Jarno Bakker began his career at Comrads during his studies, as a part-time developer. What a DAM system was? He had no idea. Since then, Jarno has been working full-time at Comrads and has been promoted to lead developer. In this blog, Jarno explains the added value of a DAM system and what makes working at Comrads so much fun.

Contribute to the success of the company

During my studies, I was looking for a part-time job. I was faced with the choice between a large company and Comrads. I immediately had a good feeling about Comrads. It is less massive here, there is a friendly atmosphere and you are really involved in everything that happens. You feel that you make a valuable contribution to the success of the company. In larger companies you are often more of a number, while at Comrads you get space to contribute your creativity to the technical solutions we make. I chose Comrads. After I graduated, I started working here full-time. I am now well into my fourth year, which is quite long these days. I see many of my peers job hopping, so apparently I made a good choice.

Lead developer

I started at Comrads as a developer. When the lead developer left, it seemed like an interesting challenge. It is, but it took some getting used to. Suddenly your job is about more than just development. Now I am also responsible for planning. I take into account the direction we want to take as a company, and at the same time I have to be mindful of the wishes and needs of the other developers. After all, it is important to create space for projects they would like to do and the direction in which they would like to develop.

False start

My adventure at Comrads began in March 2020, two weeks before lockdown. Not the most sociable time to start. We all worked from home and kept in touch via online meetings. Still, all sorts of things were done to keep the mutual connection alive. For example, we did a digital escaperoom to strengthen team spirit. Great fun, but not comparable to the trips we later took to cities like Paris and Berlin. Surely nothing can compete with that.

Compact team

As for the work itself, I feel very much in place. Because we work with a compact team, it is easy to know what everyone is doing. The flat structure contributes to this; everyone knows where to find each other when necessary. Precisely because the team is not so big, I feel I talk to everyone every day, even when we work from home.

A free web store for digital files

What is special is that until my job interview, I had never heard of DAM. At first I thought it was a kind of database where you store files, a kind of glorified Google Drive. But gradually I discovered that it encompasses much more than that. For example, our DAM system has all sorts of handy search options that allow you to work very efficiently. It feels a bit like an online store for digital files. The advanced rights management with automatic workflows makes it very easy for photographers and other content creators, for example, to easily add files. It really is a complete tool that offers much more than I expected.

Not a long-term planner

When Sebastian asked me during the job interview how I saw my future, I indicated that I thought it would be nice to have my own business. But for now I'm still here, so whether that will come about, I don't know. When it comes to our technical projects, I'm very good at making long-term plans, but in my own life I'll see how it goes.

Laying floors

When I'm not at work, I like to ride motorcycles. Nice touring after work, weather permitting. I also recently moved into my own house, so I was in the middle of moving for a while. That meant putting a lot of time and energy into laying floors and all kinds of other chores. I'm glad that peace has returned and I can finally focus on my other hobby: playing guitar.

Curious?

Want to learn more about the benefits of Digital Asset Management? Then download our DAM guide. Immediately discover how Comrads can help your brand? Then request a no-obligation demo right away. We like to think along with you. Now and in the future.