Sogetians are Some of the Best Consultants I Have Ever Worked With

Name: Jerome Wurtz
Role: Sogeti Solution Architect and Migration Program Lead
Location: Cincinnati
Practice: Applications and Cloud Technologies
Joined Sogeti: 2011

My first day at Sogeti, I left early. That’s right, I left early. But it’s not what you think. I had to wait for my background check to go through at my client site, so there wasn’t really anything for me to do that day. So, I was able to pick up my kids that day. My youngest, who was in second grade at the time, looked at me and asked if I got fired! Such confidence your kids give you.  

Then, on my second day, I went right to work.

Sogeti is a place where you can make your own path and grow your career in a way that works best for you. If you’re the ambitious go-getter and actively want those opportunities to grow your career, you can do that. If you are that quiet developer that just wants to do your job, you can do that. We have all types of people and personalities here. Everyone is welcome and if you want that opportunity to show what you’ve got, you will have it.

I feel that I’m at my best when I am working with newer consultants. As a manager, I work with a lot of newer consultants daily.  I also have a son in college who is currently going through the job search process. So, I think a lot about the things that I would have wanted to know when I started out. I get to use my 20+ years of experience in the workforce and my 7+ years at Sogeti to help them understand what it takes to be successful.

At Sogeti, we work hard and play hard. The highlights of my time here at Sogeti has been the times spent with fellow Sogetians. There’s an amazing camaraderie among Sogetians that is truly unique in the workforce. Fun is one of our core values, and I believe that Sogeti truly embodies that. We make sure that we’re having fun no matter how hard we may be working.

To me, it’s important to be able to have fun with your colleagues. It makes you excited to come in and do your job. During my time here we’ve had happy hours, end-of-the-year celebrations, and Halloween parties. We even had a Sweater Vest day at work in honor of a colleague who happens to have an impressively large collection of sweater vests.

The point is, when you like the people you work with—when you trust them—the work is easier, and you work harder.

Case in point, on one of the projects that I was working on, we completed a project six months ahead of schedule. Of course, this made the client very happy. But it also gave us a sense of accomplishment. I couldn’t have asked for a better team of rock stars. We were able to get new work because we finished so quickly.

My time at Sogeti has been an interesting, fun, and fulfilling journey made better by the people I work with. We all become better when we support each other. So, that’s why it’s so important to me to encourage and help my fellow Sogetians.

One piece of advice that is so important is also simple: Ask questions. I’ve sat through a lot of interviews with recent college grads, and I’ve found that they don’t ask enough questions. But you need to ask questions to fully understand the path you are about to take. Learn about the role. Learn about the company’s culture. Learn about their goals for the future. If there is something you are interested in doing, ask how you can get involved. You only learn about these opportunities if you ask the questions.

You can learn so much from the people around you. If you’re at a client site, talk to the people around you. Reach out to your HR representative to see if there are fellow Sogetians at your site. Keep in touch with your practice manager or counselor. The worst thing that I hear is when new consultants are placed in a role and they sit there for months feeling lost. You are not an island at Sogeti. There are people that want to help you. So, take advantage of that.