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Name: Demi Paspont
Position: Customer Experience Solutions Consultant

Worked at Orange Business since: September 2024
Based: Brussels, Belgium

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you first came into contact with Orange Business?

I have a background studying languages, English and Dutch, at KU Leuven. During my studies, I realized I was particularly drawn to the logical aspects of languages, which eventually led me to pursue a degree in Artificial Intelligence. With this more atypical background, I struggled a bit with jobs after graduating as I had not studied e.g. Computer Science. I therefore knew that I needed to broaden my search and was interested in graduate programs or academies which is how I eventually found Orange Business.

How was the process for you to join the CX Academy?
My journey with Orange Business started when I found and applied to the Academies. I was initially drawn to the Data Academy, however, during the recruitment process, the team took the time to really understand my background, skills and interest. Based on our conversations they asked if I would be open to joining the CX Academy as they believed it was a good fit for my aspirations and profile. I really appreciated how the people in the process saw me as a person of interest rather than just another candidate. They were genuinely interested in me and what mattered to me. I had a great experience throughout the process and believed it was a great opportunity for me to join a company I really liked and where I believed I could build a strong career.

How was your experience in the academy?
My time in the academy was both interesting and filled with learning opportunities! I have been able to apply a lot of what I learned there in my daily work. Coming from a non-business background, it was a great foundation and has given me the tools to keep up with business related conversations and gain a broader understanding of the field.

We also had soft skills training, and although I had some experience in certain areas, these sessions really helped me improve my presentation skills and better understand different personalities in a work environment. This has been invaluable when working in diverse teams.

After finishing the Academy, you became a Customer Experience Solutions Consultant. However, your journey has not followed the “typical” path. Can you tell us more about it?
As part of the Academy, I shadowed a more senior team member on a project, which gave me insight into what the role actually involved, and I found it very engaging. The more involved I became, the more comfortable and confident I became in a previously very unfamiliar context for me.

Not long after, I was asked if I would be interested in joining an internal AI project. The project was aiming to create internal value for the company by creating a chatbot that could help consultants in their day-to-day life with e.g. functional analysists trying to document a legacy application. So, on a broader level it aimed to improve the employee experience. Given my academic background and strong interest in AI, the opportunity felt like a perfect match. It also allowed me to combine my technical experience with my growing knowledge of customer experience solutions, these things combined made the project more exciting and relevant, and I said yes right away. I had a two-day handover with the previous team member and had to catch up quickly, doing a lot of self-studies on the side. But it did not take long for me to feel on top of the project and like I could genuinely contribute and be a valuable member of the team. 

It felt amazing being part of shaping the direction of the program and involved in the decision-making process. One thing I discovered during this time, much to my surprise, was how much I enjoyed working in a team. I have always considered myself introverted: I like social settings, but I also need time to recharge. Still, being part of a close-knit team working together on a project like this really motivated me.

Are you still working on this project or have you taken on something new?
At the time of this interview, I am working on a customer project for Tenaka for a limited period. Tenaka focuses on restoring and protecting the marine ecosystems including the coral reefs. My role involves retraining the AI model to process images from the underwater monitoring device cameras, so I am basically retraining it at the moment to recognize and identify marine species based on a new batch of images from the equipment.

It is an amazing project that I truly love working on, even though it is very different from my previous one. Since the IP address I work from needs to be whitelisted when working on the project, I have been working from home a lot more. That has been a huge change from the first project where I was at the office often, a contrast that has made me realize how much I enjoy coming into the office, being surrounded by talented people and having those spontaneous interactions.

What interests you the most about the technologies you work with?
Personally, I am most interested in anything related to large language models, like chatbots, translation, summarization and so on. An interest that stems from my background in linguistics. On a broader level, I enjoy learning about new technologies and techniques, figuring out how to implement them, and working towards solutions. I find it really rewarding to see how everything comes together through the tools and technologies used.

What do you personally enjoy the most about working at Orange Business?
Joining Orange Business has really boosted my confidence. Before joining the Academy, I had experienced some setbacks and was looking for stability. Since then, I have started to believe in myself and my abilities more. I feel that I have received the support I needed to grow, and now I know that I am fully capable of doing a great job. I appreciate getting to work on topics that genuinely interest me, while also continuing to develop both technically and personally. For example, I have become more confident with presenting myself and my skills in a work environment, which is something I used to find quite daunting.

From the start, I applied for the Data Academy, but all the spots had already been filled by the time I applied. Despite that, my first interaction with Orange Business was very positive. The people I met took the time to look at my profile and asked if I would be open to joining the CX Academy instead. I really appreciated how the people in the process saw me as a person of interest rather than just another candidate. They were genuinely interested in me and what mattered to me. I had such a great experience that I decided to try it out as it felt like a great opportunity to join a company I really liked and where I believed I could build a strong career.

Soon I was, however, asked if I would be interested in joining an internal AI project, taking over from someone who had been part of the project team. The project was focused on creating internal value for the company by creating a chatbot that could help other consultants in their day-to-day life with e.g. functional analysists trying to document a legacy application. Since AI had been my initial area of interest, I said yes right away. I had a two-day handover with the previous team member and had to catch up quickly, doing a lot of self-studies on the side. But it did not take long for me to feel on top of the project and like I could genuinely contribute and be a valuable member of the team.