A day in the life of a Technical Consultant: meet Anthony

DATE

March 15, 2022

About 7 months ago, Anthony James joined our company as a Technical Consultant after he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Applied Computer Sciences at HoGent.

We went to see Anthony and talked about his journey so far, and what he likes most about his job.
Curious about his story? Then be sure to read on!

Hi Anthony! How did you come across Itineris in the first place?

Well, last year I was writing my Bachelor’s thesis about digital disruption in businesses. I had to interview a few companies, and one of them was Itineris. They were so kind to complete my survey. In a follow-up email, they let me know that they were really interested in the subject of my thesis and asked me if I was looking for a job. That’s how the ball got rolling.

What attracted you most to our company?

When talking to Catherine from the Talent Acquisition team, I immediately felt a good click. To me, Itineris was also the perfect size: not too big, to the point it gets impersonal, and not too small either. I wanted to get into a structured work environment, where you know more or less what is expected from you. On top of that, the Itineris software solution, UMAX, sparked my interest. I had never seen software specifically designed for utilities before, and I was very curious to learn more about it.

What would you say your day typically looks like?

As a Technical Consultant, my main task is to implement new functionalities in UMAX. The requirements of new functionalities are described in BLI’s (backlog items). So, I typically start my day with consulting open work items. If there are no open items, I can always fix bugs too. Besides that, I have regular check-ins with our Functional Analysts and Test Consultants. So, there’s always something to do at Itineris 😊.

“I wanted to get into a structured work environment, where you know more or less what is expected from you. On top of that, the Itineris software solution, UMAX, sparked my interest. I had never seen software specifically designed for utilities before, and I was very curious to learn more about it.”

Anthony James,
Technical Consultant, Itineris

Anthony James, Technical Consultant at Itineris

Would you say you were well guided during your start at Itineris?

During my first month at Itineris I was enrolled in a 3-week onboarding program together with other starters. This program really helped me to get familiar with Itineris, UMAX, and the utilities sector. Then the real work began 😉. Whereas the onboarding program consisted of more general training, I now dived deeper into the different aspects related to development. I was very fortunate to have a great coach by my side, Sander, and a buddy, Mathias. Without them, I would never have learned the tricks of the trade so quickly.

How would you describe the atmosphere at Itineris?

The first month was amazing! Our group of starters got along very well. Now, in my team, the atmosphere is great too. After a sprint, we regularly go out for a drink after work. We also do daily stand-ups, where we give our colleagues an update on the projects we are working on. All these activities really enhance the team atmosphere.

What gives you the most satisfaction in your job as a Technical Consultant?

That’s without any doubt the moment when I can demonstrate new functionalities to my colleagues. That really gives me a lot of energy and satisfaction. It also feels good to be able to help further improve UMAX.

Anthony describes himself as a mix of cultures, as he has family in the US, Sierra Leone, Sweden, and the UK. He would love to visit his father’s native country (Sierra Leone) one day. He is now finally making plans to go there together with his dad and his 3 sisters.

Do you feel like you can apply what you have learned during your studies?

Definitely. During my studies, I learned how to develop in a very similar programming language (C#) as we are using at Itineris (X++). I also learned about SQL queries, which I often use in my job too. Besides these hard skills, the soft skills that were taught to me during my studies (such as effective communication, working in an agile way during sprints, etc.) come in handy in my day-to-day job.

Do you have any tips or tricks for graduates looking for their first job?

My first advice would be: don’t postpone your job search too long. The earlier you start looking, the more likely opportunities will come your way. My second advice is: when you start in a new job, take as many notes as possible, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. This will allow you to learn quickly, and to work independently after a short period of time.