03 / 09 / 2024
What do you get when you mix curiosity, self-education and a good portion of guts? Joery Van den Bosch! Although he started his professional career as a carpenter, a pure fascination for computers changed his course and he entered the world of IT. He soon made a name for himself and is now Modern Workplace Architect at Arxus as well as a Microsoft MVP. This is his story!
Let us tell you an anecdote, one that immediately shows what kind of person Joery is. He was already creating a stir in the IT world from the very beginning. At the warehouse where he worked (as a non-IT person), the company encountered a system problem that the internal IT experts couldn't figure out. “Gee, I might be able to fix that”, Joery thought, and he promptly created a piece of code in his spare time that indeed saved the day. As you can imagine, it didn't take long for him to find his way into the IT department. Amazing how to you can turn your hobby into your job!
Years later, Joery is a fixture within the Modern Workplace Team. "I focus on Intune”, Joery explains, "a cloud management service from Microsoft. When I first started working on it, it was still fairly niche, something that not many others wanted to venture into, but I rather saw it as a challenge. After a while, it was no longer a complex puzzle, but something that kept me on my toes, a way for me to keep learning and growing. I appreciated that." Meanwhile, the tool has become a significant part of modern IT infrastructures, so Joery's role has evolved too. He now leads a strong team, guiding them through strategies, customer contacts and Intune implementations in other companies.
As everyone in the tech world knows, becoming a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) is quite an achievement. It means Microsoft recognises you as a specialist in their technology and as someone who helps the Microsoft community by sharing their knowledge, as Joery does with his blog. "You could distinguish three steps”, Joery believes. "Namely: you are an expert, you actually like doing what you do, and you share that with the world. The best MVPs excel mainly in that second aspect: they enjoy doing what they do so much that their content resonates as a result. And that’s why they’re effectively seen as an authority within their field."
Joery being an MVP is extra special, because only three other people in Belgium within the Enterprise & Mobility field have that status. Surely this shows that it is not something you can obtain easily; you really have to prove your expertise and knowledge to the community. "Arxus supported me tremendously on my MVP journey”, says Joery. "They understood how important this was for me, and actually by extension for the wider community. I am very grateful to them for that."
Something Joery is adamant about is that there is no real difference at Arxus between someone who is a permanent employee and someone who works here as a freelancer: "Freelancing at Arxus does not make me an outsider, quite the contrary. Arxus has simply embraced it and supported me. Something I really appreciate is the fact that I can invoice non-billable hours as research and internal development. That way, I don't lose income AND I can continue to learn, making my contributions even more valuable. I find this approach genuinely refreshing and motivating."
We are happy that Joery recognises and reflects our intent because that is truly what we wish to represent. Inclusiveness should never become an empty promise. We insist that everyone here is equally important, can participate in team-building events, and count on the same perks. "I definitely feel part of the team and am always involved in whatever Arxus does or organises. As a result, I feel connected to the company and an integral part of the team”, Joery concludes.
Every newcomer is assigned a buddy, someone to show you around, and a kind of mentor or first point of contact to turn to if you’ve got questions. "Whenever I talk to applicants, I mention that as a big plus. Yes, that buddy could be me”, Joery laughs. "In any case, it shows that we are here for each other as a team. Innovation and your (professional and personal) path are paramount here, and we work together to achieve our goals. It doesn't matter what your journey looks like or who you are; you can count on our help and respect. So, I would say join us”, he states cheerfully. Which, we have to say, we can only agree with!
Or excited to join the Modern Workplace Team, like Joery? Check out our vacancies page. We hope to get to know you soon!
