On September 30, ITSector opened the doors of its Lisbon Development Center, at Edifício Oriente in Parque das Nações, for the 5th edition of its Open Day. For the first time, the initiative took place in Lisbon, bringing students and recent graduates closer to the people, projects and day-to-day work of the company.
The afternoon began with check-in and a welcome kit for each participant, followed by an opening from ITSector's CEO, Pedro Almeida. He shared his own career path, asked participants where they stand in their professional journeys, and explained how ITSector works, the projects it delivers and why AI matters for the work ahead.
Four sessions followed, each led by colleagues who work on the topic every day: innovation and AI in ITSector's projects, frontend in practice, international projects and project management.
João Brito, Senior Project Manager, who presented the session on innovation and AI, summed up his message in one sentence: "AI is not going to replace anyone, and this new generation has a unique opportunity to enter the job market." He added that he hopes participants leave with a clear idea of what office life looks like. Life after university is a different world, he said, but a good one, and there is no need to be afraid of it.
The advice from the other speakers was just as direct. João Barreto, IS Architect, who showed the frontend work of ITSector's teams, encouraged participants to "spend plenty of time learning for yourselves" and to have their foundations well defined first. Júlio Jordão, Technical Project Manager, who shared his experience in international projects, had a message for anyone starting out: "Don't be afraid to ask questions. Making mistakes and learning is part of the whole process."
Among the participants was a recent graduate who traveled from Porto for the occasion. "Ever since I finished my degree, I've been looking for the next big step to take," he said, explaining that he was looking for open days to get to know companies and the job market first-hand. For him, the trip was worth it from the moment the group was welcomed, through to the sessions, which he described as extremely enlightening. The main takeaway was not technical: "Stepping out of my comfort zone was the biggest value I took from coming to the Open Day."
The afternoon closed with a snack and networking session, where participants spoke directly with ITSector teams and asked their questions about career opportunities at the company.
Relive the afternoon in the recap video.