{"id":75213,"date":"2026-09-30T13:47:56","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T11:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alistar.net\/?post_type=hr-story&p=75213"},"modified":"2026-09-30T17:27:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T15:27:38","slug":"tomas","status":"publish","type":"hr-story","link":"https:\/\/alistar.net\/en\/werken-bij\/verhalen\/tomas\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAfter a few months, I was put in charge of a set of applications. I found that challenging, but also really enjoyable.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tomas Baars has been part of Alistar for over four years, where he is currently an Experienced Consultant in the Next phase of the IT Growth Program. He has developed into an experienced Mendix DevOps Engineer and optimizes applications for the IT consulting firm\u2019s clients, both independently and as part of a team. Tomas takes us on a journey through his professional growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomas began his career with a creative background: media design, game design, and illustration. While studying at both media college and art school, he discovered his passion for coding. \u201cWe had quite a few programming classes, and I always enjoyed them because you see immediate results,\u201d Tomas says, taking us back to the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After art school, he worked briefly as an entrepreneur and even developed an educational game for a museum. \u201cStill, I found that it offered little stability or future prospects,\u201d Tomas says. \u201cA lot of the work is freelance, and you really have to be among the best to make a good living that way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d always told myself: if things don\u2019t work out, I can always go into IT. Low-code appealed to me, and Alistar responded quickly, made me feel like they cared, and offered exactly the direction in which I wanted to grow. That made the switch a logical choice,\u201d continues Tomas, who decided to start at the\u00a0IT Traineeship Program<\/a>\u00a0of the IT consulting firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various assignments involving responsibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tomas\u2019s first assignment through Alistar was at the NOS, during a turbulent period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Winter Olympics in China, and the start of the war in Ukraine. \u2019That was a remarkable start right off the bat. The NOS was an exceptional place to work, because despite the pandemic, the news had to keep going.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI worked at the service desk, helping people over the phone, and sometimes I literally had to run into the studio when something went wrong. Later, I led a project to replace desktops with laptops, even in the executive department. Although the assignment only lasted three months, it was intense but incredibly educational.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomas then worked for a year and a half at Rabobank in the Identity & Access Management department, where he performed operational tasks and assisted colleagues with access rights and requests. This was followed by a position as a functional application administrator at BAM. \u201cI was given more and more responsibility there, including full applications. It was nice to have autonomy and to organize my own day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter a few months, I was put in charge of a set of applications. I found that exciting, but also really enjoyable: I liaised directly with stakeholders and felt taken seriously because my input was sought, for example, when improving an online environment. A senior colleague supported me when needed, which gave me both confidence and the freedom to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

After a few months, I was in charge of a set of applications. I found that exciting, but also really fun.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Adding Value with Mendix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After leaving BAM, Tomas returned to Rabobank as a Mendix DevOps Engineer. There, he currently works on several applications based on Mendix, a low-code platform that allows applications to be built and customized quickly, either independently or in collaboration with a team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt Rabobank, they work with what are called \u201dfactory lines\u201c\u2014small subteams that focus on a group of applications,\u201d Tomas explains. \u201cWithin the team, I work in two subteams, which for me means close collaboration and attending a lot of Scrum meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI manage one of the Mendix applications entirely on my own, which gives me a lot of autonomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dThe other is a large-scale global application that is still under development and will eventually be used worldwide. This makes the project both challenging and interesting. Moreover, the combination of collaboration and independence really energizes me.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve wanted to work with low-code ever since I started at Alistar,\u201d says Tomas. \u201cI\u2019d already done some research on my own, and Mendix stood out as a powerful platform with a lot of possibilities. So even before the Deep Dive began, I\u2019d already been exploring the platform and building small things using my work account.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creative Thinking and Proactivity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

His decision to join the IT Growth program has proven to be the right one, says Tomas: \u201cIt clicked right away. The combination of creative thinking, logic, and quick results suits me. So when the Deep Dive began, it made sense to choose the application track and Mendix.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

In Mendix and low-code development, you have to think a lot in terms of both logic and visuals, and that aligns well with my background in animation and illustration.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

His creative background continues to help him find solutions to complex client challenges. \u201cI think differently now, come up with unexpected solutions, and work in a visual and structured way. Creativity allows you to look at problems from a different angle and come up with solutions that aren\u2019t always conventional.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking with Mendix and low-code requires a lot of logical and visual thinking, which aligns well with my background in animation and illustration. My previous experience as an entrepreneur also helps me in my work: taking responsibility, creating my own structure, and being proactive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue to Grow and Develop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the past four years, Tomas has learned a great deal and grown significantly. \u201cDuring my professional development program at Alistar, peer review sessions and soft-skills training were particularly valuable to me. And the training sessions led by Guido (Geenen), a management and team coach\u2014especially those focused on presenting\u2014really helped me a lot. Those soft skills come in handy every day now and also help me collaborate more effectively with clients and stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomas\u2019s sights are set on further development and growth in the future as well: \u201cI\u2019d like to advance to a more leadership-oriented role, such as Mendix Lead,\u201d he says. \u201cTo do that, you need to have led multiple projects and earned higher certifications, among other things. That takes time, but that\u2019s exactly the path I want to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also wants to actively contribute to the community and knowledge sharing within Alistar, which benefits both clients and colleagues. \u201cI enjoy staying involved in the community, such as the Mendix meetups and the annual Capture the Flag hackathon, which I\u2019ve participated in with colleagues before. By sharing knowledge and developing new skills, I can also deliver valuable solutions to our clients more quickly.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How Tomas Baars Advanced to Become a Mendix DevOps Engineer at Alistar.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":75322,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"tags":[],"hr-thema":[],"hr-vakgebied":[],"class_list":["post-75213","hr-story","type-hr-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cNa een paar maanden was ik verantwoordelijk voor een set applicaties. 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