Three months with VI | Julian

Three months into my role at VI Fintech, and I can say this has been one of the most challenging and rewarding starts to a job I’ve ever had.

Stepping into a Client Success Manager role for the first time, I knew I’d be learning a lot. I just didn’t expect how fast and how much.

From day one, I’ve been encouraged to think critically and take ownership. This is not a place where you get spoon-fed answers and that’s a good thing. The team is always willing to help, but the expectation is that you come with a plan and a few questions. One of the most satisfying moments is when I run an approach past the team and get a thoughtful nod and a “I think that would be prudent.” It sounds small, but it feels huge, a quiet signal that you’re on the right track.

Learning our internal system has been its own journey. It’s not the most intuitive tool at first, but once it clicks, it becomes incredibly useful and great to use. That learning curve reflects a bigger theme here: the tools and processes might seem overwhelming initially, but with effort and persistence, like an ergonomic chair - they start to work with you and not against you.

This role has forced me to be adaptive. Every day brings new issues and conversations across areas I haven’t had exposure to before, both technical and strategic and working around a technical team full of genuinely sharp and technical minds, things will fall outside your comfort zone, but that’s part of the point and is how you grow.

A popular analogy here is that we’re all on a rollercoaster and as the work gets more complex, it becomes more fun, tighter loops, bigger dips. If you fall off, meaning, you’ve totally lost the thread of a conversation or process it’s challenging to get back on unless you speak up, and that is where you have to be comfortable admitting when you don’t know something. It’s not just encouraged, it’s necessary.

I’m still finding my footing in some ways, but these first three months have given me a strong foundation. I’m learning to trust my judgement, ask better questions and most importantly – to have my pencil sharp, notebook open, ready for when the high ranking officials step into the room.