Meet the team: JAM-IT's IT Trainee Brian

In this blog series we introduce our people to you. Today we meet Brian, our analytical and thoughtful IT Trainee at JAM-IT.

Observing, analysing and doing

Brian is someone who likes to hold back and see how things unfold at first. He observes, gets a feel for how a group works and adapts to it. As time goes on, he finds his place within a team more and more easily. That careful approach works for him: by looking closely first, he sees what a group or project really needs. Brian describes himself as a true observer. His academic background fits that well. Brian has taken several courses, the last of which was bioinformatics, which he also completed in full. In that course the medical side of biology comes together with programming and data analysis.

From application development to IT

During his penultimate year of study Brian took a minor in Application Development. There he discovered that he really enjoys building applications. That led him to focus more and more on the computing side and to start actively applying for IT roles.

He had been looking for a job since the end of September, and that is how JAM-IT came his way. He has now started as an IT Trainee and is getting to know Mendix and working on concrete assignments.

A relaxed start at JAM-IT

Brian finds the atmosphere at JAM-IT relaxed and approachable. You immediately end up in a group where colleagues are open and willing to help. The way people work together, the sharing of tips and the room to learn give him confidence. He also finds the flexibility pleasant, such as being able to choose whether to work at the office or at home.

At the moment Brian is working on an internal assignment as part of his traineeship. He is looking forward to making progress in it and building up more and more routine: programming, seeing results immediately, testing and experiencing the back and forth between developer and client. Being able to do this in an internal assignment first is, to him, a good stepping stone.

Sport, games and relaxation

In his free time Brian keeps active. He runs, often together with his girlfriend, and has now completed three races, including the Maastunnelloop in Rotterdam. He can also regularly be found at the gym.

He is a fan of gaming and board games too. One game stands out for him: Magic: The Gathering. A complex card game centred on strategy and depth, one he likes to dig into further. He also enjoys reading, and at home his two rabbits provide extra company.

Avatar

At JAM-IT every colleague gets their own avatar, based on their personality. For Brian that is a rabbit; an animal he clearly recognises himself in. Curious, always alert to what is happening around him and often "in the mood for food". Just like his own rabbits, he sees in himself a mix of curiosity, analytical thinking, humour and a touch of stubbornness. Mischievous where he can be, critical where he has to be.

With his analytical eye, calm approach and curiosity about the development process, Brian is ready to develop step by step within JAM-IT's IT traineeship.