How Sebastian found his dream job in tech sales

“I wanted to work closer to people, have a better corporate culture and career opportunities.”

Find out how and why Sebastian switched to a tech sales career after 6 years as a project manager in the financial sector.

Before Hyrise

Sebastian is a hard-working Hyrise student who was able to start his career in the tech sales industry. He was born and raised in Germany and still lives there. He enjoys running in nature and fitness in general. Italian is one of his other passions, which he learns in his spare time. He is definitely a busy person who knows how to work hard but also have fun.

He has a master's degree in economics and mechanical engineering and then decided to pursue a career in financial accounting, in which he had to contend with three specific factors.

• He wanted to work and communicate more with people because he spent most of his day in front of Excel spreadsheets.
• Career advancement was more difficult in his sector. It is much easier in the tech industry as there are more opportunities for career development due to rapid growth.

• Sebastian was sometimes dissatisfied with the corporate culture in his previous job. For example, he had the feeling that decisions were often made very politically. That is why he was looking for a work environment that places great value on cooperation and openness. That's how he came across Tech Sales.
  
  

Hyrise experience

Sebastian was at a point in his life where he needed to make a decision. He wanted to change his career path, but wasn't sure which path he should take.

He considered moving into the data science industry and learned how to use tools such as SQL, Tableau, and Python, but soon realized that math-related topics were not one of his biggest strengths and passions. He also found that companies in Germany were not yet really broadly adopting these new technologies.

He then stumbled across the tech sales industry and began to focus more on the topic. He was a bit skeptical at first because he wasn't sure whether this was the right time for him or whether he was perhaps too old to join the tech sales world. He wasn't sure whether just by taking part in Hyrise Bootcamp, he would be able to find a remote job that was at the top of his list of priorities.

“In the end, everything worked out better than expected. The boot camp was a lot of fun, but it was also very exhausting because I had to balance it with my full-time job. Even before completing the boot camp, I had three offers for remote jobs. I had no problems finding a job.”

In Germany, there is definitely a great demand for tech sales experts, he has found. He also joined groups on LinkedIn to hear experiences from people who were already working as SDRs in the industry.

“I noticed that they didn't have much more knowledge than I did, even though they had already worked in the industry for more than 2 years. Thanks to the boot camp, you get a complete overview of the sales process, as it is very structured and systematic.”

He also enjoyed participating in our Slack workspace, as he was able to benefit from networking among the HYRISE community as all members share their experiences.

“I've never felt so supported in my life, either academically or professionally, no company or institution has ever supported me like Hyrise.”

After Hyrise

Even before he finished the boot camp, Sebastian received several job offers from various companies. He went through the various selection processes and finally decided on a position as SDR at Zscaler. He will work in one of the leading companies in the rapidly growing cyber security industry.

How Hyrise must change his life.

“In the beginning, when you work remotely, you may feel alone, you get “FEUD” (fear, uncertainty and doubt). It's a big risk and you feel very uncertain as you're making a life-changing decision.”

Sebastian found the necessary support in his Hyrise Group. They still share tips and tricks that can be helpful and support each other on their way. They're planning to meet in person.

“Your group is like the friends you meet at university, because you have the same problems and are there to help and support each other. So there was a sense of community even though we were far away.”

Tips for future hyrisers

Sebastian advises doing a lot of research and exchanging ideas with former students to hear their experiences. And once the decision has been made, you should set aside time in your calendar so that you can dedicate yourself to the boot camp. He also pointed out that as a student, you are supported throughout the process, so you don't have to worry from this side.

“Do your own research, but in my opinion, the data clearly shows that the tech sales industry is growing rapidly and that the culture is very modern and open. I don't see any negative aspects. So if you think tech sales could be for you, you should definitely join Hyrise.”

Do you want to start your career in tech sales? Apply here.

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