Katharina, what is your role as a Google Sales Consultant at Bechtle?
I consult customers and colleagues in close collaboration with our partner Google on the entirety of transitioning from on-premise infrastructures to Google Cloud.
My role contains two parts: For one, I serve as a direct contact for cloud provider Google, informing myself about new products and coordinating with our contacts at Google. For two, I’m the first contact for Bechtle sales people and account managers as well as for our customers, and I consult them on these topics. My daily goal is to teach them about the exciting topic of Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and to find individual solutions for individual situations.
What motivates you in your work?
No two days are the same: The cloud business is extensive and fast moving. The customers are at different stages of their cloud transformation journey, which I help them with: Sometimes it’s their first consultation and other times we’re about to migrate. The general conditions are also always very individual. Different strategies, organisational structures or hardware often demand individual solutions. This brings with it new challenges. The close contact to our customers and to one of the three largest cloud providers allows me to look deeply into different organisations and makes my job especially exciting.
You were a vocational student in 2013 at Bechtle. What motivated you to start at Bechtle after your studies?
I had already heard a lot of good things about Bechtle. These were only confirmed at my time working for them as a vocational student. I was given my own small projects with a lot of freedom to try out new things. I noticed very fast: Bechtle is a place where you can have the opportunity to grow. And that’s what happened. Since joining over two years ago, I have been supported by my boss both personally and professionally, by being allocated my own projects and various workshops.
What’s your perfect working day, where you go home feeling happy and accomplished?
Standing still is not an option for me. I must have taken at least one step further. My working day has been successful when I've been able to solve a new challenge, make a difference, establish a new contact, win a new client or help colleagues. I am also very inquisitive: I am happy when I learn something new. And more than that, the regular exchange with my colleagues and existing clients is very important to me and takes place daily through calls or personal meetings.
How do you manage to balance the personal with the professional?
I’m passionate about sports and switch off after work with a run or fitness workout like cardio, kickboxing or yoga. I also enjoy meeting friends for a coffee or pursuing my hobby of sponsoring a dog. The flexibility at Bechtle of being able to arrange my tasks freely and plan my working day independently helps me to pursue my hobbies and create a balance with my job.
What advice would you give to other women?
My personal motto is: The sky is the limit. Nothing’s impossible. Those who do not yet know where their career path should lead can orient themselves through internships or student traineeships. Ladies: Dare to enter the diverse and exciting world of IT—you can join Bechtle even without a technical degree.
