A career at Blue Soft punctuated by Certifications

Before joining Blue Soft, Ludovic started his career in 2006 in an IT consulting firm as a .Net design and development engineer. In 2015, when this company was acquired by Blue Soft, Ludovic continued his collaboration with us, and is now responsible for our Office 365 & Sharepoint Service Center. A career evolution that he owes to his thirst for learning and continuous improvement. This thirst has allowed him to work on projects for prestigious customers such as Louis Vuitton, RTL, Banque de France.... In an interview, Ludovic explains how this evolution has been materialized by numerous certifications, thanks to the support that Blue Soft has given him in this process and in his career, and that he communicates today to his team.

Hello Ludovic. You have many certifications, especially on Microsoft technologies, and you continue to pass them regularly. Can you tell us what motivates you ?

"I've always seen certifications as a way to put the finishing touch on a skill that you can acquire, especially in the field, during your professional life. When you are a developer, you have to evolve with technologies, to strengthen your expertise during a project, to adapt to changes related to editors... To keep up with the times and never feel outdated, I maintain my level of expertise by validating these field skills. Certifications are an excellent way to do this. For example, when Microsoft moved from SharePoint 2010 to SharePoint 2013, I took my certification to make sure I was up to speed on the latest developments in the solution.

It's also a way of gaining professional recognition, especially when it comes to some of the more labor-intensive certifications. I passed a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification with the Project Management Institute, one of the most recognized certifications on the market, and also one of the most demanding. It took me a year, but it also enabled me to progress within the group and structure my role as manager. I already had a few years' experience in project management, and it's a role that I've always taken on in the way I approach my work. Today, however, I find myself working on projects where my role is no longer that of developer, but rather that of coordinator of my team's progress.

In terms of methodology, how do you manage this additional workload?

"In the particular case of PMP certification, the workload is quite substantial, and that's why it's so highly regarded. First of all, you have to take a compulsory 5-day training course, put together a file showing your project management experience, then a panel of judges decides whether you're eligible, and then you have a year to pass the certification. It's important to spread the workload over time.

In particular technical areas, as is the case for Microsoft certifications, passing certifications can be quite quick. It is mainly about validating acquired skills, even if it also requires being a bit academic in one's approach to the technology in question, and as such, to document oneself. Personally, I give myself one month to prepare the certification and to pass it.

As a manager, I also encourage my team members to take this time. My policy is not to impose it because it remains a personal commitment, but out of the 5 employees I work with, all 5 want to go down this path. My role here is to accompany them in their choice of certification and to facilitate the way they will approach the test. I see with each one their desires for evolution, the projects on which they will be working. Together we determine the courses of study and I guide them individually according to their needs. When they need help, it's usually for learning and organization. And while I encourage them, they also know that they have the right to make mistakes, the right to fail. We are not all equal when it comes to exams!"

Do you feel that Blue Soft provides you with the necessary support in your career?

"Absolutely, because these certifications, even if they are essential for obtaining Partner status, particularly with Microsoft, remain individual and personal. At Blue Soft , there's a real mutual commitment. The group provides all the necessary documentation, and allows the certifications to be taken on working time. Blue Soft also covers the registration fees, whether or not the certification is actually obtained."

Can you illustrate what this brings to the employees and the group?

"It's a win-win situation. Encouraging employees to get certified allows them to increase their skills, to demonstrate them, and to Blue Soft to position themselves on large projects.

There are some projects where only providers who are Microsoft Gold Partners are interviewed, and that is our case. To obtain this status, several of us had to pass exams to obtain our certifications. But this puts us in a very good position on many projects that would not otherwise be accessible to us. This is what allows us to work today with prestigious clients, on exciting and large-scale projects!"

What are the next certifications you are aiming for? Do you have any uncertified expertise left?

"There always will be! I also see this approach as a way of keeping abreast of new technologies, which are always changing. That's the great thing about this job, it's always on the move! But my next challenge isn't about technology. Today, I'm strengthening my skills in agile project management, and aiming for the titles of Scrum Master and Product Owner. There are several ways of getting them, and I haven't committed to anything official yet, but I'm sure that Blue Soft will be able to guide me!"