IT suits me surprisingly well
After a couple of years, however, she felt it was time for something different. “My friends said ‘why don't you go into IT? Get retrained as a programmer’. At first, I thought it would not be my thing, but after a few courses in html, javascript, Java, and .NET, I was hooked!
Through a secondment, I was able to follow a Java traineeship and was introduced to ICT Group, where I started as a software engineer for Managed Services three years ago. I am not the only one who ended up here after a career switch by the way. One colleague of mine studied history, another biology, and the third went to business school. So you do not necessarily have to have an IT background to do this work. It is more important that you have a feeling for IT and that you like working proactively to find solutions.”
Nothing is as varied as management
As a software engineer for Managed Services, you manage the applications of your clients. “I work for Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam, the largest container terminal operator in the Rotterdam port. The ‘HR application’ MyECT and the messaging application CID are two important applications that I manage. Department-wide, we are responsible for about 30 applications, and we all need to know enough about them to keep them up and running and improve them. That means that you are dealing with many different technologies.”
No two days are the same
“My work is more than just solving incidents. I assess small and medium-sized changes and implement them with our team. For larger changes or completely new applications, we make up a separate project team and I lead those teams. I am the bridge between the team and the client. I make sure the client's wishes are implemented in the project and pass their feedback on to the team. Contact and communication with clients is an important part of my job. This is something I like doing. Thinking along about solutions, translating the functional need to technology, daily communication with clients, creating links between people, actively informing colleagues. No two days are the same. That makes it so exciting!”
“I am always looking for a problem that is not yet a problem.”
Keep innovating
When she started her IT career, Linda wanted to be a web developer. But she finds that her current work for Managed Services is much more challenging. ”In my job, I encounter all aspects of IT. I do not only improve applications, but also fulfil the role of counsellor. We look at what clients really need. How we can improve their business processes. I offer my own ideas. To do that, you have to keep up with the technology, to be able to play with it, innovate, and give advice about new solutions. You take a proactive approach to things. I always look for a problem that is not yet a problem. When I see something odd in the logging or in our monitoring screens, for instance, I look into the code, collect information, and discuss this with the client. Very nice work to do.”
Why ICT Group
From school social worker to software engineer is a big step, but it is very rewarding. ”I feel completely at home here. Investigating, thinking, advising, communicating, working together in a team, my job has all of it. I can pour all of my creativity into it. I learn a lot on the job, especially with all the technology that we apply here. And because ICT Group is a large company, you get enough space to develop yourself. First, I will get more training in Azure and cloud solutions. And, also not unimportant, both the terms of employment and the fringe benefits are excellent at ICT Group.”