Responding to current ICT challenges every day
The title is a telling statement by Edwin Rikken. With a wealth of ICT experience, he started at Socia in 2019. Socia's plan at the time was to set up a secondment division; that has since been achieved. Edwin was the first Socia employee to be deployed to clients, and he now works for SoDeta, a team of IT professionals deployed for various projects and temporary ICT roles. This is his story:
What do you get your pleasure from?
It is primarily the variety that Edwin greatly appreciates. “In the past, I have held various positions, including application administrator and ICT team leader. In addition, I worked in second-line support for KPN. I can now put all that experience into practice without having to deal with the internal matters that you often experience as a manager. What I do is simply help people every day. The enjoyable part is that every company has its own way of working regarding IT, and as a result, you learn a lot every day. For instance, I have been seconded to a holiday park, a major car dealership brand, and a well-known eyewear brand, but I have also gained ICT experience in the healthcare sector. The dynamics of human interaction are truly fantastic,” says Edwin.
What are your activities?
Edwin's duties also turn out to be diverse, but there is also something generic to be observed: “Everything I do always involves supporting people. That is why possessing social skills is an important factor. For instance, a healthcare worker focuses on care provision and not on ICT. Yet they can no longer do without it. Giving training and having patience are therefore important parts of my work. At the major car dealership brand, this involved, among other things, helping mechanics with software to read the electronics of cars. In addition, I provide and install hardware, such as laptops, smartphones, but also desktop monitors. On behalf of SoDeta, I also deal with applications, assigning individual rights and roles, and ensuring safe working environments.”
What is current in IT?
That was the last question we asked Edwin. “Change is my first reaction. How people collaborate has changed in a short time. So there were many questions about how hybrid working can be facilitated even better. Additionally, in many organizations you no longer see a single binder on the desk; everything has become digital, partly due to privacy. After all, what you store securely digitally cannot blow away or be accidentally taken away like paper. Dependence on IT has increased enormously everywhere, and collaborating organizations are becoming increasingly interconnected,” Edwin concludes.
Want to work at SoDeta too?
We advise IT professionals looking for a fun job with variety to take a look at this page. According to Edwin, there is one condition for joining the SoDeta team: “You might be a good IT professional, but without social skills, you won't make it.”
