As a functional consultant at Plek you get the freedom to discover for yourself how you can make Plek better. We asked a number of our functional consultants about their expectations, what they do now at Plek and why they get so much energy from their work.
Joep started at Plek in 2019 and after he started as a functional consultant, he quickly progressed to account manager for the non-profit sector. He is still in the right place here ;) Jesper also started as a functional consultant in 2020 and is already specialized in technical issues and integrations as a technical consultant. Olaf started last year as a functional consultant and now has a broader role as a sales manager and is also already responsible for a number of Plek customers as an account manager.
No matter how different each functional consultant ends up later, everyone starts the same. You begin in the Client Success Team working with our customers, forming connections and discovering what technical questions they have. By doing this, you gain core knowledge about our product, learn what our customers need and you become an integral part of the company. People often expect IT solutions to be very technical, but Joep has experienced the opposite. “At the beginning, I was also a bit afraid that I wouldn't be able to follow it technically, even though my interests are there. Fortunately, I soon found out that most questions simply have to do with how best to use Plek. Many of our customers' contact persons are Communications or HR professionals, which makes a big difference. The really technical questions often end up with our development team.”
Due to the frequent contact with customers, you, as a functional consultant, quickly understand what is going on. More importantly, you can see where there are gaps in the service to the customers. The best example of this is Jesper, who developed a completely new function for Plek. “I noticed that there were a lot of questions about different technical implementations that we offer at Plek. But those questions fell into a gray area between the development team and the sales team. Because I found those questions interesting, I proposed to specialize in them. This does indicate that you have the freedom to find out for yourself what you like, and that you have the space to develop your own initiatives.”
The position of a functional consultant at Plek is ideal because they can choose themselves which direction they go in. For example, if you are more commercially interested, you have the ability to move into the sales team, whilst more customer-oriented people progress to consultant or account manager roles. Joep also experienced a lot of freedom here: “I didn't really know what I wanted yet, but because I was allowed to experiment with a lot of different things, I automatically found out what I wanted. I really enjoy having contact with customers and figuring out how they work and what they need.But also helping existing customers to make their Plek better, that really gives me energy.”
"Plek gave me the space to take the initiative and try things out"
Olaf was actually looking for a job in which he could express himself a lot: “It may sound strange, but I couldn't really visualize the market and the product yet. That was a challenge for me, to master a new subject. By stepping out of my comfort zone, it was very exciting, but that's what kept me on my toes. I was also given the opportunity to take the initiative and try things out myself.”
Thanks to the knowledge gained from the Client Success Team you build up a lot of expertise about Plek. In his first months, Jesper learned a lot about technical solutions and integrations, and he still applies that knowledge on a daily basis: “I still work in the Client Success Team for about 2 days, but then I solve the more complex technical questions or keep working on new links. Outside of that, I'm involved in linking internal systems, looking at whether Plek can integrate with more systems and helping account managers answer technical questions. Sometimes I also sit in sales conversations to answer technical questions or show links. That variety makes the work challenging!”
Olaf noticed that the knowledge he gained from the Client Success Team was different from what he now uses in his sales conversations, but it still helps him: “With support you are very concretely looking for solutions, with many customers. That way, I've seen the product from all kinds of angles, which helps me in sales conversations. I can now completely adapt my conversations to the person I have in front of me. Of course, you can memorize a story, but because I really understand it, Plek really comes to life for me.”
Joep adds: “During my time in the Client Success Team, I noticed that customers who had questions about how they could improve their Plek became enthusiastic. I became more and more involved with this, so I eventually set up a periodic evaluation with a number of colleagues. Because of the support experience I have, I know a lot about the functions and layout of Plek, and through customer contact, I know what has helped others. I use this knowledge almost every day to help customers get the most out of their Plek.”
All three functional consultants really enjoy themselves at Plek. Although we are a scale-up, we still have start-up traits. It is a small team, with young and international colleagues. There is a great diversity of work, which is also reflected in the functional consultants in this blog. Usually, the tasks are not very black and white, so you can put a lot of yourself into your work. The job is ideal for a hands-on person who is not afraid to explore and above all who is curious about his or her competences and passions. Are you also looking for a position that allows you to go in all directions? Take a quick look at our vacancies, even if you are looking for something other than a functional consultant!