Olivia Maengkom

The first interview with Quistor, after speaking with the recruiter, was with Tim de Nijs (my manager) and Martin Breeman. I remember it as if it was yesterday. Not just because the conversation went very smoothly and because it was a typical Dutch conversation with direct nuances, but mainly because Tim & Martin had prepared a Quistor introduction presentation and presented this to me before asking me questions about who I was, etc. It took me by surprise because that never happens during the first interview. We all know that it’s usually the candidate that must present her/himself and work through a questionnaire as if it’s a checklist, right?

I thought to myself: “They really want you to get to know them first, they want to make the first impression. Wow… such a refreshing approach.” I gave them this positive feedback as well of course, how could I not.

And so, my journey at Quistor began on August 3rd, 2020. It was a different onboarding than we all used to, both Quistor and I had to find a way that works best for both of us. We’re still learning while practising our roles. This is not always easy, but we trust each other’s intentions and therefore we always work things out.

Working remotely from my home in Amsterdam, never having seen my colleagues in person, never having been in the office in Bergen op Zoom: it’s a reality that I learned to adapt quickly. And somehow, I have never felt left alone and this is a compliment for Quistor. Since day one I am always in a video call with several of my colleagues, not only my direct Sales & Marketing Benelux colleagues but also other colleagues. And not to forget with Oracle, other partners, prospects and customers.

The alignment and collaboration with Oracle and other partners are also going well; getting some OCI certifications through Oracle Partner Network, working on specific demand generation campaign to start with demand generation, all this has enabled me to start creating a roadmap for the rest of the year.

Finding myself in such an environment where everybody has been so helpful and available for me; I feel that I’ve been a Quistorian for much longer than the current 11 weeks now. Thank you Quistor for making me feel home!

Derisa Chiu

It seems like the pandemic is a topic that can’t escape any conversation these days, this article included. But that is just the reality of it… it has become our reality. Everyone is affected by it, directly and indirectly, whether we realize it or not. Our day-to-day lives are affected by the constant questions of 'is this safe, is this putting other people at risk, is this even necessary', etc. We have been forced to re-evaluate our priorities in life while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It especially feels hard when this is also the time for me to kickstart my career. But this is where Quistor came into the picture and things started looking up for me.

This job opportunity came as a pleasant surprise. Of the 80 applications that I had submitted with a well-thought-out motivation letter, Quistor was not one of them. Rather, it felt more like pure coincidence (or some may call fate) that a recruiter had contacted me. Without knowing much more about the company or position I decided to take the chance for an interview. From that first interview onwards, I felt that “click” everyone speaks of when job hunting. That “click” was because of the friendliness, openness, awareness of stereotypes, and stepping away from those, but most importantly it was the willingness to challenge me and to give me room to grow. Fresh out of university, this was especially important to me.

While it’s easy to talk the talk, people in Quistor have shown me that they can walk the walk. Challenge, you say? Personal areas that I mentioned I would like to improve on in my interview, were immediately implemented by my manager on day 1 at Quistor. It’s nice to see that my words are taken seriously, and I can comfortably be pushed out of my comfort zone, which is all done with good intentions. Funnily, that is also how I view my role in Quistor. As a junior operational excellence consultant, I can imagine that my role will do the same. I need to have a critical view of our processes, and through applying this understanding to implementing changes for improvements, I will need to push people outside of their comfort zones. But all in all, this is all done with good intentions. Give and take, you see?

When addressing the effect of the pandemic on our work, the biggest and most noticeable one is the shift to working from home. Everyone had to adjust to maintaining relationships with our colleagues and staying connected. However, starting off with minimal work experience, no established workflow, still within the mindset of a student, and not having an office to set the tone made diving into work seem extremely difficult. When I made it a point to want to connect with more colleagues, people sprung to action. Given the circumstances of the pandemic, Quistor has done their best to give me as good as an onboarding as they could and address my concerns head-on! This is all done with kindness.

At the other end of the virus, we are all just people. On the other side of a company, we are all just people. People with feelings, empathy, goals, and ambition. People who are going through the same pandemic as I am, and dealing with their own situation as best as they can. Quistor has welcomed me with open arms, and I am lucky to say that I feel valued and heard here. More than enough to kick my career off the ground. So thank you!

Mick Theuns

Hi there, I’m Mick Theuns, Operational Excellence Consultant at Quistor Bergen op Zoom. I started working at Quistor in May 2020. For me working at Quistor has been quite the experience. Since I’m currently studying computer science, working in an IT related company really boosted my knowledge. Quistor guided me very well in the onboarding. I was welcomed with open arms and it was a good experience to start working at Quistor. Claudia and Stijn really guided me in getting to know Quistor as a company but also as a kind of family where you get the opportunity to work with motivated and passionate people with a common goal. Quistorians really make an effort in making you feel at home, to make sure you don't dive in headfirst.

My first assignment was also a great learning experience. Working on the monthly reports for clients boosted my knowledge of working with the needed tools. This knowledge extends itself to multiple aspects of computer science. Quistor guiding me from the very start gave me the confidence to start working on other projects. When the way of working became clearer, working on the project became more enjoyable.