Developing as a Young Professional

Tessa Ickx, Data Scientist

Tessa Ickx works as a Data Scientist within the Data & AI division of Cegeka. We spoke with her about her experiences as a Young Graduate at Cegeka and the highlights she has experienced so far.

What really attracted me to Cegeka was the growth opportunities for Young Graduates, the exciting projects with great support, and the fantastic work-life balance with flexible hours and afterwork activities.

Tessa Ickx, Data Scientist

Tessa's perspective

Why did you choose to start as a Young Graduate at Cegeka?
"I was drawn to Cegeka primarily because of the career development opportunities it provides for Young Graduates. They invest heavily in your future, giving you the freedom to chart your own path. There are exciting projects with excellent support, and the work-life balance is superb with flexible hours and plenty of after-work activities! These factors were what ultimately led me to choose Cegeka."
 
How would you describe your journey at Cegeka, from the beginning until now, and what has been the most memorable moment for you?
"My journey at Cegeka has been a period of continuous growth and wonderful opportunities. One of the most memorable moments was delivering a keynote at the Flanders AI Forum, where I spoke in front of over 400 people. With less than a year of work experience, I presented an innovative chatbot that our team had developed. Since then, I've had the opportunity to give presentations regularly."
 
What skills and knowledge have you developed during your time at Cegeka?
"During the first few weeks, I absorbed a wealth of new information and earned several certifications. Throughout the initial months, I received robust guidance on projects, deepening my expertise in Data Engineering and AI tools such as Databricks, PySpark, and LangChain.

Alongside technical skills, I also honed my presentation and communication abilities. The best part is being able to specify where you want to continue growing."
What do you find most challenging and most rewarding about your work as a Data Scientist?

"Each project comes with its own challenges. Investigating and implementing the best solution for each project can certainly be challenging. We also work on Proof of Concepts, where we frequently try out new things. When we can ultimately deliver an excellent solution to the client, that's very rewarding."

 

Can you share an example of a data science project you've worked on that had a significant impact on Cegeka or one of your clients?
"One of the first chatbot projects I worked on was an internal HR chatbot called 'Sky' for Cegeka employees. This chatbot handles all fleet-related inquiries. Thanks to 'Sky', our fleet colleagues can focus on specific requests rather than routine, straightforward questions."
 
What advice would you give to future Data Scientists who want to join Cegeka?

"My advice is to be open to the exciting and challenging projects you can find at Cegeka. It's an environment where you can truly grow as a professional, with opportunities to steer your career in the direction you desire. Moreover, you'll be part of a fantastic team of enthusiastic colleagues, so I wouldn't hesitate!"

 
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