»Sometimes what’s really needed is for someone to take the lead«
Arjan van Schendel
Senior Consultant
Everyone remembers a defining moment during their career. For Arjan, this moment came when he was promoted to senior consultant and started taking on more leadership responsibilities. »I was put in charge of handling significant changes like data migration and system integration, which required coordination and oversight, not just technical execution.«
As his role evolved, balancing coding with project leadership became increasingly difficult.
»I felt stretched too thin and like I didn’t have enough time to do everything properly. My mentor challenged me to choose one path. That’s when I decided to fully step into a leadership role – and it was just when I decided to let go of my master’s, I left coding behind.«
Letting go of his master’s
Although Arjan completed his bachelor’s degree, he eventually chose not to finish his master’s. The reason? The programme was too theoretical for his interests. »We would spend days improving an algorithm’s speed by two percent. Even though it was satisfying to achieve, it didn’t provide me with a meaningful sense of purpose.« Unsure whether he had chosen the right path, a friend who worked at Netcompany encouraged him to apply for a job there. It was a chance to gain hands-on experience and see if a career in IT felt right.
Initially, the move from university to working life wasn’t meant to be permanent. »I planned to take a six-month break from my master’s and then return to university to finish my degree.« Even after several months at Netcompany, he still imagined returning. »It took some time to make the final decision. Eventually, HR contacted me to ask if I was planning to return to university —that’s when I made the call to let it go. I realised it wasn’t IT I had doubts about, just the academic programme itself.« So, he stayed at Netcompany.
An early start to programming
Looking back, it’s no surprise that Arjan ended up working in IT. »I started experimenting with programming as a teenager,« he recalls. »I wanted to show that building a website wasn’t all that complicated – and that I understood how it worked.« For Arjan, the process was always far more interesting than the end result. »I mostly build hobby websites for myself«, he laughs. »I’d try building projects in various ways, just to prove to myself that I could.«
By the time Arjan reached high school, his path was already clear. »Conversations with guidance counsellors were just a formality. Even as a young teenager, I knew I wanted to study something related to IT.« After graduating from high school, Arjan enrolled in the Computer Science program at TU Delft, starting his bachelor’s degree in 2014.
Gaining hands-on experience
When Arjan first joined Netcompany, he started on a Dutch project before transitioning to a large-scale Danish project. The experience gave him valuable insight into how complex projects operate within the company. »The team had 40-50 developers and was exceptionally well-organised. I was still relatively new, and it felt like a real consultancy project. Going through the full process of analysis, understanding the requirements, building, testing and deploying was both exciting and educational,« he explains.
Learning to lead
After wrapping up the Danish project, Arjan returned to a Dutch team and was promoted to Senior Consultant. He still has a clear memory of the biggest lesson he learned as a new senior.
He was leading a data migration project, surrounded by experienced IT professionals. »I felt the pressure. I was 27, and suddenly it was my responsibility to drive things forward. It was tough,« Arjan remembers.
At first, Arjan hesitated to speak up, assuming others – given their experience – knew what needed to be done. »I didn’t dare to put my foot down when decisions had to be made.«
Eventually, his manager stepped in to push the project forward. »It taught me that sometimes what’s really needed is for someone to take the lead and set a clear direction – and that having the confidence to do so can make a big difference.«
Since then, Arjan has found his own leadership style. He makes sure everyone has room to contribute, but when momentum stalls, he steps up.
»If things take too long, I say: ‘We have a plan. Let’s execute it.«
Ensuring the team works well
As a senior consultant, Arjan now plays an active role in supporting junior colleagues and is working towards becoming a manager. Over time, he has developed a clear sense of what type of leader he aspires to be. »As a leader, I want to facilitate the team’s success by removing obstacles and ensuring everyone can do their best work.«
The transition from coding to leadership wasn’t immediate. It took time to find satisfaction in a role that’s less measurable and more long-term. »When you code, you complete a task, move it on the DevOps board, and get that little dopamine hit. Leadership is different – less defined. Your job is no longer just to deliver, but to create the conditions for others to thrive. That used to feel abstract – now, it’s what motivates me the most.«
