From intern to Generative AI Engineer: Joëlle Bink’s journey

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The rise of AI has a huge impact on the corporate world—perhaps more than anything since the advent of computers. With this shift, more students are diving into careers in artificial intelligence. We caught up with Joëlle Bink, a Generative AI Engineer at Accenture.

The sweet spot between strategy, policy, and tech

After a challenging board year with the national student union and a stint with TU/e’s strategy team, Joëlle realized she wanted a career at the crossroads of strategy, policy, and tech. While doing her master’s in Data Science & AI, she came across Accenture, where she lined up an internship focused on ChatGPT and generative AI.

Joëlle: “What really appealed to me was using tech to make a real impact in businesses. I had a lot of freedom to shape my own research project, which was amazing.” She didn’t hesitate for a moment when offered a full-time position at Accenture as a Generative AI Engineer. “I didn’t just stay because the projects were interesting, but also because of the team and my colleagues.”

What’s life like as a generative AI engineer at Accenture?

Joëlle is based at Amsterdam’s Zuidas, where she develops cutting-edge AI solutions for businesses. “I scope out clients’ needs, implement new technologies, and help them leverage AI to improve their business processes. It’s way more than just building AI.”

Since her internship, Joëlle’s career developed quickly, backed by Accenture’s resources. She has access to the latest tools and training and stays in the loop with help from Accenture’s global expert network. “My own curiosity plays a big part too—I follow loads of podcasts, newsletters, and YouTube channels to keep up.”

Joëlle’s favorite project: building a smart, information-filtering chatbot

When asked about standout projects, Joëlle mentions a chatbot she helped build to filter relevant information from business documents. “My role was to improve it using a multimodal AI model that could process not only text, but also images.”

With extensive testing and in-depth exploration of the technology, alongside close teamwork, the project was a resounding success. “It was quite the learning curve, but I learned not to shy away from the unknown. My advice to young professionals is this: keep pushing, stay open to new ideas, and don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues for help.”

Plenty of room for new talent at Accenture

Joëlle predicts that the impact of generative AI will skyrocket even more in the coming years. “Demand for AI solutions and automation grows exponentially.” This also has a huge impact on her employer. “There will be loads of new roles focused on AI, but I think existing roles will change too. AI will play an even bigger role in our own processes and decision-making at Accenture.”

“The AI field is booming—at Accenture, you’re at the front line of these developments”

It’s promising news for students in Data Science, AI, Econometrics, or Computer Science, Joëlle says. But Accenture is also looking beyond these fields; after all, technical skills can be learned later. Joëlle: “As a consultant, being communicative and strategic is just as important as being tech-savvy. Understanding technology is great, but being able to explain it to clients and work alongside them—that’s what really does the job.”

Why Accenture is such an exciting place to work

Thinking of a career as a generative AI engineer at Accenture? Joëlle says it’s the perfect time to dive in. “The AI field is booming—at Accenture, you’re at the front line of these developments. You’re part of a global company that makes a huge impact on the corporate world. You get to work with tech giants like Google and Microsoft and have a lot of freedom to come up with creative solutions for your clients.”

At Accenture, professional and personal growth go hand in hand. “There’s an abundance of training, and you learn so much from your colleagues.”

Want to work on the cutting edge of AI? Discover your opportunities at Accenture

Are you inspired by Joëlle’s career journey and seeking a challenging career in IT? Visit Accenture’s company page at Magnet.me to see how you too can contribute to the fascinating future of artificial intelligence.