Putting technology in context: graduate hire Ulysse

Computer science graduate Ulysse wasn’t sure exactly where he’d land, but he knew he wanted to solve real problems. Less than a year into his consulting career, he’s already worked across four countries to put his technical expertise into practice. In this blog, he shares what his move from university to the workplace looked like.

Ulysse’s road to consulting wasn’t always written in the stars. “I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself from the outset, so a civil engineering degree felt like a solid set-up with plenty of options,” he explains. This initial choice led to a master’s in computer science, and during his time at ULB, Ulysse spent a year as an exchange student at TU Berlin to further specialise in AI.

Rather than pursuing a PhD, Ulysse decided to look beyond academia. “I wanted to put my skills into practice instead of focusing purely on theoretical research,” he says. “Consulting quickly emerged as an obvious choice. I had one key priority: finding an employer that would offer continuous learning, exposure to different industries, and an international environment where I could put my language skills to good use.”

Ulysse’s decision was also rooted in his technical background. “I wanted to apply my knowledge in AI and machine learning to real problems companies face. There’s a big gap between theory and real-life business constraints, which made me curious.” Confident in his ability to understand IT architectures, Ulysse saw consulting as the perfect next step.

As Ulysse explored different consulting firms, he was contacted by Nora from the Addestino HR team. “Their core focus on outcome-based transformation immediately stood out as a good fit,” he recalls. “Throughout the interviews, it felt like a close-knit group of like-minded people. It was clear that there’s a strong methodology and support structure in place for every case, but the assignments themselves can vary hugely from one business case to the next.”

Looking back on his onboarding experience, Ulysse points out that no time was wasted. “The first day starts with a traditional pastry breakfast, and then you’re straight into the real work. I didn’t know what to expect, but diving into a first project that very afternoon felt great. It was very hands-on, and I was expected to contribute alongside my team lead from day one.”

There was a lot of information to take in, but that felt familiar to Ulysse after university. “I initially took on a supporting role, running analyses, preparing workshops and building slides. This two-week introductory project eased me into the methodology before moving on to my next assignment.”

“Soon, I moved to a much larger project,” Ulysse says. “We’re developing national sales strategies for a major international telecom player. As external advisors, there’s no room for error. Our work feeds directly into the organisation’s strategy, so our analyses have to be spot on.”

Asked about the learning curve, Ulysse smiles. “A great deal has come together on this project. At first, I leaned on my core strengths from my university days: data analysis and number crunching. My senior colleague, Flor, complemented that with his industry experience. Within a few weeks, I understood how the organisation operates, and I started assisting in workshops and conducting client interviews with teams across different countries.”

Less than a year into the job, Ulysse has already travelled abroad several times. “So far, my work has taken me to Hungary, Austria and Slovakia,” he explains. “This intercultural aspect has been incredibly valuable – especially coming from a multilingual background myself, as a native French speaker in a largely Flanders-based team. Local markets differ widely, and at Addestino our role is to ensure technical consistency and business focus through a shared methodology.”

“My role as a general consultant has sharpened my soft skills, particularly client interaction,” Ulysse notes. “Everyone has their unique communication style, and working with people from different backgrounds, roles and countries helped me get the hang of it quickly. I also had to get up to speed with corporate organisational structures and their typical terminology. Our clients are always pressed for time, so I learned to be rigorous in my analysis, spot information gaps and apply critical thinking to deliver the actionable insights they expect.”

For Ulysse, the variety of intellectual challenges is what makes Addestino especially appealing to graduates with a computer science or engineering background. “Being able to explore so many client industries is a real privilege and something I appreciate every day,” he says. “You need to be comfortable stepping outside a fixed routine and, dare I say it, thinking outside the box.” For those who prefer to stay closer to the technical expertise they built during their degree, there’s also the expert track. This allows consultants to position themselves as true technology experts.

“My view of the IT landscape inside companies has changed,” Ulysse reflects. “I now have a much clearer understanding of the range of roles involved, from solution architecture to product development, and how they fit together. Addestino has shown me what the broader business landscape in Belgium and beyond looks like, the challenges companies are trying to solve, and where we can make a difference with technology.”

What stands out most for Ulysse, however, is the people. “Everyone here thinks fast, challenges one another and is genuinely motivated by their projects. This intellectual intensity helps everyone move forward: ideas are picked up immediately and built upon quickly. This pushes everyone to raise their game – and it’s ultimately what makes working here so much fun.”