Interview Mattias De Coninck
Can you explain what kind of work you have been doing?
I am currently full-time staffed at a client in the retail sector. There I am taking on the role of BI consultant in order to report on both the operational and budgetary inquiries the client may have. The operational aspect mainly tackles reporting the uptime, downtime, availability, etc. of cloud resources. Here my previous experience as a software engineer really comes in handy. This because I have worked with most of the cloud resources giving me a better understanding of what other metrics might be useful for the client.
What are your specialties?
As previously mentioned I used to be a software engineer at a big four company. This makes it so that I can easily find my way around most API integrations and that I can use code to solve some issues standard BI tools might not be able to solve. Besides the technical aspect, it also ensured that I am familiar with an agile way of working and the tools surrounding it (jira, Azure DevOps, etc.).
What does an ideal project look like for you?
My ideal project involves tackling problems in an end-to-end approach. This starts with the architecture side, looking at the problem and determining which tools or methodologies should be used. It ends at actually implementing the proposed solution in the team. This ensures that you have an understanding of the why and how.
What is an ideal day off for you?
My days start at around 7 am, to be more accurate it should start at 7 am. I have the habit of pressing the snooze button at least once. So when I start my day at 7.15 am I immediately take a quick shower to wash off any remaining fatigue. Afterward, I grab a quick breakfast and make sure that I am in front of my laptop somewhat before 8 am. Most of the time I just navigate to Azure DevOps and start working on the first ticket in my backlog. At 12oclock I eat lunch with my girlfriend and take some time to catch up about how our days are going. Once back at the desk around 1 pm I try to have status sync with my team lead to tackle any blockers I may have encountered while working on the backlog. Once synced I work till around 6 pm until I close my laptop and start preparing dinner. On Wednesdays and Fridays, my days end with a Kyokushin karate class which is perfect to unwind at the end of the day.
What is your favorite holiday destination?
That would be Japan. I have gone there twice already but feel like I have seen so little of the country. My fascination with japan comes from the sport I practice, Kyokushin karate (full contact karate). On my first visit, I had the privilege to train at the dojo of a former world champion in Tokyo. Besides the karate aspect, one must appreciate the unique culture and climate of the country. The beautiful imperial palaces are nothing like the robust castles we are used to in Europe. All in all, I really love the country and can’t wait to visit it a third time!
