Meet Juan Felipe Salcedo, born and raised in Colombia. He moved to Belgium a few years ago to get his Master’s degree at KU Leuven. Now, he’s working at Projective Group as a Data Science Engineer. We had a chat with Juan Felipe about his academic, professional, and personal journey, and what he likes most about his job. “With data, you can put yourself in any industry, and the statistical concepts will be the same.” Here’s the story of an introverted Colombian in Flanders.
Can you tell us a bit about your academic background?
‘Before coming to Belgium, I did my Bachelor’s in electronics engineering. I had always wanted to do something in robotics or AI, and I thought electronics would be the ideal enabler to get me into that field. But then I started to look more closely at data, which is also needed for robotics. So I decided to do my bachelor’s thesis on algorithms and machine learning. As I finished, I thought: this is something I can see myself doing for a while.’
What was your first job experience like?
‘In Colombia, I started working as a software developer first, because there weren’t many opportunities available in the data field back then. So I thought: let me just get as many tools and skills as I can develop, and those will translate once I find the right opportunity. So that’s what I did, until I got a role as a data scientist at a start-up in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital.’
And what brought you to Belgium?
‘I felt like I still had a lot of learning to do. I wanted to go for my master’s, but it’s not so common to do that in Colombia. So I came to Belgium, to study at KU Leuven. Comparing education in Colombia to Belgium, I would say you get a lot more ownership here to stand up for what you want to learn. In Colombia, it’s more guided. There’s nothing wrong with either of the approaches, but I did struggle with the adjustment at first. I came from a continuous evaluation process, where I was used to putting in the effort during the semester and then being able to assess how much wiggle room I had for the final exam. Here, I needed to focus on nothing but studying for a month straight, and one exam pretty much defined my passing grade.’
Here, people are a bit more reserved, but once you know you can count on someone, you’re pretty much counting on them for the rest of your life.
How did you experience your move to Belgium?
‘I arrived in September 2021, only a week before classes started, and smack down in the middle of the cycling world championship in Leuven. So, it was a hectic and busy time to arrive. It was also my first time traveling to Europe, and I was completely alone, with no one to talk to. I mean, I always wanted to be alone and embrace a new culture, but I hadn’t thought about what it would be like those first few weeks and months. Because when you’re an introvert like me, you have to find a way to come out of your shell and establish new relationships.’
Did you experience a culture shock?
‘The biggest difference between Colombia and Belgium, I would say is the openness of people. But I was always a bit more closed off as a person, so it wasn’t a problem for me. It’s true that people in Colombia are a bit warmer and it’s easier to make friends. But at the same time, you can also lose friends quickly there. Here, people are a bit more reserved, but once you know you can count on someone, you’re pretty much counting on them for the rest of your life.’
Do you enjoy living in Leuven?
‘Yes! I like that Leuven is so small and you can walk everywhere. Though I’d been living and working in the Bogotá before moving to Belgium, I’m originally from Cartagena, a city up in the north of Colombia. To be back in a place that was quite calm, but also vibrant with student life, was a perfect fit for me to start slowly and find my way.’
That’s what I like so much about working with data: you can pretty much put yourself in any industry, and the statistical concepts will pretty much be the same.
Tell us about work. What project are you working on, and what’s your role in it?
‘I’m a Data Science Engineer at Umicore in the Purchasing & Transport department. I’m part of a small team that works on data topics. I’m handling the data engineering part of the reports we build, while also keeping in touch with the business side of things. I like thinking about how we can translate business goals to data requirements. As we gather more data from the procurement process, we also think about how we can exploit the data to create projects or products that can help other departments as well. I’m still relatively new there, but it’s been a good exploration phase so far.’
What do you like most about your job?
‘It’s been a new industry for me, working with customs data and everything. That’s what I like so much about working with data: you can pretty much put yourself in any industry, and the statistical concepts will pretty much be the same. You can extrapolate things from one industry to another. Or if you want to pursue an opportunity elsewhere in the company, you can do that too.’
Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for young graduates who are looking for their first job?
‘I would say: be mindful about it. Don’t take the first job you can get just for the sake of having a job. Think about whether you see yourself in that role, in that company. Take your time to find something that you really see yourself doing for a while. Because if you land a job really fast, but it’s not something you really want to do, then you’ll end up being unhappy.
Think about whether you see yourself in that role, in that company. Take your time to find something that you really see yourself doing for a while.
Also, keep in mind that you’re becoming part of a team. You don’t have to rely only on yourself. When I had my first job, I thought I had to know everything because I had finished school. But actually, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know something – that’s normal! You should be able to rely on your team, and not be afraid to ask for help.’
About Projective Group
Established in 2006, Projective Group is a leading Financial Services change specialist.
We are recognised within the industry as a complete solutions provider, partnering with clients in Financial Services to provide resolutions that are both holistic and pragmatic. We have evolved to become a trusted partner for companies that want to thrive and prosper in an ever-changing Financial Services landscape.
