Marjorie De Schepper
On the occasion of DrupalCamp we sit down with Steven Van den Hout, one of our most experienced Drupaldudes. In an in-depth conversation he testifies about himself, working at Calibrate, his love affair with Drupal and true happiness!
Who is Steven?
In a few words: web-enthusiast at Calibrate, beer lover and hobby brewer, bedroom guitarist.
Can you summarize your career at Calibrate for us?
I have been working at Calibrate since 2009. In those seven years, I've seen Calibrate grow from a small company focusing on Drupal to a 360° web agency. We started with Drupal, then expanded with DevOps, to eventually add SEO, UX Design, etc. to our offer. Despite this evolution, we have continued to work efficiently, flexibly, scalably, but above all pragmatically.
My own knowledge and personality could grow proportionally with Calibrate. And the more knowledge I have, the more value I can share, and let that be true happiness.
Why would anyone want to work at Calibrate?
There is a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere here, in which I like to work. Moreover, you often get the opportunity to do research and polish your knowledge in an area of your choice. Whether it concerns People, Projects or Pintjes (the 3 p's of Calibrate, n.v.d.r.), we respect each other's weak points and strengthen the strong ones. It is an often used cliché, but with us everyone is equal and everyone contributes his own bit within a project. Our stop word? Pragmatic.
Why are you such a Drupal fan?
The strength of the system is, in my view, the main reason. And also how to intervene at any moment, to react to the context that is relevant at that moment. Every pebble along the road, every brick in the wall, every spoke of the bicycle can be adapted to be used optimally. Not only in function of the project, but also of the customer, the visitor, the future, you name it.
Who are you in the Drupal community?
I don't make as much time to contribute as I would like, but I like to go to the community events. I am always present at DrupalCamp and DrupalCon (Amsterdam, Austin, Prague, Munich and London). I also like to give presentations at these community events, if I think I have something to contribute.
What has Calibrate already meant for Drupal and vice versa?
On the one hand, with Calibrate, we have already given many Drupal training courses, organised and supported events (such as DrupalCamp, DrupalCon, etc.). On the other hand, we have also contributed a lot of code and one of our colleagues plays an important role within the international Drupal Security Team. On the other hand, Drupal is the giant on whose shoulders we are allowed to stand, a killer product. As a CMS, Drupal offers the flexibility that Calibrate offers as an employer: very appropriate.
