From Graduate to Consultant

On 10 June 2024, I joined Cluster Reply UK (now Valorem Reply) straight out of university as a Graduate Cloud Consultant specialising in QA Engineering.

Quickly after, I was immersed in a Modern Integration Platform Project for one of the world’s leading digital-first publishers, helping to modernise integration using Azure Integration Services but this was far from a gamble. Prior to graduating, I had already spent a year as a QA Engineer on placement at Visa during university, gaining hands-on experience in different testing practices, frameworks and working in fast-paced, high-stakes environments.

That background - combined with my enthusiasm and determination for learning - gave Cluster Reply’s leadership team the confidence that I could adapt quickly and deliver value.

My task as a QA Engineer was to build the automated testing suite from the ground up, applying my QA foundations to an entirely new tech stack.

Accelerating the Learning Curve

When I started, my technology exposure to Azure was close to zero. A rigorous training plan, combined with the pace of the consulting business, transformed that. I earned my first Microsoft Fundamentals certifications (AZ-900), learned about Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD), and rapidly adapted to our proprietary testing framework.

By my third month, I was acting as the Main Automation Tester within the project - leading automation testing activities and stepping up as Acting Test Lead when needed.

This early milestone reshaped my mindset: learning is a skill, and at Valorem Reply I was sharpening it daily. Sukarno, the First President of Indonesia, once said, “Give me ten youths, and I will shake the world.” In my own way, I felt that with the right skills, even one determined graduate could make a difference.

In July 2025, just over a year after joining, I was officially promoted from my graduate role - a moment that recognised the progress, trust, and responsibility I had earned in a short space of time.

Diverse Projects, Broader Skills

Over the year, I contributed to a range of engagements across industries - from public sector healthcare apps to modern CRM integrations for property management, to identity and access management for a FTSE 100 client. Each project came with its own technology stack, including Logic App Standard, Function Apps, Azure Service Bus, Cosmos DB, .NET MAUI, Blazor Web Apps, ASP.NET Core, and more. This variety meant constantly stretching myself, picking up new skills in days rather than weeks, and understanding how each piece within solutions fit together end-to-end.

It reminded me of Lee Kuan Yew’s (First PM of Singapore) belief that “A nation is great not by its size alone. It is the will, the cohesion, the stamina, the discipline of its people.”

In consulting, greatness comes not from years in the role, but from the discipline, will to keep learning as well as the sense of community within a group of experts.

Leadership and Responsibilities

Despite starting as a graduate, I was trusted with responsibility early on - leading the QA front on multiple engagements, delivering knowledge-transfer sessions for clients and colleagues, and even serving as sole developer on certain projects. I’m now preparing to deliver workshops on Azure technologies, especially in Fabric - helping expand our data capability.

A Culture That Enables Growth

Valorem Reply’s culture has been instrumental in my development. So far, I’ve had guidance in every aspect of tech and consulting.

Early on, a Senior Manager introduced me to the concept of the “T Skill Tree,” which I evolved into my own “M Skill Tree” with the help of AI to speed up my growth. Another Senior Manager told me about the tip that he has always kept close which is to “Keep your enemies close but your stakeholders closer.”

That has been my experience here - a place where leadership is about empowerment and growth. Even in moments of challenge, the team provided the support and encouragement I needed to adapt, upskill, and strive for excellence.

And there’s room for fun too - teaming up with fellow graduates to win a company hackathon was a recent highlight.

Looking Beyond the Code

Attending Integrate 2025 was another highlight of my first year. It deepened my understanding of Azure Integration Services and sparked ideas for how we can leverage emerging technology and analyse trends to deliver value to clients for years to come.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to deepen my technical expertise in Azure, .NET, and beyond - while also contributing to the business side of consulting, from generating leads to closing deals.

My first year at Valorem Reply has been defined by steep learning curves, diverse experiences, and the trust to take on real responsibility from day one. If this is just the beginning, I can’t wait to see what’s next.


Gabriel Yang,
Software Engineer, Valorem Reply UK