Eva Lotta Walendzik

My way into IT
I studied business, passed IT with 4.0 [1] and have always been a creative mind – and somehow, I still ended up here as BI Consultant at 29FORWARD.
How could that happen? I always had good grades at school, but I always preferred languages, art, and sports. Mathematics was up and down – depending on the teacher. The same pattern repeated itself at university, where I studied European Business Program. I liked subjects like entrepreneurship or international management, but I only passed IT with a 4.0. I even liked the content of the course, but the professor, who always wore clothes that matched the subject (e.g. a green shirt for Excel), made it hard for me to follow.

In 2018, I spent a year studying in Dublin. Besides getting to know the Irish (pub) culture, I even learned something for my later professional life. And believe it or not – the lecturer of the marketing course was so bad that I decided to take Data Management and Analytics as an advanced module instead. Thank goodness! The course was great – practical and theoretical knowledge was combined and the content was hands-on. After completing my thesis about the elaboration of a business model for a company based on the business model canvas, I was not sure where my career path would take me. I was certain about what I did not want: to work in a company with big hierarchies. But I also did not see myself working in a medium-sized company close to my hometown, since I often did not feel challenged enough in previous internships at those companies. And then I decided to go to the job fair held by my university. I already knew many of the participating companies from previous years. But there were also a few new companies that I had not heard of, which made me curious. One of them in particular, the 29FORWARD. At the fair itself I met my future colleagues at 29FORWARD. And I knew: it’s a match.
After a successful application process (somewhat delayed by the corona pandemic) I am now part of the 29FORWARD. So, what were the reasons for my decision to apply and the good gut feeling after getting to know the colleagues from 29FORWARD? When I talked to them at the job fair, I wanted to know a few things:

1) Qualifications
I always thought that I was underqualified for the IT industry because I felt like I did not know enough in this field. During the interview, I found out that my IT skills were not actually that bad. I had some basic skills of Power BI, I knew what a data mart was, and I had some basic knowledge of SQL. Prior to talking to the colleagues, I would not have dared to apply to an IT or BI company – simply because I felt unqualified.
In the end, I put more pressure on myself over this issue than was expected. I had the feeling that I should already have extensive knowledge in this area. In retrospect, I can say that this was not necessary – I had and still have the opportunity to further develop my knowledge and skills. And if there are topics where I don’t yet know enough, the company offers me many opportunities to deepen my expertise on the subject. What was much more important than broad IT knowledge were my stays abroad and experiences in previous internships.
Lesson learned: Most of what you need in this job you learn through hands-on experience. So, if you feel like you do not have enough experience or knowledge, but you are truly interested in the IT topic and industry – go for it!

2) Work environment
How many people (and women) work in the company and how is the company structured? For me it is important to have flat hierarchies and the possibility to take responsibility from the start. I usually also check the board members or the number of women in management positions when applying for a job. In this case I just trusted my gut feeling. Talking to colleagues at the job fair made me realize that the people who work there are motivated, smart, and friendly. It is an environment in which everyone wants to get something going, and you can talk openly if something is not going quite so well. Somehow a good mixture of a relaxed, family atmosphere and a young, ambitious IT company. I remember the day of the job fair as it was yesterday. In the evening I met my friends and I said to them: “I finally found a company I could imagine working for”.
This impression was more than confirmed later in my professional life. My colleagues and superiors (up to the highest level) always have an open ear for me. At the same time, everyone is motivated, open to new topics and supports each other when and where they can. I also have the feeling that my suggestions are taken seriously and are implemented which means I get the chance to actively contribute to the company.

3) (Self)-development
Even though I freshly graduated from university I was still hungry for learning new things. I wanted to know what development opportunities there are. Is there a possibility to do a Master’s, maybe even extra-occupational? Can I further my education in different areas by attending training courses? I wanted to work in a company that supports my self-development, offers, and values these opportunities.
My gut feeling about the 29FORWARD from the beginning did not disappoint me. If I want to further my education in a certain (of course still work-related) area, this is supported – and that is good to know. Right in the beginning I completed the certifications as Scrum Master and Scrum Product Owner. This was followed by further certifications in project management and business analysis. But of course, it is not just about getting as many certifications as possible; it is also important for me to feel like I am developing personally and actually learn new things. This is also supported and emphasized at 29FORWARD: I was able to expand my knowledge in project management related topics as well as in more technical topics such as BI, DevOps or Data Mesh and learn from and with my colleagues.

My advice to you
What I want to say is: you do not need to be an IT nerd to work in this industry. And you also do not need to be male. Trust in your abilities, be open to learn and listen to your gut! Think about what values are important to you and what kind of environment you would like to work in later. That is how we find our match in the working world – and maybe you find yours in the IT industry, even if you do not expect it.

[1] In the grading system at German universities a 4.0 is the worst grade you can get before you fail the class