Honeywell

Meet Sophie Vingerhoets, a Graduate Project Engineer of Honeywell Process Solutions

How long have you been working for Honeywell?

Almost 2 Years

What does your job entail and why do you love working at Honeywell?

I am in the Honeywell Process Solutions Projects Team so my day to day is working with our Experion System to implement project for customers. I love working at Honeywell because there is so much to learn in so many different fields and so many opportunities to learn. That combined with a supportive team makes it a great organization to start a career in.

What do you think helped you get so far in your career?

I am only at the very start of my career, hopefully the start of a very long career. But from what I can see in the team around me it is passion to learn and to understand the customers needs that really helps you grow in the organization.

What advice would you give young people about pursuing a career?

I would tell young people to not settle for a career and push themselves. I think the next few decades will be a real turning point in our economy and lifestyle so it will be great to have young people out there who are passionate and critical thinkers that can shape Australia's future.

How do you see Inclusion & Diversity in Honeywell?

I really value Honeywell's Inclusion & Diversity. It is the reason I wanted to work at Honeywell as they were noted as a great workplace for women. I love the work Honeywell does to connect women across the organization and the work Honeywell does in terms of our IPP.

What programs does Honeywell have in place to support Inclusion & Diversity?

Honeywell has great initiatives such as WE Connect to link up women across Honeywell and provide learning opportunities. Honeywell also has great involvement for NADOIC week Wear it Purple day and in school events such as SPARKs and women in Engineering university events that speaks volumes for Honeywell's drive for diversity.

What is the most valuable aspect of working in a diverse and inclusive environment?

I think the more diverse our workplace the better and more well rounded our products, services and developments will be. I think the key to success is having that inclusion of all mindsets as it is the collective thinking and ideas that makes the best developments.

Do you feel Inclusion & Diversity important at workplace and why?

Inclusion & Diversity is critical in our organization and across all organizations as it leads to the development of products, services and policies that work for all members of our society and will lead to a better future.

Is there a quote that motivates you?

Not so much of a quote, but in my first month at Honeywell I was lucky enough to attend a Women in Engineering Event with Turia Pitt as the guest speaker. As part of her presentation she talked about how seatbelts were originally designed and tested for the typical male as it was designed by men and as a result there was a higher rate of female deaths in crashes. There was a similar statistic about Panadol dosages. It brought to light very clearly the need for diversity in workplaces and how we need people of all walks of life to be involved in the design of our future to make sure it fits for everybody.

Tell us about an influential woman in your life or workplace who inspires you a lot.

I am very lucky to be surrounded by amazing and talented women in my team at work as well as in my day to day life. I am lucky enough to have a female manager, and it has been a really fantastic experience not only to have someone to look up who is amazing at what they do but also to have a manager who has an insight into the female working style and can provide advise to adapt this working style. Having such a direct female influence on my career has helped me immensely in my career progression.

Honeywell

Daniel Sanchez joined the Honeywell Graduate Program as a Sales Engineer in 2019 and less than 3 years later he sits as an Account Manager for Honeywell’s Justice and Corrections portfolio.

As a bright-eyed Graduate, Daniel Sanchez recognised the amazing opportunity that Honeywell’s graduate program would provide him, “there is a lot of opportunities to move throughout the business units and locations.” Honeywell is a global company” with “a great reputation,” focused on “sustainability and working with cutting edge technology which I liked.” “The work you do at Honeywell has a real impact on people and the world.”

Daniel completed a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Honours) from RMIT and joined the graduate program in 2019. He has always been drawn to Engineering for its “problem-solving, collaborative nature” and its “practical application.”

The program enabled him to upskill into the Mechanical and Electrical Building technology industry. Daniel describes how as a grad, Honeywell provided him with an array of opportunities; “you get to work on a lot of different types of projects in different industries like Healthcare, Defence, Commercial and Corrections.”

The “standout” experience for Daniel during his time in the program was the excitement that surrounded “big tender wins” like the new Footscray Hospital. The program also provides incredible opportunities to connect, learn and train with other graduates across Australia & NZ, “the graduate week trip was a fantastic experience.” Daniel led Honeywell’s Graduate Future Shaper challenge where him and his team developed an employee forum focused on sustainability and social engagement.

Post graduate program, Daniel went into Estimations, “I continued as an Estimator while looking for the next opportunity and putting my hand up everywhere I could. I had a fantastic opportunity to assist within our Corrections vertical supporting our site teams and working closely with our local Account Managers and Business Consultants… I received valuable experience and built the confidence to apply for my current role."

Daniel advises all new graduates starting their career at Honeywell to “take every opportunity.” “Don’t be afraid to challenge how things are done,” “find better ways to do it.” He advises all applicants and those thinking about applying for Honeywell’s program to “research, reach out to people and find out if Honeywell aligns with you and your values. Keep in mind that there are a lot of ways to get where you want to go.”

His advice to everyone? “Be active and work hard…rest, recharge and look after yourself.”

Daniel has recently been promoted into an Account Manager role just three years into his career. As an Account Manager for Honeywell’s Justice and Corrections portfolio in Victoria, Daniel works with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. He ensures that sites are operating “effectively and efficiently.” Additionally, he manages the relationships between Honeywell and Justice and Corrections customers, working collaboratively to “develop a strategy to expand Honeywell’s market share.”

When asked what helped him achieve such a senior position so early on in his career, Daniel attributes his learnings and experiences during his time in the graduate program and the “relationships” he has built during his time at Honeywell and his “willingness” to put his hand up, to “step up and help” whenever he can. His “support networks” both within and outside of Honeywell have been integral to his success, “no one gets anywhere alone.”

Daniel is “excited to get into the strategy aspect” of his new role, “to work with technology, fix problems and find better ways to leverage the skills and experiences” of his team.

Daniel also acknowledges how operating through the COVID-19 pandemic has been a big achievement in itself; “unprecedented times with more problems to solve every day.”

Motivated by the prospect of creating a workspace that is “engaging and different,” Daniel is inspired to make an impact; to create a life “where I can do the things I love and things I’ve never done before.” “New responsibilities are always exciting and slightly scary however I think I just love a challenge.”

Daniel Sanchez encapsulates what it truly means to be a FutureShaper, constantly learning and evolving; “there are still so many areas of the industry I haven't been fully exposed to and I’ll always be looking for the right opportunity to keep learning.”

Honeywell

“I strongly encourage any other young females who share similar interests in areas like electronics or general technology to pursue a career in the security industry and with Honeywell.”

Meet Izzy - an Apprentice at Honeywell Building Technologies

Izzy White has always been interested in technology and electronics, and from a very young age she was inspired to build a strong career in the tech field.

From Queanbeyan NSW, Izzy is based in Canberra and is completing a Cert III in Electronics and Technology. She joined the Honeywell Apprenticeship Program this year, working on various sites to upgrade security systems and has settled into her role and team very quickly and adding extraordinary value to the business.

A curious individual who prides herself as being both a visual and technical thinker, Izzy is a team player who loves to learn and work with likeminded people.

Throughout high school Izzy was determined to find a full-time career in the tech industry, “whether that be ICT, graphic or interface design, or programming.” Figuring out what path to go down can be an overwhelming experience for graduates. Izzy was drawn to Honeywell’s Apprenticeship Program and the ability it gave her to work both hands-on and computed based. An apprenticeship in Electronics and Technology was “a perfect fit.”

Izzy’s days are varied – she is either at the office to complete work from her desktop, travelling to meet a technician on site to “complete tasks like maintenance” or heading out for “smaller call-outs for technical assistance with our security systems.” She finds it most exciting when she is involved in “site drawings” and assisting “technicians with their maintenance and commissioning work.”

When she’s not at work she enjoys playing video games, spending time with close friends and her two dogs.

As a woman in a male dominated industry, Izzy was initially overwhelmed to start as the only female apprentice amongst her branch but found it “increasingly easy to grow comfortable with everyone” she worked with. She did not feel that she was “treated any different to anyone else, making the team much easier to grow into.”

Izzy feels empowered by her work and passions, and the way she can share her ideas and represent her interests with the support from colleagues and Honeywell.

“Since the start of my experience with Honeywell, I have enjoyed transitioning into the team and beginning the learning process of my apprenticeship. Honeywell has provided a lot of support to help me start this journey and I am highly appreciative of this, making every step of my new career easy, comfortable, and successful.”

Izzy “strongly encourages any other young females who share similar interests in areas like electronics or general technology to pursue a career in the security industry or with Honeywell as a company. The opportunities that are given solely by Honeywell are extremely valuable and would undoubtedly support any other paths within these industries to suit any needs for a successful full-time career.”

Her career has only just begun but she is eager to complete her apprenticeship and gain her security licenses to become a qualified technician.

Izzy is focused on building her career with Honeywell and is ready for “whatever the future brings.”