Strictly confidential: the silent fight of a young IT professional

We are happy to share personal cases from our practice. No real names, but real stories. Because the conversations that Buddy has are strictly confidential. This time, we’ll dive into the story of Rico, a young IT consultant who has only just started, but is already struggling with performance pressure, unclear expectations, and a rapid pace of technological change.

Meet Rico, an IT consultant in his early 20s

After high school, Rico went on to study ICT at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. He still lives with his parents (housing shortage). Immediately after graduating in 2023, he was able to start working at an IT consultancy firm that comes up with digital solutions for large e-commerce parties. Rico was seconded to the online department of a well-known DIY store and works as an IT consultant in the team that deals with the digital checkout.

The workload is high and developments are moving fast

Rico is part of a team with mainly young IT people. Peers just as good at their jobs as he is. His Product Owner is Lisa (1993), who also feels the necessary pressure to perform from her manager. She asks a lot of her team members. With the advent of generative AI and the professionalization of cybercrime, developments in the IT world are moving fast. It takes a lot of energy to stay up-to-date and not to be behind the times.

“The codes of interpersonal office life hold more secrets for Rico than computer code.”

A gap in the development of his soft skills

This is Rico’s first official job. As a student, he worked in a café, which gave him the necessary social skills. But because of corona, there is also a gap in the development of his soft skills. The codes of interpersonal office life hold more secrets for Rico than computer code. Much remains undiscussed. He often has to guess what exactly is expected of him. And the competition is high. During evaluation interviews, he says that everything is going well. But Lisa sees something else. She thinks Rico looks tired and comes across as less motivated. She feels that he is holding something back. When she expresses her concerns, Rico shrugs his shoulders. But he looks tense. She is happy to have the opportunity to use Buddy for her team members.

A downward spiral of self-doubt

During the intake interview, it turns out that there are the necessary fears behind the shield that Rico has erected. Am I good enough? Shouldn’t I work even harder? Am I actually in the right place here? Soon I will get a negative review… In addition, he also thinks that everything is wrong. He does not always agree with the assignments he receives and with the decisions Lisa makes.

Because he does not speak out, he ends up in a downward spiral of self-doubt. Together with his coach, he tries to find out where the problem is. What is he afraid of? But also: what gives him energy, where are his ambitions and what is in the way of him taking a step in that direction?

More balance, more energy and more perspective

The two of them draw up an action plan. To find the balance again, but also to take the next step. By actively reflecting on his functioning, motivations and emotional life, Rico discovers where the pitfalls and opportunities lie in both his personal effectiveness and professional development. With concrete assignments, he learns to speak out, ask the right questions and indicate his boundaries.

During his studies, Rico turned out to have a well-functioning critical thinking ability. As a novice IT consultant who prefers to wait and see, he has let that slip away a bit. While the company where he works benefits a lot from someone who asks sharp questions and does not take everything for granted. His coach encourages him to turn his frustrations into a curious attitude and to get over his fear. With small steps, Rico manages to ask a question more often. When he notices how positively Lisa reacts to this, he gains self-confidence.

This gradually gives him more insight into his interests and talents and more control over his work-life balance. Ultimately, this not only has a positive influence on his happiness at work, but also on his productivity, on the quality he delivers and on his feeling that he is really in the right place.

Rico’s story shows how important it is to make room for reflection, guidance and honest conversations—especially in an industry where performance often comes first. Sometimes sustainable growth simply starts with asking one good question.

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