‘I’ve been able to take big steps quickly’

“There’s no single ‘ideal’ business analyst at Capgemini. I’m a good example of that. Some of us have more of an IT background, while others come from the business side. I’m one of the latter group. IT is involved in almost every change in the financial sector, but you don’t need a technical background to give good advice. Our strength lies in bringing in the right people with the right knowledge.”

“At the moment, I’m helping ING to speed up the processing of payment reports to customers. The bank’s different systems are compatible with each other, however thesystems need time to confirm payments. Every minute counts for an entrepreneur, for example: sometimes a cargo ship is loaded and ready to sail, but they’re still waiting for the payment confirmation. Together with ING, we’re looking at ways to organise the IT landscape so that the payment and confirmation are processed quickly.”

“We’re currently in the first phase of the assignment. As a Customer Journey Expert, I identify the customer demand and process for payment confirmations, so that I can improve the customer experience together with architects and feature engineers. Followed by setting the priorities for the different stories in my role as product owner, so that the software engineers in Manilla and India can build the IT products. We monitor the progress via the Agile way of working: I prioritise and make changes as needed. It’s a continual loop.”

“I’ve been able to take big steps quickly; something that Capgemini encourages. During the onboarding, they make it immediately clear how your career path can look like, which skills you need, and who can help you. There is a huge selection of training courses available. How many have I completed? I’ve lost count: from change management, problem analysis, consultancy skills and Prince 2 to Agile. I’ve also attended intensive training programs at the Capgemini Campus Les Fontaines in France and a training camp in India, on how to deal with resistance, how to present proposals to customers, and how to improve international collaboration. Capgemini has a lot of training programmes you can join.”

“My next career step is to become a Managing Consultant. In that position, I’ll help other colleagues grow in their careers. Your development at Capgemini progresses in phases: the company invests a lot in you at first. Then the farther you climb, the more you give back. It’s a great system, where you help your colleagues in their development while growing quickly yourself. At the moment, I’m working on the programme for future Managing Consultants.”

“My colleagues make my work extra enjoyable. We don’t get to see each other very often, but we have a strong collaboration. Everyone helps each other, and they’re always there when you need them. There are often several other colleagues working for the same client, so we like to eat lunch together. We also see each other at work-related events. For example, I give training courses on knowledge I’ve gained from client assignments, like payments. We have dinner together first, then enjoy some drinks afterwards. Capgemini also has its own boat on King’s Day, we meet for drinks at the Amsterdam beach, we go go-kart racing, etcetera. It’s really nice to be able to talk with my colleagues in this fun form.”

“I’ve noticed that a lot of new colleagues might be insecure or dazzled by the Capgemini name and the clients we work for. ‘Can I handle that responsibility?’, they wonder. I understand that fear, because I felt it myself at first. My advice is to not let it hold you back. You do have something to contribute. An outside perspective is invaluable for clients. You’ll gain an understanding of the situation rapidly by talking with your stakeholders. My experience proves it: you don’t have to know everything in advance.”