This article is a collaboration with Clusity, the women in tech community.
From Turkey to Dubai and Belgium: Figen Kirkgoz spreads her wings at KBC
Passion and drive know no bounds, as demonstrated by the story of Figen Kirkgoz, a functional analyst at KBC. During her studies, she settled in Belgium and ventured into the tech world. You don’t need the perfect education or to know everything about tech. It’s perfectly fine to learn along the way.
Figen's story didn't start in Belgium but in her homeland, Turkey. “I was deeply fascinated by the social sciences,” she recalls. “In Turkey, you have to pass an exam to attend university. I did, and I had the option to study fields like psychology, sociology, and philosophy. Psychology appealed to me the most. Not that I knew what I wanted to do with it at the time, but it interested me, and my parents supported my choice.”
During her studies, Figen realized she wanted more. “I didn’t want to become a clinical psychologist or therapist; I wanted to combine psychology with business, perhaps in HR or as an industrial psychologist. My university allowed students to take on a second major, so I decided to study business as well.”
Life abroad
Her Erasmus journey eventually brought her to Belgium. “I always wanted to live abroad. When I was seven, my parents divorced, and I moved to Dubai with my mother. So from a young age, I was used to traveling alone between Dubai and Istanbul.” This trip, however, was different. “I left for Erasmus during the COVID pandemic, which worried my parents. After two months, I had to return home.” Nevertheless, the experience sparked something in Figen. “I loved being independent and discovering how to stand on my own without help.” After earning her bachelor’s degree in Turkey, Figen applied for a master’s program in Belgium.
This time, she chose a different direction. “My studies had piqued my interest in statistics, data analysis, and research, so I decided to pursue the Theory and Research master’s in psychology at KU Leuven.”
First steps in tech
After her master’s program, Figen was still uncertain. “I talked to various professors and PhD students because I was unsure whether to stay in research or go for a full-time job at a company. To clear my mind, I attended a KBC event,” she explains. “There, I spoke with many people working as functional analysts, data analysts, and engineers.”
“I also talked to many women in those roles,” she continues. “I told them I felt insecure about my technical skills. Yes, I knew some programming, but there was a lot more to learn. Those women reassured me. They emphasized that I didn’t need to have a lot of technical skills yet, but that I needed to show certain passion for the domain and a willingness to improve, learn and grow. Just try it, they said. That was the turning point for me, and I applied for the IT traineeship at KBC .”
The IT traineeship lasts about 27 to 30 months and is designed for recent master’s graduates with ambition and a career goal. By gaining experience in different domains, trainees are quick to master new concepts and are poised for accelerated professional growth. “All trainees work on three projects and get to experience different roles such as functional analyst, data analyst, or systems engineer. After those three projects, you choose the path you want to follow,” Figen explains.
Mom as a role model
From psychology to IT, how did her family react to this shift and the move to Belgium? “My parents miss me, of course, but they’ve always respected my choices and supported me in every possible way. Knowing they were behind me made the move to Belgium much easier,” she says sincerely.
“When I told them I didn’t want to be a researcher anymore but wanted to go into IT, they were a bit surprised,” she laughs. “Interestingly, my mother also works at a bank and collaborates with IT teams. She understands what I do and thought it was a good choice for me to explore different areas.”
“My mother is my role model,” the functional analyst adds. “She wasn’t afraid to leave her comfort zone when she moved to Dubai alone with me. I saw how well she managed, which made me confident that I could do it too. Because I wanted to be with our whole family, we eventually moved back to Turkey. She did that for me as well.”
The drive to grow
What does she see for her future? “In the near future, I want to stay in IT and experience different aspects and roles in this field,” she replies. “I enjoy what I do now as a functional analyst. It’s a nice blend of human interaction and technical skills.”
“In the beginning, I was insecure and didn’t understand what was happening, but over time my knowledge grew, and so did my confidence. I want to keep building on that.” Figen’s confidence is indeed palpable. “I think my period of searching helped me. To get out of it, I constantly looked for ways to improve myself and enhance my skills, both hard and soft. My job at KBC and the learning possibilities they offer, together with the support of my colleagues contribute to that confidence.”
“I think I naturally have a drive: when I want to achieve something, I work for it. You have to. Whenever I tell someone I’m a functional analyst, they don’t understand the link with my psychology degree. I often have to explain that it’s not only the degree that matters, but the skills I have. The fact that I often have to justify myself boosts my confidence.”
Work in progress
What is Figen most proud of? “That I’ve grown so much as a person,” she answers. “If I compare the person I was in Turkey to who I am now, it’s a world of difference. When I started at KBC, I struggled with imposter syndrome. Can I do this? Am I good enough? It always had to be better and faster, which made me hard on myself. But here I really learned my inner strength.”
“Sometimes that imposter syndrome still creeps up on me. That’s a point of improvement for myself, I think. But everyone has areas to improve,” she adds.
Tips for starting in tech
Does Figen have tips for other women considering a career in tech? “You don’t need the perfect education or to know everything about tech,” she says firmly. “It’s perfectly fine to learn along the way.”
“And find people who share similar experiences so you can learn from them. That doesn’t mean you always have to listen to what others say. Focus on yourself and go for it. Believe in yourself.”
Language barriers shouldn’t be a concern at KBC either. “In the meantime I speak Dutch fairly well, depending on the situation. It’s not perfect, but I’m not afraid to speak Dutch and keep learning. Moreover, we often work internationally. For my current project, I collaborate with teams from the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. The working language is English, which makes it easier,” Figen concludes.
