A few weeks ago, Zakaria joined the team as a junior integration engineer. If we would describe him in just a few words, we would say “Zakaria is curious with a contagious passion for IT and learning.”

We asked Zakaria 8 questions to learn how he experienced his first weeks at Integration Designers.

1. Hi Zakaria, how did your IT career start?

In 2016, I came to Belgium to live with my wife. We live in Namur so I’d pass the University of Namur every day while going to work and a voice in my head said to follow my dream to work in IT. 

Well, one day I did just that: I decided that I’d apply for Computer Sciences.

2. Why did you choose for a career in IT?

I’m a very curious person by nature. Every time I booted up my computer, I asked myself: how does this machine work? So I started looking into it and that’s how I got in touch with IT. As the questions got more complex, I got more and more interested.

The field of information technology is based around finding answers, which matches my curiosity. I ended up putting 2 and 2 together and applied for a Bachelor in Computer Sciences, (which turned into a Masters degree).

Recently, I finished my thesis and now I’m finally active at my first customer. These are very exciting times for me!

3. How did you become a part of Integration Designers?

I recently decided that it was time to put all my knowledge into practice. I set up my LinkedIn account on ‘Open To Work’, and got in touch with Thomas De rechter, recruiter at i8c. We talked about the possibilities at i8c and we set up a meeting with Didier and Dirk, managing partners at Integration Designers. 

I don’t remember what questions I was asked or what answers I gave, but I do recall being excited by what Didier and Dirk talked about. They didn’t just look at what I knew. They were mostly interested in what we could achieve together in the future. They were very open-minded.

4. What made you so excited about Integration Designers?

First, it was the opportunity of working in the field of integration. It’s such an important component in IT. Everything has to communicate with each other and integration makes this possible. We didn’t cover it that much during my education so getting to learn new things at the job was a big plus for me.

Secondly, our managers are experts in the field. Dirk for example has worked at IBM, whose technology we use, and he has also worked for many high-profile companies throughout his career. So since they’re incredibly knowledgeable, they are able to give the right advice whenever you need it.

5. What is your opinion on IBM?

In my opinion, IBM is one of the most mature companies in integration. One of the ‘plus classique’, as we say in french. I’m really looking forward to developing my knowledge of their products and working with them.

6. That sounds great! And how is the work culture at Integration Designers?

The team is incredibly welcoming and helpful. At Integration Designers, there’s a culture of sharing knowledge with each other. We have multiple events where we learn how to work with new technologies. We also often present findings to each other. My colleagues are also always available to help. 

Lots of my colleagues have worked for Integration Designers for over 6 years because of the culture, the management, and because integration is a very interesting field to be in.

7. What are you looking forward to in the next few months?

I’m excited to put my knowledge into practice and to gain experience at my current client.

8. How do you relax after a long day at work?

I used to be an avid kickboxer but I had to put that on hold due to my thesis. But now that I finished it, I’ll be heading back to the gym. 

Besides that, I like to learn more about integration and IT in general in my spare time. The more I learn, the more questions I have. 

Thank you for answering the questions, Zakaria! We’re looking forward to helping you grow into an Integration Expert. 

Are you interested in joining Integration Designers? Check out our careers page for more information.