As a fast-growing scale-up, we are fortunate to have employees from a variety of cultural and professional backgrounds, with diverse expertise and skills. And as we continue to expand globally, we wanted to give you all a look inside our unique culture at Sine and the wonderful people who make it great to be a part of.
In our new series, Humans of Honeywell Sine, we will be regularly interviewing different members of the team about their interests inside and outside of the tech world, their Sine stories and much more.
To kick us off, we have Erik Praekelt who joined the Sine team back in April 2020. Erik is a Software Engineer on the Shared Services team, who has been an invaluable asset to Sine since his first day. We sat down and talked to Erik about his role at Sine, current projects, and well, you'll just have to read on!
I’ve always been supportive of digital transformation, so when I came across Sine and saw them digitally transforming the visitor management experience, I was immediately intrigued. But what made me truly commit was the people, the challenges, the growth, and experiences. I wake up every day excited to go to work, because I get to work with awesome people and amazing technologies, solving problems previously unknown and continuously learning from them.
I’ve always been passionate about technology. The world runs on it; it's not going anywhere and it’ll only become more prevalent. I want to be part of that, to help create and shape the future. I also like working with people, to help them grow and excel. When you put such a group of motivated people together with a common goal, the technological advancement you can achieve is unlimited.
It’s not just a job, it’s a group of friends who are driven and motivated to learn new things, enhance their skills, embrace challenges, and make a positive difference in the world. We like the work we do; we like the people we work with, and we strive for excellence. An environment like that is empowering, and with that drive you can achieve anything. Oh, and there’s coffee, beer, pizza, and burgers!
I’m part of a team that’s building a React component framework for internal usage at Sine. All our software products use this shared framework to ensure ease of development and beautifully consistent product interfaces. It means our developers don’t have to spend time thinking about how to make things look and feel, they simply use the pre-built components which have been designed with a great user experience in mind.
I’m also an investor, so Livewire Markets is one of my favourite reads. Aside from all the investing news, tips and learning, it also keeps me up to date with the big picture world of technologies. It’s good to see who the big players are, where they are putting their funds and which technologies they are focused on developing.
For me, growth. I’m always looking at how I can improve, get better and what I do and how to make a positive impact both in the business and the world. Sine has provided me with the perfect environment to actively learn from a wide range of people and their skills. What’s even better is that I haven’t yet come across an “end” to that road. This learning and growth opportunity is perpetual and ongoing, and I’m very excited for how things will unfold and grow over the years.
The documentation of whatever area you decide to dabble or specialise in. If you want to be good at what you do, you need to put in the work and read the official docs of the language or framework or tools that you use. Stackoverflow or blog articles are good for problem solving, but they won’t teach you the best practice or inner details of things. Taking the time to read and understand the inner workings of your subject matter is what transforms you into an industry professional.
If you’re presented with the opportunity, say yes, then figure out how to achieve it. If you don’t know how, do the research, and figure out how. Be inquisitive and go down the rabbit hole. Google is your all-knowing friend; ask it any question you need an answer to. The best way to excel is to pick a topic that interests you and learn by doing. Actively engaging in structural projects, whether your own or someone else’s, will accelerate your capabilities.
Every now and then, we’ll have cool events like LAN parties. The most recent LAN party saw about 25 of us gaming together in the office for hours. It’s great for team building, relaxing and just a good time! But my favourite events are the little things we do at work regularly; the pizza or BBQ lunches every few weeks, popping off to the pub as a group for a feed once every week or fortnight, grabbing a coffee with a colleague and chatting about literally anything for half an hour. These are the things that make me happy and bring us all together.
I tend to be interested in anything and everything, so I keep trying new things. But one constant is music; I listen to it without end, like a permanent life soundtrack. To keep fit, I go to the gym and also play field hockey in the winter seasons. I’ve also recently been finding pleasure in computer gaming (RTS games!), success-orientated podcasts, the occasional Netflix show, meditation, and learning more about business economics and entrepreneurship.
Does the Sine team sound like something you'd like to be a part of? We're hiring!
