Like everyone at Optis, I’m a full-time project consultant. When I arrive at the client’s office, my day starts by checking the Jira board on which all our to-do's are summarised. There’s a daily stand-up meeting in which we discuss the tasks at hand and possible issues. Every few weeks we also conduct a sprint meeting to check what needs to be developed next. I’m there to make sure users and stakeholders and their wishes are kept in mind. As you might’ve noticed, we apply a very agile way of working!

The thing that makes my job different from others is that Optis offers us the freedom to shape our career. You get training budget and are free to choose how you spend it. There are more typical trainings but also conferences, which I thoroughly enjoy! The technology I work with most is Java so it’s certainly worthwhile to go to summits like Devoxx where Java in all its facets is discussed. That way I never lose touch with the newest developments.

Talking about knowledge: at Optis we emphasize knowledge sharing more than you’d think. Every month, for example, we organise in-house tech talks where someone within the team shares their know-how on a specific topic.There’s an interesting mix of profiles in our team and everyone has their own specialty, so we keep learning from each other. In fact, you need to be eager to keep learning in this environment. That’s what’ll make the dream work.

The ‘tricky’ part about the job is that you truly need to keep an open mind. There are multiple parties to consider, which is why your soft and social skills should be ‘on point’. You’re often required to take on tasks from different projects at once as a technical architect, so you’re expected to have basic knowledge of many technologies. That way, you’re able to guide others in the best way possible.

In addition, you need to remember to think outside the box. You can’t expect the same method to work on all problems and you need to be prepared to adapt your style occasionally. You must maintain a helicopter view that ensures the success of every project, using a result-oriented mindset and strong analytical skills. Finally, I think it’s important to consider that you have to write technical documentation in order to help developers go about things the right way.

The job probably seems quite demanding but despite all the responsibilities I always feel supported by Optis and the great teams we workin. Don’t be shy to ask me questions regarding the job if you still have any, I’d be glad to talk to you!