As a new graduate in system development and IT, Kevin started as a consultant with us at Plantvision within the framework of the Young Professionals program and today, two years later, he is one of our consultants who creates technical solutions for the industry of the future. Young Professionals was formed to offer a kickstart and accelerated development for people who, like Kevin, started at Plantvision early in their career. So what was it that made Kevin come to us at Plantvision and Young Professionals?
"I wanted to work at a company that was focused on the industry and the challenges it faces related to digitalization. Stability and the opportunity to develop were also attractive. During my education, I discovered a great interest linked to Industry 4.0 and now being part of that journey, so soon after my studies, is extremely fun and exciting. It all started in the spring of 2021, in the middle of the current pandemic. I had a friend who worked at Plantvision and heard many positive things about the company. What stood out the most was that the employees get the opportunity to grow, try new things and finally get in touch with several exciting projects."
Industry 4.0 and digitalization was something that interested Kevin early on, already during his studies.
"My interest was aroused when a classmate and I were choosing the area for our C thesis. I had read some courses that dealt with digitalization in industry and it was something I wanted to continue to immerse myself in. The thesis focused on how a company could digitalize its production and at the same time keep people in focus. I have already come into contact with this through the projects I am involved in at Plantvision and there will only be more in the future, which feels very fun and stimulating!"
Young Professionals is, as the name suggests, about young talent. The program is designed for recent graduates who do not have much work experience. Together we talked a bit more about how the Young Professionals program worked in practice and what it meant for Kevin's journey at Plantvision.
"My biggest concern when this was presented to me was how it would work in practice. How can you combine individual development with a constant demand for solutions from customers? Looking back now, I can say that it has worked really well! I have been involved in both large and small projects right from the start. With constant support from my mentor, we have taken on different challenges, sometimes under greater time pressure and sometimes at a slower pace. In addition, I have constant contact with my manager to ensure that everything is running smoothly and that I have something to do week to week, which is also important. All this to ensure that my skills are constantly developing and that things are going in the right direction."
Going straight from studying to life as a consultant certainly has its challenges and Kevin says it was definitely an adjustment. Before he started his employment at Plantvision, consultant, for him, meant that you are simply hired to another company to support with your skills. To some extent, Kevin thinks that image is correct, but for him as a technical consultant, he instead becomes involved in several different projects for different customers - which has given him the opportunity to broaden his skills right from the start.
Fun, challenging and with a great community. This is how Kevin describes what it is like to work at Plantvision. He tells us a little more about what it is that makes him happy with us and also gives us a little insight into the future linked to his mission.
" Yes, it is definitely fun and challenging! I like that you come into contact with several different customers and projects, ranging from internal solutions to external solutions for customers. There is also a great atmosphere within the company! Plantvision currently has offices in several places in Sweden and it is never a strange thing to move between the different offices. It is a good community regardless of where you are and work, something that I know many people value. Now that it has been almost two years since I started at Plantvision and 6 months since I was celebrated for completing Young professional, I can say that a better start to my professional life would have been difficult to get. If I were to describe my journey and development during these two years, it would be something like this: I came in as a developer with a focus on C#, then I switched to SQL and database management and I am also a support manager where I support the customer with the system that I have been involved in implementing.
What I find most interesting is when I help the customer's business with technical solutions. Looking ahead, this is exactly where I see that I can continue to develop and contribute the most. If we look at the technology, it goes at a rapid pace, now it goes more and more towards Low-Code, which is something I want to develop more in. As we all know, technology development is advancing rapidly and even the customer's challenges change with the outside world. Being in the middle of technology development and helping customers towards the industry of the future is a journey I want to be part of!"
Thank you for sharing your story Kevin. We look forward to continuing to follow you and your journey.
