Your first project at COMPLION – Why IT regulation is an ideal start for young professionals
Are you a graduate or young professional wondering what your first project at COMPLION could look like when you start your career? Perhaps you're thinking of exciting IT projects, major transformation processes or digital innovations. That's right! But you're probably not thinking about IT regulation.
Sounds dry at first? But it's not. In fact, it's the ideal start for career starters and I'll tell you why.
I would like to show you what IT regulation is, what your tasks in the project at COMPLION look like and what skill set you should have in order to successfully master your tasks.
What is behind IT regulation?
IT regulation sounds complicated at first, but it simply means that companies must comply with certain rules and laws so that their IT functions securely and reliably in accordance with legal requirements. These rules come from authorities or supervisory bodies, for example, and are intended to ensure that companies protect important data and that their IT systems function stably and reliably.
Companies that work with sensitive data in particular - such as banks, insurance companies, telecommunications or healthcare companies - have more and more regulations to comply with.
The challenge here is for companies to ensure that they recognize and understand new regulations at an early stage and implement the right measures to comply with them. Maintaining an overview is often not that easy. In addition, companies do not choose these requirements. They come from "outside" and for employees this means additional tasks that often do not arise from day-to-day business but are added "on top". And these issues are often urgent because there are deadlines or the threat of penalties in place.
This is exactly where you come in as a consultant. You help to understand the requirements, find gaps and develop solutions together with the company so that the company's compliance is established with as few resources as possible and day-to-day business can continue.
Why are consulting projects in IT regulation ideal for your career start?
As a young professional, you lack experience and expertise in specialist project topics. This is exactly where a project in IT regulation comes in. Just like in your apprenticeship or studies, you are building up fundamentally new topics for yourself.
New regulations are often uncharted territory for the companies concerned. There are usually no fixed processes, ready-made solutions or empirical values. You can therefore help shape topics right from the start.
Your advantages in IT regulatory affairs as a first project consultant are:
Clear rules: You work with laws, guidelines and standards. The requirements are clearly documented. You don't have to be a legal or IT genius or "reinvent the wheel“ but can use existing sources as a guide.
Lack of best practice: You enter this topic with your customer and develop the topics further together with them. As there are no fixed processes yet, you can contribute your own ideas even without years of experience and play an active role in shaping them.
High impact: For many companies, IT regulation is a new topic that is added to normal operations. There is often no fixed day-to-day business here and companies are grateful for the support. Your contribution helps companies to comply with legal requirements and avoid penalties. This also makes you visible and relevant to clients as a new consultant.
What tasks await you in your first project in IT regulation at COMPLION?
In an IT regulatory project, you will take on a variety of tasks right from the start. You first analyze which regulatory requirements apply to the customer and which specific requirements arise from this. You then compare the current status of the company with the legal requirements in a GAP analysis to find out where there are still gaps. On this basis, you develop action plans that define exactly what needs to be done to close these gaps. At the same time, you will ensure that all results, decisions and measures are coordinated with your client. You will be in close contact with the various areas of the company. You coordinate with your client's stakeholders, such as the IT, compliance or legal department, to develop solutions together.
Of course, you are never alone. At COMPLION, your colleagues are always part of the project team. You work closely with them, but everyone drives different parts of the project forward independently. In addition, regardless of the project, you will always have your personal mentor at your side, who will accompany you throughout your projects and support you in your personal and professional development within. In this way, you will gradually take on more responsibility in the project and quickly develop your technical, communicative and methodological skills, especially in IT regulatory affairs. This will prepare you well for further projects in other areas.
What skillset should you bring with you?
As you can see, you don't need years of professional experience or to be a fully qualified lawyer or computer scientist for your first project in IT regulation, but the following qualities will help you:
Openness: IT regulation is a dynamic field that is constantly on the move: new laws, new standards, new challenges. It is therefore important that you are willing and keen to familiarize yourself with new topics, even if they sound unfamiliar at first glance.
Interest in IT topics: Even if you don't have to be a computer scientist, it is an advantage if you are also interested in the content that you have to deal with in depth. You will encounter technical terms, IT systems and corresponding processes. In order to understand this digital world of a company, a certain affinity for IT is important for understanding and implementing regulatory requirements.
Enjoy analytical thinking: To understand regulatory requirements and translate them into measures, you need an analytical mindset. It's important that you don't shy away from challenges, but instead instinctively respond to them logically and solve problems in a structured way.
Care and accuracy: Structure, order and clarity are very important here. This is because regulatory requirements are very detailed, precisely formulated and structured. It is important to take a close look and work cleanly. With a good eye for detail, you can make the difference here.
Strong communication skills: As a consultant, you are the link between different departments, such as IT, Compliance and Legal. You help to proactively bring all relevant stakeholders to the table. You have to listen, explain things clearly, mediate and develop solutions together with others. You never make decisions without your client and take your colleagues and project leads along with you as your project topics develop. As you can see, it is essential to be communicative as a consultant. If you enjoy interacting with different people, COMPLION is the right place for you.
Take the plunge!
Many people have respect for IT regulation. Yet it is the perfect mix of structure, challenge and creative freedom, especially for career starters.
With COMPLION you get your chance to get into IT regulation!
If this article has piqued your interest and you would like to start your career as a consultant at COMPLION, please send us your application: karriere@complion.de
Author: Florian Müller