Why Jordi moved from Spain to join Exellys in Belgium

Data Analyst Jordi Hurtado Sabaté recently completed his Start Smart Program at Exellys and successfully integrated at Atlas Copco. He applied at Exellys remotely from Spain in 2019, and even though we weren’t living in a Zoom and Teams society yet back then, everything went smoothly for him. Let’s have a closer look at his experiences from these last two years…

Jordi’s Specs

• 27 years old
• Originally from Manresa, about 60 km from Barcelona
• Studied a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management and a Master’s in Big Data in Barcelona
• Loves being active in his spare time, especially playing basketball and going out

Hi Jordi! Let’s start off with an obvious question, why did you make the move to Belgium? And how did you end up at Exellys?

Jordi: “When I was doing my Master’s in Big Data at the Barcelona Technology School, I had classmates from all over the world. People from Australia, USA, China, Germany, Belgium, etc. I quickly decided that I wanted an experience abroad after I finished school. I didn’t know where I wanted to go yet, but there was one guy in my class, Jonas, who had worked for Exellys before starting his Masters.

He spoke of you guys in really high regard, and the more he told me about it, the more enthusiastic I became and interested in knowing more about it. What really convinced me in the end was that Jonas wanted to go back to work for Exellys after his Master’s, even though he had other offers with a higher salary. But he wanted to go back to Exellys because of the trainings, coaching, everything you do to make sure young people grow the best way they can. So, after we graduated, he sent an e-mail to Astrid Roest, one of the Talent Development Managers (or coaches) at Exellys, explaining that I would really like an interview, and we set it up.

I never looked any further, because I knew that moving to Belgium and joining Exellys was the way to go for me.”

That interview obviously went well. How did you end up being matched with Atlas Copco?

“To be honest, it took some time before that opportunity came along. I had my interviews and assessments with Exellys in July-August 2019 and in the following months I received some opportunities, but not a lot. The fact that I could only speak English made it harder for me, because most companies require some Dutch as well. But then around mid-October an opportunity at Atlas Copco came up and language wasn’t an issue there and I really liked the job description as well. I eventually moved to Belgium in November of 2019.”

Having a selection procedure in an online setting wasn’t the norm back then – as this was a time before some virus came along and changed the world completely. What was that like for you?

“Actually, it was easy. The communication with Exellys was always very smooth. During the matching process, we were in touch at least once a week, which really made me feel like they cared and that they wanted me there. Also, when I moved to Belgium, everything was done, all documents were sorted. Exellys made it really easy for me.”

What makes Atlas Copco the right fit for you?

“In the first place, the job content. I get to combine data analysis with data visualisation. It’s important for me to regularly shift my focus on different things. If I had to spend 100% of my time doing the same thing, I would get bored of it. I like that my job is so varied as well as the fact that I get to work on different short-term projects, getting to know different parts of the business and new people regularly. Finally, I also enjoy that I keep growing and learning new things all the time.”

How would you explain your job to your grandma or a 4-year-old cousin?

“I’d say that I manage databases trying to make a comparison with Excel, because that’s something most people know. In Excel you have a table with rows and columns. What I do is similar, but on a bigger scale. Where your Excel table has maybe a hundred rows, in SAS (which is the program I use) I manage a million rows. I do some transformations on this data, combine them and eventually come up with an output table. I send this to a different tool where I create graphs and visualisations of the data. Management can later make decisions based on the insights from my graphs.

You could say that what I do is basically Excel on steroids (laughs).”

What triggers you to do your job with a smile every day?

“Working on diverse projects and starting, some of them from scratch. I like that I get the freedom to be creative as well, that they listen to my input and my ideas. Usually, I get an assignment and they tell me what I have to do, but I can always come back with another approach or a new idea and my thoughts are heard.”

You already concluded your time with us and can proudly call yourself an Exellys alumnus. How did you experience those two years at Exellys and the Start Smart Program?

“I really enjoyed the coaching and the training. The people I worked with – Steven, Elke – were so nice. The group courses were great to meet other people working in similar jobs. Also, Exellys really understands the importance of soft skill trainings – something I would probably not have come up with myself, but it has really helped me a lot. And if there are any hard skills you wish to learn, you have your own budget and can make your own choices.”

Can you give us an example of a training or course that helped you in your professional life?

“I took an assertiveness training in January last year, and that has been great for me. Sometimes it was hard for me to say “no”, or I was a bit hesitant to share my opinion. I don’t know if it was fear or more respect to people with a lot of experience, but I was reluctant to say what I thought. Assertiveness training taught me that, if I say it in confident and polite way and if I can give good argumentation, it’s possible for me to share my point of view. That has been very valuable to me.”

Was it easy to make new friends after you moved to Belgium?

“It helped a lot that Exellys organizes so many events. Although my timing was not the best; I moved at the end of 2019, and that first month I wasn’t really thinking of making friends. I was settling in, getting everything in order. Then I had about two months of social life before lockdown began and most physical events turned into virtual ones.

But still, I got to do the boat party with Exellys in February, for example, and that was great. When life picked up again around May, and we could go to bars and such, Exellys really planned a lot of great events as well. That’s something I’ll always remember about you guys.”

Do you have any advice for young talent in the early stages of their career?

“I’d say they shouldn’t go with fear to an interview: Some people are afraid going into an interview, because they really want to get the job, but they have to remember that it’s the company that has the vacancy. They need you. You’re good at what you do, you have certain skills that they want, so believe in yourself.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions during an interview. Don’t just sit there passively waiting for feedback. You should walk out of there knowing what you want to know about the job.”

That’s some great advice, Jordi, thank you for your time!

Has Jordi’s story inspired you to join our team as well? Have a look at our website and discover all the possibilities. Whether you’re from Spain, Belgium or anywhere else in the European Union or UK; if you have a passion for IT and/or technology and are not afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone, we definitely want to get to know you!

About Exellys

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Whether you are a graduate or (young) professional, Exellys will unlock your full potential by guiding you to a challenging work environment that perfectly matches your personality, expectations and ambitions.

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