What does it mean to be a part of the Junior Consultant Program at IFS?
Every university graduate’s big challenge is landing that first job. I am not talking about the challenge of
finding it, but all of the other dilemmas that come to mind in terms of which is the right company, what
kind of work can I actually do, and will I enjoy it over the long-run. Personally, I was very concerned with
finding the right company, where I could feel like I belonged and at the same time could contribute. I have
now been a part of the IFS Junior Consultant Program 2015 for half a year and here is why I like it and could
not imagine a better place to work.
The beginning of the program was really impressive and intensive; simply put: awesome. All of the
Scandinavian Juniors first gathered for the local introduction in Gothenburg to meet each other and learn
more about IFS as well as HR practicalities. Straight after, the Scandinavian Juniors joined the trainees of
the IFS UK office for an intensive, one-week training on good consulting principles, which also gave us a
chance to broaden our network outside of the Scandinavian organization. The highlight of the training was
a 4-week IFS application training in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Monday to Friday we had the pleasure of being
trained in the newest version of IFS Application 9 by very experienced R&D center colleagues in the areas of
Finance, Manufacturing, Maintenance, HR, etc. To use the opportunity and explore Sri Lanka, the
Scandinavian Juniors and two more colleagues from the support organization had three amazing weekend
trips with kite surfing, exploring and enjoying the great beaches. Even though the training month was
intense, we felt that we had learned the basics and were ready to step into our first real assignment,
accompanied by our mentors.
My first assignment was a master data project at Maersk Drilling. From day one, I have felt that despite I
am not that experienced in the application and consulting principles, my opinion, willingness to learn and
hard work has been encouraged by my mentor and other colleagues. The mentorship experience is
probably one of the highlights of Junior Consultant Program for me as there is an immediate deep dive into
a real case project while at the same time feeling safe that there is always a very experienced colleague to
call on for guidance. Being exposed to the discussions with the client from day one is very rewarding.
Therefore my first assignment has been with a steep learning curve and without the stress of missing
something important.
What I enjoy about IFS the most is the family-like culture that we have within the organization, where you
can reach out to colleagues you have never met before and get sincere support and the best quality advice.
IFS is a rather flat organization and I have had multiple great conversations with senior colleagues about
the company’s performance, approach to clients and various possibilities ahead. It is a very pleasing feeling
to be constantly asked for feedback on how your daily job is going, what can be improved and where do
you see yourself in the future at the same time receiving assistance on how can you perform better. Lastly,
IFS is constantly working with multiple clients at the same time, so even if your current assignment is not
the exact match for you, there are always opportunities to do something else. The everyday job is not only
about consulting, but also about strengthening IT knowledge. This gives you a great chance to specialize or
become one of the greatest generalists. The best part of it is you get to choose which one you want!
I am finishing off my second assignment at the time of writing this post and I am looking forward to many
more challenging and exciting projects to come. I am also looking forward to meeting all the other Juniors
of this year in the quarterly Junior Program in a few weeks.