Happiness is a job well done

Elisabeth Aylin Mitropapas (27) joined Accenture in September 2021 as an Application Management Services (AMS) team lead. “I’m not afraid to share my opinion. But I always appreciate receiving constructive feedback from my colleagues and finding the best possible solution for our clients together.”

Once you’ve had your morning coffee, what does a typical day look like?

One day can be really calm, and the next day there will be some burning SAP configuration issues! That’s where my team makes a difference. When a client has an issue, we follow it up quickly. We work closely with colleagues involved in the business side of projects. Their input is valuable, especially when an issue first arises. They provide the background and client context so that you understand the system and can give the best possible feedback. It’s very rewarding when the clients are happy with our support and quick reactions.

How do you have an impact working in AMS?

AMS is a bit different from other departments because we don’t work directly on projects. Rather, we solve issues for clients across the board. When I joined, I saw that we needed to be better organized as a team, especially in the way we communicated to clients regarding the actions we are taking and the time scale involved. Bringing more structure has helped to reduce the backlog of open requests. That’s how I have an impact: keeping the backlog as small as possible and all the KPIs green. This makes me happy.

Reading between the lines, you enjoy setting yourself goals. Where do you get your energy?

The people I’m lucky to work with give me energy and keep me motivated. It’s great to be part of such a wonderful team. At Accenture, your colleagues really care about you. They show respect and they always offer constructive feedback so that we find solutions together. We are more like one big family. For example, on my first day at Accenture I was taken through the whole building to meet everyone. Today, I work with a team based in India, but we still have a good connection. It feels like they are working right here in the office with me.

What’s the biggest urban myth about Accenture?

“They’ll squeeze you like lemons” is what I heard! It’s a French expression meaning that you’ll be put under a lot of pressure. Is it a myth or true? Let me share my story of joining Accenture. I checked the recruitment page of Accenture but didn’t apply. One week later a recruiter contacted me for an opportunity at Accenture, wasn’t that a sign of destiny? I decided to go ahead and here I am today. Every job has periods of pressure, but in my experience, the pressure doesn’t come from my colleagues. It’s up to you to manage your workload. You need to organize your agenda and if something changes, you need to be able to reprioritize everything. But at the end of the day, happiness is a job well done, not just meeting Service Level Agreements.

You already speak five languages and you’re learning two more! When do you find time?

I’m really hardworking and I like to keep myself busy, even in my free time! At Accenture, we can choose the days we come into the office. Flexible working is important, especially for the younger generation. So, I come to the office for three days and work at home for the remaining two days. It saves commuting time and it’s easier to pop outside to get some fresh air now and again. Plus of course, I have more time to perfect my languages!

How would you describe your next new colleague?

They should be open minded, analytical, and always have a plan B in case something fails. They need to think out of the box, feel comfortable doing presentations and speaking to clients. Being an extravert probably helps! They also need to be self-reliant, able to learn alone and not just wait for information to come their way. But don’t worry, as a new colleague you’ll always have a full team ready to coach, support and help you!

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