Everyday Engineer – E&I Technician Marco Gonçalves Shares His Story
18 months into his first role with InAxtion, electrical and instrumentation (E&I) technician, Marco Gonçalves, shares his experience of working on the Dutch oil refineries. With more than 20 years in the field, Marco’s completed projects in different countries, but how does the Netherlands compare, and what’s his experience been like so far? Let’s find out.
What brought you to the Netherlands, and what’s it like?
I'm an E&I technician, originally from Portugal, and I’ve been doing it for 20 years. I’ve worked in a few countries, so I decided to come to the Netherlands to try it. The people here are nice, and it's good to be here!
I found InAxtion on LinkedIn, and my coordinator suggested this role. I like it. As part of my role, I perform maintenance tests and calibration on-site . My duties cover both projects and day-to-day maintenance. Every day is different.
Can you describe a typical working day?
I wake up early. I start work at seven, so I leave the house at 6:15 am and work until around 3:45 pm. Sometimes if we finish the job early, we can leave early.
Each day starts in the maintenance room, where we wait for the permit orders. We never know exactly what we’ll be doing each day. It’s never the same. We have a clocking-in system, and we use a pass to register our hours.
Because it’s the petrochemical industry, we have to work in pairs. If we need to travel between sites, then we usually go by bike – unless it is close enough to walk. If the weather is bad – such as high-velocity wind, or snow – then we cannot travel. In those circumstances, we stay in the workshop and do preparatory work for cabinets and cables.
In general, it’s technical work, but the team makes it easy. We have a supervisor and other people around. Everybody on the team helps each other.
How have you adjusted to life in the Netherlands?
To begin with, it was a bit of a culture shock. But after a few months, you settle in. My accommodation is good. InAxtion helped me to get set up here. There’s a shop and a gym not far from my door. There’s a bar here also, so I can have a social life. I also have a car to drive to work. The site is about 25 kilometers away – so just a 30-minute drive.
In my workplace, there are a lot of different people from a lot of different countries including Romania, Poland, and Portugal. I’ve tried to learn the Dutch language, but it’s difficult. Luckily, most people speak English, so communication has been easy. Right now, my team is mostly made up of Portuguese speakers, so communication is even easier.
How has InAxtion helped you?
I've been on the same project for one and a half years now. I get the opportunity to travel home two or three times a year.
My coordinator at InAxtion always asks me if I'm okay. She calls me regularly, and if I need something, she helps me out. The thing is, here in a new country, you don't have family or friends. She's the link. It’s a cold country, but they have warm people!
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