On veut toujours avoir une longueur d'avance.

Cecilia Tsz Mei Choi

Sogeti USA, Consultante

In May 2007 I graduated from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. When I came to consider my career, I knew there were lots of opportunities in the US; that became my challenge. Not long after my final exams, I got an immigration visa, and I came here in June and found a job with JP Morgan Chase for two months. I then joined Sogeti in September, when I was immediately sent to boot camp. And now I am a consultant in the Managed Testing practice and I’m working on an assignment with Abercrombie & Fitch, a high profile clothing company that everybody wants to work for.

I chose Sogeti on the recommendation of my cousin who’s been working in the US for 10 years. Sogeti is a global company with a good reputation and is very good for building a career. I had talks with a recruiter who described the company to me and I was immediately interested.

My first impression was that they really value the employee. Not only in terms of the work carried out for the client, but they’re also very concerned about the personal development of the employee.

My training was a two-week Testing boot camp, every day from 8am until 5pm, with intensive training on techniques, methodology, and business and communication skills. We had expert instructors, some alliance vendors came in, and of course we had sessions on Sogeti’s testing framework, TMap, so that we could apply what we had learned. That has been followed by in-house classes giving us the most up-to-date news and market trends, so that to we can keep ahead of the market, and help our clients.

People wondered why I had moved into IT, because my major is in Marketing and Finance in business. But to me, Marketing and Finance train the mind, how to think logically and analytically; to me that’s useful in whatever field I work. That’s why I decided to go into the IT industry even though I didn’t have strong IT knowledge behind me. But I don’t think it’s a problem because I can catch up and I know the company supports me, providing a lot of training. I’m not worried about it. I love a challenge, that’s why I decided to come here.

Leaving Hong Kong, my family and friends and starting a new life here was quite a big change – as was adapting to a new environment, new work, with no existing network. But my work is the fastest way to get used to the life and culture here, and make friends.

Everyday I’m in touch with my colleagues, I meet up with them, go to classes. And I keep in touch with most of the people I met in boot camp, including people from other countries, Europe, India, etc. We often call or mail about how things are going, updating each other about projects we’re engaged in. Also the company organizes a lot of social activities; we have Happy Hour and parties every month, all to keep colleagues connected, as mostly they work outside on client sites. You feel you are really part of the family.

Working for this company is big fun. I like the attitude. We want to be at the front of the line, ahead of the rest of the industry. And I want to work with the best, to give my best.

My career goal is to be a project manager in 5, 6 years’ time; and in 10 years’ time maybe at management level. That means investing in myself, but there’s also a lot of encouragement from Sogeti to take courses, even going for an MBA program. Sogeti gets you involved as much as possible, with for instance exciting new projects like Global Delivery. And Sogeti is this rapidly expanding business. You, as an employee, grow along side the growth of the company.