Why Tim chose a career in IT consultancy

Who's Tim?

“I’m Tim Simon, I’m from Germany but now living and working in the Netherlands. I moved to Utrecht 3 years ago, which is when I joined Plat4mation. I’ve got a master in IT for Business. I did what they called dual studies (work & study), so my first real job was at T-Systems, a big telecommunications provider in Germany. Once I graduated, I worked at an IT consulting company for a year. This firm was totally focused on quality assurance and testing, which I found utterly boring! So, I quit my job and traveled the world for a year (Bali, Australia, New Zealand, US, South America). When I got back, me and my girlfriend settled in the Netherlands. In my spare time I like to go on city trips or travel to other continents like Asia and America to explore new cultures. I also love sports like squash, running and soccer.”

How did you know a job in IT consultancy would suit you?

“A job as IT Consultant allows you to work with different customers, companies and industries. This is something I really like. I work on different projects simultaneously. For IT consulting, you also need to be a real people person. Since I easily get along with different types of people, collaboration comes naturally. The challenge I enjoy the most in my role is acting as the translator between the customer and technical people.”

Why did you choose Plat4mation as an employer to jump-start your career?

“When I was applying for a job, I got an offer from a bigger consultancy firm. In parallel, I also had interviews with Plat4mation. Though the offer from the bigger consultancy firm was financially more attractive, becoming part of a smaller company where things are more flexible, you feel more rewarded and have better growth opportunities sounded more attractive to me. And I couldn’t have made a better choice to be honest! My final interview at the office gave me the last push. I got a glimpse of Plat4mation’s fun culture and it left me with a great impression of what kind of people I would be working with. I also really liked the vibe and the office. The impression I got from the website and social media got confirmed in real life there and then. They are who they say they are.”

Why work with ServiceNow?

“I never heard of ServiceNow before! I did know what Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) was though. What I love about the ServiceNow platform is that its structure is very clear and straightforward and therefore easy to understand when you’re new to ServiceNow. With a platform of this size, there’s also so many opportunities for you to become an expert in a certain domain—from HR to DevOps to facility management.

Furthermore, with ServiceNow you can add value quickly for customers because all functionality is available out-of-the-box. That makes implementation projects short and rewarding for both parties. The platform also allows custom application development—which is my domain!—and it’s great to see more and more customers discover its added value. I get to realize really unique use cases at Plat4mation while leaving all out-of-the-box functionality intact.”

What (soft) skills do you need in IT consultancy and how did you acquire these skills?

“Clear communication with clients at the right frequency is very important in IT consulting. I learnt this on the job and in various soft skill trainings you can follow via the Plat4mation Academy. Planning your own work, managing multiple projects and time management are also essential skills. And then there’s the skill of saying no to clients! Some clients are set in their own ways and need convincing that our approach is best. But I take that challenge head on every time, and usually succeed!

As you work in teams, you also definitely need to be a team player, a skill I learnt during my dual studies. Recently, I moved into a leadership role. This requires a different set of skills altogether. I am now tasked with motivating my team, finding out how I get the best out of everyone, build strong relationships with all team members and connect on a regular basis. I really like that.”

What do you love most about your job in IT consultancy?

“The ability to do new projects and take on different roles on a regular basis. I constantly get challenged to be in situations out of my comfort zone. I love that. Recently, I accepted a Capability and Work Stream Lead role. The level of responsibility and trust I get to take these roles is great. And there’s always someone that helps me back up in case I fall.

What I love most about working at Plat4mation? It’s a real fun and energetic bunch of people to be around. We have a lot of fun at work but also outside of work. It’s easy to make friends here. People are also generally highly skilled, so great to work with.”

Is there anything you don’t like about your job as IT consultant?

“Sometimes, time management can get tricky. When you get into a squeeze, it can get stressful. As much as I love to say yes to new things, sometimes I even have to say no because there’s no time. If I ever get to deal with difficult customers? Yes, of course. But the trick is to manage the customer, and not the other way round!”

What is your ultimate tip for advancing your career in IT?

“Dare to grab responsibility and jump into situations that you’d probably think would be too challenging. The key is to ask for help when you’re struggling. Like, hey, I’m lost here, and I need help. At Plat4mation, that helping hand is always near and everyone pitches in to help others.”

Why would you recommend starting your IT career at Plat4mation?

“There’s lots of opportunity to grow. If you’re willing to take responsibility, your learning curve is steep, and you can take big career steps in a short amount of time. Their learning environment is very well organized with a good mix of soft skill trainings combined with the technical ServiceNow trainings. They really train you to do the best job possible.

And then there’s the people at Plat4mation. They’re fun and energetic, and just great people to be around. They organize fun social events often and people don’t take themselves too seriously, hahaha! What I mean by that is that they’re not only focused on their career. It’s not a competitive work environment but a team player one.”

If you’d like to know more about life as IT Consultant at Plat4mation, feel free to connect with Tim on LinkedIn!