Our dedicated Reinier de Graaf has become an indispensable asset at IMAGEM over the past few years. What began as an internship quickly evolved into an impressive career, during which he progressed from support to presales and now successfully serves as a project manager for various projects. Reinier is someone who always strives for perfection and uses his expertise to elevate the quality of our projects to a higher level. His journey at IMAGEM to his dedication and a constant drive to grow. We asked him about his personal perspective on his time at IMAGEM; read on to get to know him.
The teams I get to work with always bring a fresh dynamic to the table, which naturally makes the free lunch we get every day even more enjoyable. That’s really nice, too.
— Reinier de Graaf, Geospatial Solutions Specialist
Please describe your job.
It’s a mix of different tasks. I started as an intern, moved from support to presales, and now work as a project manager on a range of different projects. On the website, I’m listed as a Geospatial Solutions Specialist, but I’m still responsible for some of the tasks I handled before taking on this role.
What is your background?
Where should I start? Basically, after finishing high school, I went on to get my master’s degree in social geography. The thing is, I had to complete a university-level program first. And after my first year of my bachelor’s, I had the choice between social geography and urban planning. So I chose social geography and then did a master’s at GIMA. In my experience, that was practically a self-study program where, out of two years of study, I only had actual contact with my professors for one year.
What do you like about working here?
The variety of tasks—there are so many different things to do. The teams I get to work with always bring a fresh dynamic, which naturally makes the free lunch we get every day even more enjoyable. That’s really nice, too.
What are your fondest memories with the team?
The fact that I was treated like a full-fledged employee during my internship. That was really nice and helped me decide to stay here. Oh, and of course the beer tasting during a team outing to the Dutch Open Air Museum in Arnhem!
What attracted you to this job?
Well, actually, that’s exactly what happened: I sent an email to DotkaData for my internship. They were still on an old list of companies where you could apply for an internship, and I went through that list. I had written my thesis on visual material, and I saw that they were working with Erdas at Dotka. So I just sent an email and, surprisingly enough, received an invitation to join IMAGEM.
What's your favorite project right now?
The second project we're currently working on with the City of Utrecht. We're building a 3D digital twin of the entire city. It's really fun to work on, and there's so much to learn because we get to try new things.
What achievements are you most proud of?
To be completely honest, I’m not really proud of my achievements, because I’m always looking ahead to how I can do even better next time. But if I had to name one thing, I’d say that I do find it special how my internship project has grown into OnePort. Of course, I’m critical of how my internship could have gone better, but I do think it’s pretty special that we managed to make that happen step by step with the whole team.
Who on the team would you like to switch jobs with?
No one? I wouldn't want to work in sales or be the boss anyway. Well, maybe in 15 years? But I really think the direction I'm heading in right now suits me well. I want to keep exploring, keep growing, and take on new challenges.
What was the first thing you learned at the company?
Ask for help early on. Too often and for too long, I kept pushing through even when I was really stuck. That happened regularly during my internship, back when Arjen was still helping me as my supervisor. I wanted to figure things out on my own, even though I had too little time and tight deadlines. It wasn’t as flexible as what I’d experienced in school.
What three words would you use to describe your job?
Diverse, challenging, creative.
If you could change one thing about the company, what would it be?
The get-together should be on Monday, but preferably on Friday.
Who was your first desk mate? And who is it now?
Arjen, I sat next to him for a long time, mainly because of my internship. Then Arjen moved because it made more sense for him to sit with other team members. Now I actually sit with Kevin S. and Sonny. It’s really nice sitting with them, and we laugh a lot at each other’s jokes. It’s just great.
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I used to want to be a car designer. That was really my dream job. But my art teacher in high school told me not to.
Is there anything else you'd like to say?
No.
