What if application support was your dream job?
It all started in January 2015. With a degree in computer science, I embarked on the quest for the Holy Grail (a work contract). Classic.
There were many consulting companies looking for profiles like mine.Similar interviews, similar people.
But to be honest, I was a little lost in my research.
At 24 years old, one cannot have a clear idea of the professional environment and its various opportunities.
Our only references are based on our experiences during our internships, or what the hiring websites offer us.
Becoming Developer wouldn’t be my thing – at all.
I want to look good every work day, suit & tie like Barney Stinson.
And I want to be in permanent contact with people.
Business Analyst then? No, another fail.
This position typically requires 3 years of experience.
Some companies start proposing me applicative support engineer: IT first interface, permanent contact with users, technico-functional position, trading room, stress, adrenaline, potential evolution to a Business Analyst position… Um, what is this job?
Why doesn’t Google show me anything about it? It’s obviously the job I’ve been dreaming of for a long time. Why is it so little known?
Why was I never told about this during my engineering degree?
I decided to do more research on this job. After all, it seems to fit perfectly with what I want to do.
A few days later, I sign a contract with a company that offers me an application support engineer mission in one of the largest French Bank. Great !
Who said you rarely find the job of your dreams at the beginning of your career? 😊
From that moment, things accelerated. Morning shifts, incidents, standups, trainings, staff, sleepless nights and so on.
I quickly discovered the job of support, the field of application production, and I quickly became passionate.
A few 18 months later, I became Team Leader of my team. Who would have believed it ?
To succeed as an Application Support engineer, I think there are 3 main qualities: rigor, empathy and a sense of service.
If you have these 3 qualities, or if you want to develop them, then this job is for you!
Application Support is a fairly open and transverse business, and it offers us the opportunity to develop many other skills: teamwork, stress management, interpersonal relations, organization, formalization. Along with so many other skills that I believe are the backbone of a solid career in IT Finance.
If you are curious to know more about the qualities of a good application support, I invite you to consult our next article «The personality traits of a good application support»
Let’s go back to my experience. The road to success was very difficult. From failures to challenging, to moments of hesitation, to moments of challenge and questioning, everything was there.
When I was a kid, my dad always used to tell me that failure is just as important as success. Therefore today I place great value on failures and their benefits.
“Failure is the foundation of success” said the great wise Lao Tseu.
Four and a half years later, I am taking off on a new challenge, still in the field of application production, towards a business that requires less operational and more expertise. The IT consulting business, one of the expertise of my new company, Alenia Consulting.
With hindsight and even a little nostalgia, I can only remember beautiful things from my “first time” to the support. Despite the stress, the workload and the different constraints, I came out grown, solid, well-trained and ready to face new challenges.
