Anton Vu is a data engineering consultant in Norway. A recent graduate, Anton enjoys collaborating with colleagues and has a relentless drive to learn about new technologies and business applications. He has a natural curiosity for uncovering patterns in data and is deeply passionate about helping clients leverage data-driven insights to create value. In his spare time, Anton enjoys working out, running and bouldering.
It's great to meet you, Anton. Tell us how you started your career in CGI.
I joined CGI in August 2023. I just graduated from the Norwegian School of Economics with a master's degree in business analytics and was looking for my first job. CGI visited my campus, but unfortunately, I wasn’t there that day. Even though I missed the presentation, I looked up CGI and was amazed by what I read about the company and the opportunities.
What made you choose CGI?
One of the reasons I chose CGI is the excellent career opportunities that the company offers as one of the world's largest business and IT consulting services firms with a presence in 400 locations worldwide. CGI is a company where I can learn a lot, not just in my field of work but also in other areas, by collaborating on a variety of assignments and interacting with colleagues from around the world.
Can you tell us a little bit about your role? What do you do at CGI?
I work with databases and data visualization. What I like most about my work is the ability to help our clients, in both the public and private sectors, use data for decision-making. Before analyzing data, we need to ensure the data is fit for purpose – which means cleaning it, formatting it, and ensuring that the databases have accurate data to support clients’ decisions. That’s where someone in my role comes in. It is the perfect career opportunity since I’m passionate about data.
Since you’ve joined, is there a particular experience at CGI that you’d like to highlight?
I’d like to call out our early careers program in Norway. This two-year program is specifically for recent graduates and is intended to equip new CGI Partners with the skills needed when taking on client-facing work. So far, the program has given me the tools and confidence I need to solve different challenges. It’s elevated my communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills. These skills are very valuable and aren’t necessarily taught at university.
I believe the program has set me up for success. I really like that it focuses on each of us as individuals—our strengths, our potential areas for growth and how we can build trusted relationships with clients. We are trained by CGI experts who have on-the-ground experience with clients and large projects, which makes it invaluable in my career journey.
Do you feel your colleagues and leaders support your career growth and development?
Absolutely. Within the first few weeks of being at CGI, I realized that my colleagues at all levels, even senior leadership, are collaborative. My manager and leaders are always accessible. Even with their busy schedules, they try to help me as much as possible. Reaching out when I need help increases my confidence when working with clients. I really appreciate this about CGI’s culture; I want to “pay it forward” one day and support others who can benefit from my expertise.
I am also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science alongside my job. I decided to pursue it to gain a deeper understanding of technology and help me grow my skills and competence as a data expert. My manager supports my education as he knows it’s relevant to my career development and the services and solutions we bring to our clients.
That’s amazing. Can you share the most valuable skill you’ve acquired while working at CGI?
I think the most valuable skill I have learned is building the confidence to communicate with clients. In fact, the first time I accompanied my leader to a client meeting, he let me make a presentation to the client. He was very supportive and gave me a lot of good advice before the meeting as well as feedback after it. Apart from motivating me, this also demonstrated the trust my leaders have in me. I feel there is a strong bond based on trust amongst our team.
It sounds like your career is off to a solid start. Do you see yourself building a career here at CGI?
Yes, I do, and not just because of the various career-related growth opportunities I mentioned. Life at CGI isn’t only about work. It’s about people and community and making connections. There are many group activities that we can choose to participate in – like bouldering at an indoor climbing center and running. Right now, a group of us are training for a race in May. We train together every Wednesday. I enjoy it, and having an active community at work is great.
This is directly related to CGI’s focus on health and well-being, which is a strong part of our culture. Through the company’s global health and well-being program, Oxygen, I have access to many resources and tools that are very relevant to holistic well-being, such as stress management, counseling support, affinity groups and volunteering opportunities.
All in all, CGI offers many career opportunities in different industries and technical fields. I see this as a unique chance to learn different skills and grow my expertise. I hope to be able to work in other countries and on various client projects as part of my career here. I’m really looking forward to what’s to come!
We’re glad you’re part of CGI, Anton. Thank you for sharing your career story!
