Jason Elsocht: from intern to DevOps Engineer in 2 years

We were happy to welcome Jason as an intern at Isabel Group in 2018. In only 2 years he went from software intern to DevOps Engineer. We sat down to have a little chat about his journey at our company so far.

First interview with the whole team

“While looking for an internship, consultancy agency Ausy put me in contact with Kurt Cornelis of Isabel Group. The interview was not your average application process. Kurt brought the whole team in. They asked questions and it allowed me to meet them right away, which was nice. After the interview, the team accepted my application and decided they would invest some of their time to train me.

My internship went very well, I didn’t work on a separate project like most other internships. I immediately started on the same functionalities as the team – which is the best-case scenario of course. Meanwhile, the colleagues guided me through procedures and shared their knowledge. If I had any questions, I just turned to them and they would explain it to me. I did not have one specific coach. Instead, everyone around me helped me out.

The best argument I would use to convince someone to do an internship at Isabel Group is the atmosphere and the openness you have with your colleagues.  You join a team that welcomes you with open arms.”

From internship to full-blown team member!

“Towards the end of my internship I was looking for a place to work and heard there was an opportunity to start at the team. I showed some guts, jumped on the opportunity, and prepared myself for the interview.  I got the job! I smiled for a whole month ?.

I started as a junior software developer within the ZoomIt team. Apart from the software development, I was also included in the infrastructure part because it fascinates me. Then a vacancy came up as a DevOps Engineer at CodaBox and my manager asked me whether I was interested. I was, so I planned a meeting with Bruno, product manager at CodaBox and with HR to find out more about the job. I went for it and got the job!

It wasn’t a hard switch. It’s not like I quit on a Friday and started a completely new project the Monday after. I gradually finished my old tasks and slowly worked on tasks for the new project. I’m not in another office either, I’m still at the same desk with the same colleagues.”

Corona: WFH

“Since March, I’m 99% working from home just like everyone else and it’s actually going really well. We have regular team meetings and we chat a lot of course, keeping each other up to date on our tasks but also on strategic decisions coming from management.

The only thing that might have been a bit more difficult was the training for my new position. At the office you have that 1 on 1 contact, you have someone beside you who can help. Now everything is remotely which made it more difficult but in the end, it worked out. My current job as a DevOps Engineer is something completely new for me and that is also one of the reasons why I decided to go for it. I like to expand my knowledge and to learn new things, there is a lot of exploration and that’s the fun part.”

Dare to jump

“I’ve been working here for 2 years now and I’ve changed jobs twice within Isabel Group. It was not because I didn’t enjoy my work anymore, but rather because I spotted an opportunity. I was never pushed by anyone. The conversations were always very open and transparent. It is certainly promoted to grab opportunities at the company.

I think people should do what they like most. If the opportunity presents itself, take it! Invest in yourself by making your job fun, interesting and challenging for yourself. That is how I keep myself motivated.”

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Isabel Group is committed to creating a diverse environment and is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability or age.