“As a product owner at zeb.applied, you’re kind of like the Swiss Army knife of digital product development.”

You have a product ownership role. What is your responsibility?

As a product owner at zeb.applied, you’re kind of like the Swiss Army knife of digital product development. The job entails a wide range of tasks and responsibilities. This includes activities such as classic project management, control of development and design, or communication with the client. 
There is a close cooperation among the product owners at zeb.applied, so you can always rely on someone to help with an issue. There is always someone at your side to put your heads together. 

What do you like most about your position as a product owner at zeb.applied?

zeb.applied differs from other IT service providers as you have various opportunities to pursue your career. It’s like a small start-up in a large corporation. As a team, we implement very different formats to promote the team spirit. In addition to regular virtual game nights, there are also internal presentations by colleagues. Just the other day, we learned how crypto wallets work or what skills are required to build custom Lego models. 
As a product owner, there are many options to manage projects your way in order to achieve the best possible project outcome. The duration of the projects varies considerably: some last several years, whereas smaller ones only run for a few months. 

What were your first weeks like and what were your impressions of zeb.applied?

zeb regularly organizes onboarding events, which are called zeb.start, during which all new colleagues from the entire company meet at one location to get to know each other and make first contacts. In addition, the zeb.start program includes many interesting topics that provide a better insight into zeb’s environment. 
During onboarding at zeb.applied, you get to know all your colleagues and current projects. What I particularly liked about this was the presentation of the different modern tools that are used in daily work. For each tool there is a contact person who explains it to you during onboarding – so you get to know your colleagues much better at the same time. 

What have you learned at zeb.applied so far?

It may sound worn out but no two projects are alike. At my previous employer, I worked as a product owner on a fixed project for several years. Now my job is much more varied due to the foreseeable project duration. Different constellations and demands on the team ensure that you are always challenged and constantly learning, but can also contribute best practices from previous projects. 

What was your application process like?

The application process at zeb.applied is very personal and transparent. The first thing I did was meet Bianca, our Head of Operations, with whom I talked about us and the role of a product owner. This was followed by a small project task, which I prepared at home and later presented to Bianca and other zeb.applied employees. Afterwards, I was able to get to know the entire team during a very pleasant meeting. We didn’t discuss anything technical, but spoke about personal matters, so we could find out whether I would fit into the team and wanted to work with them. 
All the interviews took place online, so the whole process was quite fast. Within a few days, we completed all the interviews and decided it was a fit. I was going to start as the new product owner. I never felt like I was interviewed during those days, so I got a great impression of the corporate culture.

Paul's testimonial and his career as a product owner have aroused your interest? Click here to find further information about zeb.applied.