We are at the cozy Maison Mathis in the middle of Quartier Bleu in Hasselt for a chat with the interns from Tricore.
This time, Tricore chose not for one, but two impressive interns, and the young rookies from previous years were followed by two men with some experience in the field. Enough reason to listen to how that has turned out in the past months.
Hey guys, tell us. Who are Robby and Paul?
Robby: “I am 35 years old and I am following the graduate program in System and Network Management at the Hogeschool PXL, together with Paul. Before that, I worked as a service technician at Orange and at Averna in Hasselt, but I felt that I had reached my ceiling and therefore made the choice to study something additional.”
Paul: “I am one year younger than Robby, we actually know each other from high school. I studied IT management in high school, but never really did anything with it. After high school, I repaired mobile phones for a while, but then ultimately chose a different sector. Before I started my degree, I worked as a CNC operator. I did that for 5 to 6 years and then I really needed something else.”
Why did you choose Tricore as your internship company?
Paul: “We came across them at the PXL Handshake event. Tricore is really hyped by our lecturer Stijn Jacobs because of a difficult assignment that is on a USB stick. Only when you successfully solve that assignment do they invite you for an internship interview. When I heard that, I was immediately interested. When I am challenged, I want to show the best of myself.”
Robby: “On that stick, there are five assignments, if you pass step 4, you get the opportunity to upload your CV. Step 5 equals a guaranteed internship interview. In total, only three students managed to solve step 5, including Paul and me.”
Paul: “You had to crack a file that was encrypted by Niels and Steph using Powershell. In hindsight, it wasn't that bad, but that's easy to say afterwards (laughs). Quite a few students dropped out throughout the year, at the beginning we had seven classes and now only two classes of fifteen students. I think only about 15% has remained.”
“Tricore is really hyped by our lecturer Stijn Jacobs”
Robby: “I think our age is also an advantage. We have already worked for a few years and know what we want now. When I was 18, I didn't know everything yet.”
Do you already have an idea of what the next step in your career is?
Robby: “I don't know if we can say it yet (laughs), but we have both been hired. Yes, I am really very happy about that.”
Paul: “Indeed. Robby will work full-time at the service desk, while I will be involved with the project and monitoring team.”
At Tricore, you get the opportunity to specialize in your specific interest, do you have an idea after this internship which aspect within IT you are leaning towards the most?
Paul: “Well, I think it's still a bit too early to say, I'm just starting to look and there are so many things I can still learn, so for now I prefer to keep it broad.”
Robby: “The PXL has given us a good foundation on which we can now build in the business world. I knew very little about IT before I started my education, the fact that we have both been hired now proves that this education has taught us a lot in a short time.”
“I really enjoy helping people, that's really something for me.”
What was the best part of the internship period for you?
Robby: “Service desk, I really enjoy helping people, that's really something for me. I still have a lot to learn and at the service desk you encounter many different problems that you need to solve.”
Paul: “For me, that is my graduation project, which consisted of a PowerShell script that deploys VMs and automatically installs the correct roles such as domain controller and such. That ultimately leads to a time saving since it removes that manual action.”
Did you have a similar topic for your graduation project, Robby?
Robby: “No, mine was about the implementation of a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). Simply put, it is a tool that collects all logs from your entire IT infrastructure in one place and can detect potential threats at an early stage based on triggers.”
Did you also get the chance to go on-site with the client during the internship?
Robby: “Yes, at Group Bruno we went to replace the screens, laptops, and docking stations. That’s not necessarily the big work, but it’s good to have had that contact with the client.”
How did you experience the atmosphere in the workplace at Tricore?
Robby: “Yes, very unique, it’s certainly not like that everywhere. I was looking for a pleasant work atmosphere and I found that 100% at Tricore. A lot of freedom, but also a lot of responsibility.”
Paul: “I have worked in places where that atmosphere was absolutely not so pleasant. You still often see companies where the boss stands above the rest and makes that clear, that is really not the case here. Robin, Stijn, and Jonas are all very approachable.”
Robby: “The Christmas party was a very good example of that, it was already a good start because we hadn’t been here for very long. It was clear that hard work had to be done here, but that we could also be pigs from time to time. That makes it all very nice.”
“Hard work has to be done, but we can also be pigs from time to time.”
Do you already know each other from before your internship here?
Robby: “Yes, from high school in a distant past when Paul still had hair. (everyone laughs)
Paul, what is Robby good at?
Paul: “He is really made for the service desk, his soft skills are really very strong.”
And Robby, what is Paul good at?
Robby: “Paul can definitely handle customers well, but technically he is really a machine. At school, he also stands head and shoulders above the rest.”
Why should future interns from PXL-Digital choose Tricore?
Robby: “If you are ambitious, you are in the right place here. The colleagues are of an incredibly high level and they give you all the opportunities in a friendly atmosphere. For example, look at where Vermesen is today, only 24 years old and two years working here. What will that be like in another 10 years?”
Paul: “That short contact with the bosses is really unique. If they notice that you are doing your best, you also get respect back. In a way, that makes sense, but it’s not always a given.
One last question before we wrap up: What did you find the most challenging about your internship here?
Paul: “The service desk and my graduation project.”
Robby: “Graduation project. Figuring out which solution would be best for Tricore while I, as a new intern, actually knew nothing, was quite a big challenge.”
As always, we conclude with a few dilemmas:
Service desk or on-site with the client?
Robby: “At the client.” Paul: “Preferably both, but it is a dilemma for sure so let’s go with the client too. (laughs)”
Remote work or in the office?
Paul: “In the office.” Robby: “Office. There is a little one coming, so if there can be a day or two of working from home, that is definitely welcome (laughs).”
FIFA or just a pint after work?
Paul: “I don’t play FIFA, I really hate it.”
Robby: “FIFA.” Supporter of a certain club, Robby? Robby: “Manchester United.”
Good luck.
This is now the third interview that I, Senne from Melting Point , am conducting with the people from Tricore. You can see that the pleasant work atmosphere that exists is slowly becoming a notorious concept within the IT world. Both Robby and Paul speak highly of the work atmosphere and the opportunities they get at Tricore. If you receive so many positive comments from employees, clients, interns, and even educational institutions; then you know you have achieved something exceptional.
Are you an ambitious and eager student from a similar program and still looking for an internship that offers perspective? Then quickly contact us via the button below.