On February 22, 2022 we are joining the VEK Career Day in Ghent. We are already looking forward to that! Last year, we met Jana at this event. After a pleasant conversation, she decided to join Itineris as a Functional Analyst.

Time to catch up with her! Curious about her story? Then be sure to read on!

That’s right indeed. Time flies when you are having fun! ?

Well, last year, the VEK Career Day was completely virtual due to Corona. When I was going through the different online company profiles, I suddenly got a message from Kris Lenssens, a member of Itineris’ Talent Acquisition Team. He invited me for an informal chat. In his message, he mentioned the international projects Itineris is working on, and that caught my attention. I had never heard of Itineris before but decided to accept the invitation. I have not regretted that for a second! I spent at least an hour talking to Kris about the job content and the company culture, and I was immediately hooked. A few weeks later, I joined a Mix & Mingle Night organized by Itineris, where I met some other members of the team. After that, I was completely sure: Itineris would be my first employer!

Yes, absolutely! The atmosphere at Itineris is really great: everyone is friendly and there is always room for an informal chat at the coffee machine. We also regularly go out for lunch or dinner together with the team, which helps to get to know your colleagues in a different way.

Recently, the company also introduced People Leaders. They look after employee wellbeing and help you develop your talents. I recently had a first check-in with my People Leader. During that conversation, I could talk very openly about what energizes me, what I like less and how I see myself evolving. This is a very accessible way of raising concerns, without having to go straight to HR. And it is not just a chat – my input is really taken into account.

Of course! I am currently working as a Functional Analyst on our UMAX software solution. I am part of the Business Unit that serves our customers in North America. This is an ideal way for me to get to know the many possibilities of UMAX.

When one of our North American customers submits a request, we always consider whether this can be rolled out at product level, so that other customers can also benefit from it. Before we start developing a new feature, we first clearly describe what changes need to be made in our system. Sometimes, I need to help our Test Consultants out to test these changes and to report our findings. From time to time, I can also join meetings with the customer. That’s something I enjoy very much and would like to do more in the future.

Yes, I do! We are a team of seven, a nice mix of functional profiles, testers and developers. I really enjoy working in such a diverse team. During our daily team meeting, we all give a short update on our activities. That is a great way to learn what everyone is doing.

Yes, and that’s what I like so much about it! I have never had to do anything twice in one day. I have learned so much in the past six months, and there are many aspects of our UMAX solution that I can still discover. That makes it so exciting. On top of that, the Utility sector is going through a major transformation. I had never thought I would find it so fascinating to be able to follow that closely.

Yes, absolutely! Everyone who starts at Itineris is assigned a buddy who shows you around the company and who can help you with all aspects besides work. In addition, each starter has a coach. This is someone who is part of your team and helps you with all work-related questions. After six months, I still have weekly check-ins with my coach, and she regularly asks me how I am doing. I can always reach out to her with all my questions. It’s really nice that everyone is so accessible.

Yes, Itineris offers a three-week onboarding program for all starters. Through a wide range of training sessions, starters are introduced to the company, the UMAX software and the Utilities market. This is not only a good way to learn, but also an ideal way to get to know the other starters. By being so close together during these three weeks, we have become real friends. We have a WhatsApp group, and we still regularly meet up with everyone.

What has helped me a lot is that I have been open to different jobs and companies. I did not contact any company that was the same. That way you can better feel what you like and what you don’t like, and you get to know different company cultures. It is important to find a job and a company that you feel comfortable with and where you can develop your talent.