Cody

Tell me about what brought you to Capgemini.

I was very drawn to the consulting industry. Coming out of grad school, I was able to do a data analytics program at Louisiana State University, and I saw Capgemini at the career fair. A couple of my colleagues and I had gone through some of the companies that were going to the career fair, trying to figure out how many companies there are doing data analytics roles to begin with. And obviously as a tech firm, as a big player in the consulting space, Capgemini has a lot of different offerings. So, they found their way on the short list of companies that I was really interested in talking with. One thing I was excited about with consulting is the opportunity to learn something new every day. So, I onboarded with the company in 2019.

 They took a lot of chances on a lot of kids, bringing us in. I’m sure a lot of us feel like we had imposter syndrome when we joined the company, and they did a great job of ensuring us that we were here for a reason and to trust in ourselves, to believe in ourselves, to know that we are able to add value even if we are fresh in the company. And so I think that’s something that’s a little bit unique, that Capgemini [invests] in new hires. A lot of times other companies might not have that same investment that Capgemini does, and that’s part of the company culture that I think really holds true here.

How has Capgemini supported your growth professionally and/or personally?

They make sure to let you know that nothing’s off the table and that if you wanted to do something, it’s up to you to go and do it, to get the future that you want, as we like to say here. And they’re always very encouraging. Whenever you’re given an opportunity, they’re more than willing to talk through it with you, even if it’s something that might take them or take you out of their team. They aren’t necessarily going to focus on their own interests, but they want to know what your interests are. Where do you see yourself? Where do you want to be and how can you get there?

 We have a litany of different resources that you can utilize to upskill yourself, cross skill yourself, get certifications, get onto new roles. Your practice staffing partner always puts you in a position to be successful.

There’s a lot of different ways that I’ve been able to upskill or cross skill myself. I have a large interest in project management, and since joining the company in 2019, there’s that Safe for Teams initiative that they try to make sure that all of the new hires go through, as well as a lot of SSP certifications. So I’ve been able to ascertain three project management certifications just in my time alone to make sure that I’m available for those opportunities if they were able to present themselves.

What do you love the most about Capgemini?

Everybody’s available to everybody, and I think that’s really unique. There’s no intimidation. There’s no reason to be scared. And I really cherish that because, when you go to a client site, you are the face of Capgemini and everybody’s supposed to put the best foot forward. And to have the backing and to have the support of leadership, of management, I think really puts some wind behind the sails, especially as people are starting their career, and the company culture here is just so supportive and so inclusive. It’s one of the big reasons that I’ve remained at the company.

What advice would you give someone joining Capgemini?

The best piece of advice I think I can give  might be a two-parter. One, you’re here for a reason. You’re joining a big company, don’t worry about it. We go through the resumes with a fine tooth comb. We go through the interviews, you made it through. You’re here for a reason. They saw something in you. They saw something on your resume. They believed in you. You convinced them that you were deserving of a spot here. Trust in yourself, trust in your abilities, and work hard. The second piece of advice would be to always say yes. There’s going to be as many opportunities as you can possibly imagine come through your email or come across your desk, and you never know what could happen if you say yes.

How is Capgemini helping you get the future you want?

I think Capgemini provides you every opportunity you need to be successful. At the end of the day, you can’t look back and say, “Well, Capgemini didn’t allow me to do this, or I wasn’t provided the opportunity to go seek this out.” If I wanted to be on a role in finance, I can go to the practice staffing partner and say, “Hey, I did a certification, you can staff me on this project.” Or “I found this role that’s available. Can you put me on it?” Or “Can you propose me for this role?” Or “I’m really interested in learning more about this.” Or, “I would like to go back to school.” We have all of these different programs here at Capgemini that allow us to explore what we want to explore.