart lies with technology, and I work in the maintenance and distribution department. My work ranges from carrying out pipeline calculations and failure analyses to putting forward improvement proposals for the entire pipeline network in the province of Groningen. What I enjoy most about my work is that the technicians, our eyes in the field, often see problems coming. They then come to me, and together we tackle these problems and get them out of the way.”

“I was approached by Yes tech careers via LinkedIn. It was a message without any fuss, exactly how I like it, because on LinkedIn you often come across woolly stories, and I am not a fan of those. After a pleasant introductory meeting, a job interview at Waterbedrijf Groningen soon followed. I find the support from Yes tech careers very pleasant. In terms of the work itself I need little support; I can really make my mark at the water company, but of course I am working on my self-development.”

Challenges in maintenance and distribution

“At Waterbedrijf Groningen we have an extensive range of tasks within maintenance and distribution. We manage 5,700 kilometres of pipelines, with countless valves and fire hydrants that all need to be maintained. ‘Part of my work consists of solving problems such as valves that do not work or fire hydrants that cannot be reached.’ In such cases I contact the municipality, for example, to find a solution.”

“We also focus on rehabilitating old pipelines that often leak, and on writing improvement proposals. For new housing developments throughout the province, I also make network calculations to determine how thick the pipes need to be, so that we can meet our legal obligation to supply. ‘We are currently revising our maintenance policy, which is outdated and needs to be adjusted because of changes in practice.’ We want to focus more on preventive leak detection, for example through inline inspections with diving teams or thermal imaging cameras. The goal is to have as little leakage loss as possible, especially with a looming water shortage.”

Self-development and DISC profile

“Together with Martin from Yes tech careers I drew up a personal DISC profile to find out how I react in stressful situations. ‘A profile like that actually holds up a mirror to you, making you more aware of your natural reactions.’ Although you naturally already know yourself to some extent, it is good to put a bit more black-and-white focus on it, so that you can also apply those insights in practice. Although there is always a difference between theory and practice, the profile helps me become more aware of my reactions in stressful situations. ‘This sometimes makes it easier for me to take a step back, think and then respond.’ It is important to keep learning and developing yourself, because standing still means falling behind, both in your private life and in your professional life.”

“Change is constant in our professional environment. It is essential to go along with it, because otherwise you eventually fall behind and can no longer keep up. Thanks to the support of Yes tech careers and drawing up a DISC profile, I am better able to develop myself further and perform optimally at Waterbedrijf Groningen.”