When you ask Julia Bell what she particularly appreciates about her work as a project manager for the IT Services Office at the University of Bern, you get a surprising answer: “The daylight!” As a former archivist, this is not something she takes for granted: “I used to work in windowless basements lit only by fluorescent lights.” Today, she sits in a bright office with a view of the outside world.

Although she was already interested in computer science during her studies, she studied history and Latin in Fribourg “because it fit better with the curriculum.” While still a student, she found a job at the Federal Archives. After ten years in archiving, Julia Bell decided to pursue something new. Having already gained experience in digitizing archives as an archivist, she decided to make a career change to computer science. She has been working in the IT Services Office at the University of Bern since January 2024. “I wanted something new for my professional future – and here at the University of Bern, I feel fulfilled,” she explains. Julia Bell now manages several projects, including the development of a university-owned chatbot in collaboration with the Data Science Lab.

(Not) belonging to a team

In her day-to-day work, Julia Bell coordinates teams, brings people and departments together, manages budgets, and keeps track of various projects. She appreciates the collegial environment at the university, the exchange with different personalities, and the feeling of belonging: “I don't belong to a fixed team. Nevertheless, I feel like I'm part of a community. That alone is a highlight.”

Sometimes Julia Bell misses the clearly defined projects in collaboration with the Federal Archives, which had a beginning and an end. At the beginning, there was chaos in the archives – at the end, every document was neatly documented and in its place. In contrast, the IT projects she manages today require a lot of patience. She is therefore particularly happy when small milestones are reached, such as the publication of a new website: “Then I can internally switch off the light and lock the door – just like I used to do in the tidy archive.”