I am Shaquille Oatmeal (redacted), 26 years old, living in the Netherlands and father to a wonderful two-year-old son.
I enjoy many hobbies, but the ones that consume most of my time are:
- Hiking
- Streaming series
- My homelab
- Coffee
My homelab and my career pushed me toward self-hosting Obsidian and using it as my Second Brain. I realized that I was keeping everything in my head — every server configuration, every boolean in my .env files to keep containers running, every approach to control and process logic for my work in automation. None of it was written down.
It was time to offload my mind and finally document everything. If others benefit from my Second Brain garden along the way, even better — that’s exactly why I publish it. Sharing knowledge is essential to our civilization; without it, what we know eventually fades away.
Career
I am a software engineer specialising in industrial automation, large-scale control systems, and OT/IT integration.
My work spans engineering, SCADA development, control room operations, and digital infrastructure.
Career Timeline
2025 April – Present — Software Engineer (Industrial automation/System integration)
Working on industrial automation projects across multiple sectors, focusing on control logic, OT systems, and integration.
2023 – Present — General Board Member & IT Lead of a youth foundation
Managing digital strategy, infrastructure, technical direction and organisational IT.
2022 – Present — Co-Founder of a Youth foundation
Co-founded a youth-focused foundation to drive awareness, empowerment, and social impact.
2022 – 2025 — Software Engineer (Industrial automation/System integration)
Developed automation software, SCADA configurations, and operational tooling.
2020 – 2022 — Junior Control Room Engineer
Monitored turbine operations, provided customer support, analysed data, and assisted with performance optimisation.
2018 – 2020 — Automation Internships & Field Roles
Completed several technical internships in hardware, software, electronics, and commissioning.
Detailed Experience
Software Engineering Roles
Software Engineer — 2025 April–Present
Delivering engineering, automation, SCADA and OT/IT systems development.
Software Engineer (Automation) — 2022–2025
- SCADA, PLC, Historian, logic design, and commissioning
- Technologies: PCS7, TIA Portal, Rockwell CCW, WinCC, Historian, MOXA, Wonderware
- Supported projects in chemical, energy, and infrastructure sectors
Junior Control Room Engineer — 2020–2022
- Wind turbine fleet monitoring
- Operational analytics
- Customer communication and remote diagnostics
- Commissioning support worldwide
Youth Foundation Work
A youth foundation — Board Member & IT Lead — 2023–Present
- Full IT responsibility
- Website, apps, cloud, internal digital systems
- Content creation & organisational strategy
A youth foundation — Co-Founder — 2022–Present
Helped establish the foundation and its mission.
Youth Organisation — Co-Owner & Secretary — 2018–2022
Management, operations, youth coaching, and community work.
Early Internships
Hardware & Software Trainee — 2018–2019
Graduation internship focused on safety logic and software tools.
Hardware Engineer Trainee — 2018
Control panel wiring, test setups, field service.
Construction Trainee — 2017
Industrial construction & mechanical support.
Assistant Electrician Trainee — 2015
Residential electrical systems & installation work.