Meet Arnaud – Project Engineer at Akkodis

Hi Arnaud! Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with us, we really appreciate it. Could you maybe start with a short introduction?
Sure. My name is Arnaud Gamba. I am a 31 year old mechanical engineer from France. I got my engineering degree in Montreal, Canada, where I also started working. After a while I decided to come back to Europe, so I started to look for a job in France or Belgium. I came into contact with a recruiter from
Akkodis and I finally started my journey in Belgium about 4 years ago!

And what has your career journey at Akkodis been like until now?
So I started on my first project in the steel industry as an Efficiency Coordinator for about six months, but it turned out that wasn’t really what I wanted to do. So, I discussed with Akkodis whether it was possible to change my mission and they found me a new project at one of our biggest clients in the railway industry, as a Project Manager implementing robotics units for watertightness in trains. At the end of the project, I had the opportunity to stay at the client in another function, but it wasn’t really what I wanted. And on Clickpath, that’s an internal platform where we can match ourselves with open positions, I saw an opening as a Project Engineer in the building department of another client, in pharmaceuticals this time. I was really interested so we discussed what I would have to do to be able to move there and now I’ve been at this client for about two years and a half.

Okay, so you tried quite a few things already in your time here! Would you say your current projects corresponds well to your passion and to what you enjoy doing?
Yes! I studied mechanical engineering, which is a really wide discipline. So, when I first finished school, I didn’t really know exactly what I wanted to do and I was happy to experiment a bit. I really like the project I am on now, even though I do not just deal with stuff that I actually studied in school, because building is really a specific degree on itself. But I think I have a nice career now at Akkodis. Moreover, I regularly get to participate to training activities set up by Akkodis, so I get the chance to improve my skills even more and perform even better in my current role.

Is there anything specific that attracted you to Akkodis when you first came into contact?
Well, I think it was very nice that I wasn’t just considered for one position. I spoke with different Business Managers from different industries, and they all explained me what kind of jobs I could expect within their perimeter that would match my profile and also what I wanted

to do. And I think it’s nice to have some options, especially if you’re not sure yet about what you want to do. It gave me the opportunity to try different things.

And Akkodis has supported you in this?
Yeah. You know, changing my project was not just a whim. It’s something I discussed a lot about with Akkodis and with the people close to me. I mean of course we always first try to improve things at the client if there are any issues. After all, for the project, consistency is always better, but sometimes you just really don’t like what you’re doing, and you don’t see yourself staying there for years to come. And Akkodis is quite understanding about that.

And so being able to try different things and change projects has helped you to figure out what it is you like to do?
Yeah for sure. I had a few different projects and I think it helps you find your way. Now I know what I want to do! Currently I’m happy in my role as Project Engineer. In the future I would like to evolve into a Project Manager role. And I’m sure that Akkodis will help me find a good start in that position and help me with my development to get there!

What role do you think the HR and Talent Acquisition teams play in the company’s success?
I think they are very important, because they’re the first point of contact with the company, and the first person you’re talking to, and I think it reflects the culture of the company. In the past, when getting in contact with other companies who were interested in my profile, they asked me to discuss my experiences etc. but the feeling wasn’t there because the first contact was not so good. At Akkodis I had a good feeling during my interviews. Also, because it was not a super formal, strict interview but more of a conversation, like what we are doing now. So yeah, I think that’s a strength.
Also, the support of your HR Business Partner is an advantage here at Akkodis. Because your career is long, and your passions and desires will evolve. So, the fact that you can discuss with your HRBP about your opportunities at Akkodis, what trainings you can follow to evolve etc. is really helpful. I have asked my HRBP for help or for advice quite a few times, I have my follow- ups with them, they keep track of my progress. It’s really a good support to have.

Sounds great! Tell us, do you have any memorable experiences or achievements that you’ve had here at Akkodis that you would like to share?
I am kind of proud of the robotic unit we installed at my railway client. It won an award within the company so it’s something that I was pretty proud of. And today I’m working in the pharmaceutical industry. Here you can see the project you’re doing is helping to improve life for patients. So that’s also something that I can be proud of. So, it’s not specific moments really that I am proud of at the moment, but I am proud of how my career is going!

Wow, that great to win an award like that! Congrats!
How do you think Akkodis has played a role in advancing your career?
Well, I started my career as a young engineer at Akkodis, and Akkodis gave me the opportunity to grow and to try different jobs. And, I’m sure I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try some of those jobs as a junior engineer if I didn’t have Akkodis’ support. They help you to reach a bit further and try new things and being surrounded by other people with different experiences and skills helps with that.

Any final advice for people considering a career at Akkodis?
I would advise them to come and try it! Especially if, like me, you’re not quite sure yet what you want to do, you can get a lot of opportunities here. Maybe it can be something that you didn’t have specifically in mind, but still I would recommend to say yes. Because you always learn and this way you figure out fast where you want to take your career!

Good advice! Thanks you so much Arnaud for spending some time with us!