Solving problems and owning the work: a day in the life of Jasmijn Vanacken

When you talk to Jasmijn Vanacken, one thing becomes clear: she has built her career on adaptability, curiosity and the courage to stay true to herself. From studying marketing to working in sales, call centres and department leadership, her path eventually led her into the world of Salesforce consulting. Today, as a Senior Salesforce Consultant at UPEO, she combines technical skills with business insight – and thrives in a role that gives her variety, ownership and the space to be who she is.

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If you had to explain to your parents or grandparents what you do for a living, how would you say that in an easy way? 

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Jasmijn: I help companies look at their processes, map them out, improve them – and then build the tools to follow those processes so the work actually gets done. I work on both the functional and technical sides. My days are very varied. Sometimes I’m combining building blocks in Salesforce; other times I’m analysing processes, writing reports or fixing bugs. One week I might be delivering a workshop with a client, the next I’m deep into data and configuration. I like that combination, it keeps my days interesting and challenging. 

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Variety, problem-solving and support

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What do you enjoy most about your work?
Jasmijn: Solving problems. When something works the way it should, whether it’s a process that makes sense to everyone or a system that runs smoothly, that’s satisfying. And definitely the variety that I just mentioned. I’ve done jobs before where you get boxed into a single role. Here, I can use different skills and switch between tasks. That’s why I like doing support for customers. That’s a mix of bug-fixing, analysis and development. I find that very fulfilling. 

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How is working at UPEO different from your previous experiences?

Jasmijn: At bigger companies you often have a fixed role. You do analysis or you develop, or you’re in a support role, and that’s it. At UPEO we’re a smaller team, so there’s more flexibility to focus on what you enjoy and what you’re good at. There’s also a lot of trust. If I’m given a project, it’s my responsibility to deliver it, but I know my colleagues are there if I need support.

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You held a lot of different roles in different types of companies before you joined UPEO. How does that help you now?
Jasmijn: I studied marketing, worked in sales, did call centre work, became a department head, and later moved into CRM. I had about ten years of business experience before I started consulting, and that definitely gives me an advantage. Having worked in different organisations helps me understand the internal politics of companies and what day-to-day sales and admin work are really like. When I’m in a workshop with sales or sales admin people, I can relate to what they do – I’ve been there, done that. So I know how difficult sales admin work can be. When you know how people actually work, you can build systems that truly support them. Without my experience at these companies, it would be much more difficult to grasp that.

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What skills matter most in your role? Were you born with those skills? Or did you have to acquire them?
Jasmijn: Structured thinking is essential, whether you’re documenting processes for others to build or making sure what you build yourself is logical. But the biggest skill is listening, and I’m still working on improving that. It’s about asking the right follow-up questions and confirming you’ve understood correctly. As an introvert, that does not come natural to me. Instead of asking something, I’ll rather find a solution myself, but I know that’s not the right way to do things.

At UPEO, we get a lot of support to acquire the skills we need. If we experience a gap in our skills, we can suggest training. For instance, I recently asked to get a course on leading workshops. I’ve also learnt a lot just by working alongside experienced people like Sara, Frederik or Chris. 

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Delivering real value for clients

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You work directly with a lot of customers. What value do you bring them?
Jasmijn: It’s about delivering something that truly fits how they work – not just ticking a box. Sometimes that means pushing back if what they’re asking for isn’t the best solution for them. Then you need to convince them something needs to be done differently. With long-term clients, I’ve built enough trust to have those conversations. With new clients, I take more time to understand their dynamics and their culture before doing that.

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Looking back over the last years, what is a project you’re particularly proud of?
Jasmijn: For one of my support clients, I delivered a complex process for handling consumer cases and issuing credit notes. I did most of it myself and it still works well today. Another was a mobile app project for sales reps. We had a very tight deadline and lots of requirements, but working together with two colleagues, we delivered something we can all be proud of.

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Trust, Freedom and Responsibility

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I have the impression that you really like working at UPEO. What makes UPEO a good place to work for you?
Jasmijn: The atmosphere. The trust. The freedom to plan my own work. The chance to work on different things and grow with the company. And responsibility: you’re not just given a tiny piece of a project, you can own it from start to finish. That way, you can take ownership over your work. But, at the same time, you know that people like Chris or Sara have your back if there is a problem. All in all, I have had relatively little negative stress since I started working at UPEO. Of course, we are sometimes under time pressure to get things done, but when you’re ‘in the flow’, I see that as positive stress. 

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If you could put a message on a giant billboard in the market square of your hometown Hasselt, what would your message to the world be?
Jasmijn: Plain and simple: ‘Be yourself – because you can’t be anyone else.’  Accept who you are and work in a way that suits you. I’m an introvert – I’ve stopped trying to act more outgoing, just because that’s what I think people expect from me. Clients work with me for my skills and approach. That doesn’t mean you can’t adapt to a client’s environment, but you don’t have to become someone you’re not. That’s another nice thing about UPEO: we are all very different, and everyone accepts everyone the way they are. 

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