Meet Kosmosnautes #3: Aline, User Advisor

Aline has been a User Advisor at Kosmos for almost a year. As part of a 15-strong team, she provides functional support to users, answering customer queries on the use of our software solutions.

• Hi Aline! Can you tell us a bit about your background before joining Kosmos?

  Before joining Kosmos, I was working abroad as an international sales assistant for a Japanese company specializing in audiovisual technologies. My job wasn't very similar to what I do now at Kosmos, apart from customer contact, since I was in charge of products for the photovoltaic branch.

• What made you want to join Kosmos?

  I came to Kosmos by chance. A friend of mine was in a similar position, and that's how I heard about the Job title of User Advisor. I applied for a job without having any real experience in this field. Even though I didn't know the job, the fact that it was in the IT field gave me confidence. In my professional career, I've been able to adapt to all kinds of situations. So there was no reason why I couldn't do it!

• Can you tell us what your day-to-day life as a User Advisor is like, as if you had to explain your job to your grandmother?

  My job is to respond to requests from Users who have a problem with the tool, or who would like more information on the settings. I'm in direct contact with the User by telephone or via our ticketing tool, and I respond to the request or resolve the problem encountered.

• What do you love most about your job?

  I love exploring the product and investigating to find the answers to problems! It's a bit like being a detective without being one! It's interesting, the requests are never the same, things aren't presented in the same way, and there's a certain satisfaction in finding the solution.

• What qualities do you think are required for this job?

  It's important to have good contact with people, to be comfortable on the phone and in writing feedback. You also need to be able to take a step back, because if users come to us it's because they're experiencing a problem. This can cause stress and irritation at the time. So it's up to us to reassure them, calm them down and not take things personally. And of course you need to be curious and keen to solve problems.

• An achievement or project that has made you proud?

  The small victories of everyday life are being confronted with a problem on a module that I don't know at all, and finally finding the solution. It's also bringing a knowledge base completely up to date, a laborious task, and being happy to reach the end. Another example: on one of our projects, I was a novice on the subject, and I quickly found myself in the driver's seat. It's great to quickly gain autonomy.

• If you hadn't done this job, what would you have done?

  I was also interested in tourism, because of the languages I speak (English, Japanese, etc.). And while I was abroad, I took the opportunity to take a diploma which is more or less the equivalent of a BTS in Tourism.

• What do you like best about Kosmos?

  I arrived at Kosmos shortly before a quarterly party, so I was able to meet other colleagues I don't usually get to meet at the coffee machine. So it's really nice to have events like this. The atmosphere is extremely important. Doing this work, in a friendly atmosphere, having a certain degree of autonomy and still being able to count on the hierarchy if there's a problem, that's something that counts.
  Thanks to the location of the premises, I have the luxury of walking to work! It also gives me access to a number of restaurants at lunchtime, so I can shop and really get away from it all.

• Can you give us 2 truths and 1 lie about yourself?

  I spent several hours in a Japanese police station with policemen questioning me about an amusement park. I can walk on my hands. I've auditioned to be a teleshopper.

• Do you have a wish or an idea on your Bucket list?

  I'd like to travel alone to an unknown country and discover it off the beaten track. I'd like to avoid the touristy places, without a guide, and get to know the local people. Why not Taiwan, Iceland or South America?