“I thought you just scanned your badge, plugged in the cable and that was it.”
A few months later, Wout is helping to keep everything behind the scenes running smoothly.
Since June 2025, he has held a degree in Internet of Things from KdG Antwerp. Today, he is an ICT & Technology Support Officer at STROOHM, where he is part of Sander’s team.
His first steps into working life happened quickly. Very quickly, in fact.
“I was actually about to take another job, mainly because I needed to work. Then STROOHM came along. Today, I’m especially happy that I got the opportunity.”
A broad foundation to build on
“It was a very practical course. We had lots of guest lecturers and learned to work both independently and as part of a team. You get exposure to lots of different things and can then specialise further. I can really see today how much that foundation helps me.”
That didn’t mean he knew everything when he joined STROOHM. Quite the opposite.
“I had never seen almost any of the applications we use here. But I do understand the basics and what happens behind those systems. From there, I can keep learning.”
And that is exactly what he is doing today.
What actually happens behind a charging session?
Wout helps manage charge points and SIM cards and makes sure the underlying applications and flows keep running. Internally, he also helps make sure colleagues can work with as few IT-related issues as possible.
Before joining STROOHM, he had no idea how much technology sits behind a single charging session.
“I genuinely thought you just scanned your badge, plugged in the cable and that was it,” he laughs. “I never expected how much was involved.”
Payment flows, roaming, users, settings, APNs, SIM cards and different types of charge points: the list quickly grew.
“Actually, they’re all logical things. But as a user, you don’t realise how many systems need to work together in the background.”
Barely started, already in the middle of a migration
Wout didn’t get much time to quietly observe from the sidelines.
He joined STROOHM during a period of major change. The merger had only just been completed, and barely a month after he started, a major migration to a new platform began.
“I really enjoyed it. It was a huge amount of information, but I immediately saw how much was happening behind the scenes. My first reaction was mainly: wow, how much needs to be done here?”
He was introduced to tight deadlines, daily stand-ups, international meetings, different stakeholders and the meticulous detection and follow-up of errors.
“Everything moved very quickly, but it was incredibly educational. You see how a project like that is organised and how many people and systems need to work together to make it successful.”
As a result, working life looks a little different from what he expected during his studies.
“I thought I would mainly be developing software. I’m still interested in programming and data, but I’m happy that I can start out broadly today. That allows me to discover where I want to grow next: data, IT project management and perhaps one day leadership.”
Leadership started on the football pitch
That last ambition didn’t come out of nowhere.
Between the ages of twelve and sixteen, Wout was captain of his football team. He learned early on what it means to take responsibility.
“As captain, you speak to the team, set an example and sometimes you also have to deliver messages that aren’t so pleasant.”
Later, he worked in the events sector, where he was already leading a team at the age of twenty.
What attracts him to leadership?
Achieving results together with a team. And if things don’t work, also having the courage to take responsibility yourself.
An important lesson came from his father, who was first sergeant with the fire brigade.
“He always said that sometimes it’s better to stay calm, think twice and take a step back to keep an overview. Sometimes you move forward faster by slowing down than by recklessly rushing ahead.”
A Gen Z’er? “Just call me Wout.”
Wout is young, so he automatically gets the Gen Z label.
He doesn’t think too much of it himself.
“Gen Z? I don’t really understand why we’re so focused on it,” he laughs. “And phrases like ‘the youth of today’ can probably retire by now too.”
According to him, age says little about what someone can contribute.
“You can be older than me and have less IT experience. I can be younger and know more in certain areas. Tomorrow, it could be the other way around. That has nothing to do with your value.”
So no Gen Z versus millennials or boomers. Just colleagues who can learn from one another.
“You shouldn’t feel inferior just because you’re young. You should simply respect what everyone brings to the table.”
“A job advert never tells the whole story”
To other young people at the start of their careers, Wout has one more piece of advice: don’t just choose the first job that comes along.
“Go for the interview, even if you’re not yet sure whether the vacancy is right for you. A job advert never tells the whole story.”
“Ask questions,” he says. “What does a typical working day look like? Who will you be working with? What can you learn?”
“During an interview like that, you often realise very quickly whether you’ll feel at home somewhere. And even if it doesn’t work out, you will always have learned something.”
Today, he feels he is in the right place.
“I get great feedback, I get to work on interesting projects and I feel appreciated. Above all, I’m happy to be here and to have the opportunity to grow.”
His favourite quote sums him up well…
“Live a life you will remember.”
For Wout, that mainly means daring to make mistakes, gaining experience and not forgetting to enjoy the moment along the way.
Happy to have you on board Wout!