365 days at adesso: time to look back

A year ago, I was looking for a job. And not just any job: my first job. Through the many internships I'd had during my studies, I'd come to realize that it wasn't just the job and the salary that mattered. The working conditions, their flexibility, the company's vision and values, the team and work colleagues... In short, the employer is just as important as the assignments.

In October, I embarked on this rather wild quest to find a job that combined:

• Exciting and varied assignments that correspond to what I love about marketing, with a multilingual dimension
• Flexible working conditions
• A dynamic, proactive and positive team
• An employer who trusts its employees

I was well aware that I was asking for a lot. I preferred to think big, and then narrow down my criteria according to what I could find on the market. So that was it: I set out like Arthur in search of the Grail, imagining I'd come back empty-handed.

I won't bore you with the tales of interviews with potential managers with whom there was no feeling coming up, or the details of assignments that turned out to be uninteresting even though they appeared to be attractive on the offers.

Let's get straight to the point: I've landed an interview with adesso.

It was one of the offers I'd put at the top of my list because the assignments matched what I was looking for. But I also had learned to be wary of such offers: they often hide something.

The interview begins. Less than an hour later, the interview ends. With that satisfying feeling that it went well.

Just a few days later, I am offered a second interview. I accept. Once again: very good feeling, the information is clear and consistent. All my questions are answered. I am told they'd get back to me quickly and inform me whether or not I have been accepted. And so they do: only a few days later, they call me back to tell me that I've been accepted. I reply that I would think about it. I still have applications in progress and wait to hear back from other interviews.

I compile a list of pros and cons. The equation is simple: there are no cons. Because the assignments match exactly what I am looking for and what my area of expertise is. Because adesso seems to trust and value its employees. Because adesso promotes team spirit on a daily basis and during special events. Because adesso offers flexible working hours and telecommuting. Because adesso offers a wide range of benefits, such as Halbtax Abo reimbursement and annual transport credits. Because, in the end, adesso ticks all the boxes I'd set myself.

The decision is made.

I accept.

Thursday February 1, 2023, 9:00 am, I arrive at the adesso office in Zurich. The human resources person with whom I previously have been in contact only by e-mail, recognizes me and calls me by my first name. I join the group of all new adessi (that's what we call adesso employees). Development staff, consultants, sales, marketing, human resources: everyone is welcomed in the same way, into one single group. The atmosphere is relaxed, all the basics are explained and we receive a small welcome gift, before meeting our respective teams. I feel immediately welcome. For the next few days, my team gives me time to familiarize myself with the tools, the marketing strategy and the company's DNA. Then, together, we define and detail my assignments. I’m given responsibilities right from the start. Trust is quickly established on both sides. In fact, it's a pretty amazing level of "cooperation", and that's not a given in every company.

For over a year now, I'm learning more about marketing every day. I run my own projects, and I'm involved in many others, both with my marketing colleagues and with colleagues from different departments. I had the opportunity to organize several exclusive customer events in Bern, Lausanne and Zurich. I'm in charge of the adesso Schweiz website with my colleague Céline (those who know me are aware that this is my favorite thing to do ;)). Above all, I was able to learn a lot about CRM - Customer Relationship Management. As the tool is relatively complex, I needed a little time to really get familiar with it. But I could always count on the support of my colleague Corinna, who already is experienced on the platform and Marketing Automation, as well as our colleagues at the headquarters in Germany.

It's a real team effort, at every level of each assignment, which enables us to achieve a definite level of productivity on a daily basis.

And that's not all. I'm also learning to gain self-confidence and to push myself. I give the best of myself, for an employer who gives me the best of itself. Every day, I work alongside inspiring people, experts in their field, who lift me up. I work flexible hours and have an excellent work-life balance, encouraged by my management.

In a nutshell, after one year, the standards that you have just read about and that I had set myself when I started my search are more than fulfilled.

I have found my place.

In my one year at adesso, I've had the opportunity to meet a lot of adessi. adesso cultivates its culture by bringing employees together at several key events:

• Quarterly meetings: held four times a year to keep adessi up to date with adesso Schweiz and adesso Group news.
• Ski weekend: for two days, employees have the opportunity to ski, snowboard, snowshoe or even toboggan in the Swiss mountains. There's no better way to discover a slice of Swiss culture than by meeting colleagues from different offices.
• Christmas dinner: where adessi and their +1 celebrate the end of the year together.
• And last but not least, the famous eduCamp. It consists of a five to six day trip to the Mediterranean coast. More than 300 adessi come together and take part in training courses during the day. At the end of the afternoon, it's time for an adventure with colleagues. Some go for a meal in town, others get on their bikes to explore the coastline, while still others explore the surrounding villages and have a drink while watching the sun set over the sea.

adesso understands that there's more to a company than the day-to-day business. It's a fine balance between mission quality, corporate culture, work-life-balance, team building, flexibility, open-mindedness, trust and much more. It's about offering employees the opportunity to excel, to learn, to be a close-knit team. It's about fulfilling your professional life, while enjoying your private life.

Whether you're in Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Lugano, St. Gallen or Zurich. Whether you speak French, German, Italian or English. Perhaps you too will find a place at adesso.