meet the experts – Irene Guidarelli

“Making it all come together, ‘that’s what it’s all about for me.”

Shake it up. That’s what Italian-born Irene Guidarelli and her boyfriend thought five years ago. They both had jobs, lived in Rome, and, yes, the weather was great over there, just like the food. But they felt the world had something more in store for them. “I studied international relationships and political science and worked in cultural mediation as a project manager. It was a nice job, but there was no possibility of growing further. My boyfriend, who is a mechanical engineer, felt the same. So, when he learned about a master’s program in the automotive department at the HAN University in Arnhem, we decided to take a leap of faith. That’s how we ended up in Nijmegen.”

Sounds great, but reinventing yourself is not as simple as you might think.
Irene says: “The first few months were a bit of a struggle. I had no job and did not know what I wanted exactly. It was kind of a life crisis. But then, with a little help from a recruitment agency, I found Ynvolve. I had no background in IT whatsoever; everything was completely new to me. Still, I’m so glad we took that step because it really opened up a new career for me and a new phase in my life. Partly because I found the best work environment possible. The international vibe is great. I love the job, and my colleagues are also my friends.”

Still, you had to learn everything from scratch.

“Absolutely. We didn’t have an ‘onboarding program’ like we have now. So, it was a lot of learning from my colleagues. For the first four months, I sat next to my teammate. I was just looking, asking questions, absorbing as much as possible, and building my knowledge database. Today, it’s a little bit easier because of the onboarding program – which I partly helped create. It makes the first few months a bit easier for new colleagues. Still, you have to learn a lot yourself. And not only in the beginning. I’m still learning every day because the tech industry is evolving constantly, and you must keep up. This means checking the right blogs, reading up, and talking to people in the industry. That last part is especially important; that’s where you get the real ‘juice,’ that’s how you know what to buy – and what not to buy. So, sitting back and relaxing is never an option. But that’s what I like about this job. It’s who I am, actually. If you push me into the water, I’ll swim.”

Any advice when it comes to talking to clients or prospects?

“I try not to overthink it. After all, they are just people. When I go to events, I focus on fostering new and existing relationships. I try to be welcoming and make everyone feel comfortable when they are talking to me. I just go with the flow.”

You are a stock team lead. What do you like about this job?

“The fact that there’s always something new to learn, my job is always stimulating. And I truly like having to find solutions constantly. It’s like solving puzzles every day. Being the stock team lead involves not only finding and negotiating the right opportunities for optimal inventory management, but also creating a synergy among team members to ensure efficient and effective stock handling. Making it all come together, that’s what it’s all about for me.”