This post is written by Tatiana Xyda, Enterprise Relationship Manager at Vonage
My Story/How I Got Here…
I began my journey in 2014, when I decided that Technology was the journey I wanted to embark upon. Of course, being in sales, many of the skills you build are transferable. However, I still encountered my fair share of roadblocks through the interview process when trying to break into the technology space. I found I was challenged quite frequently - for the roles and salary I wanted - but, in the process, I learned to recognize and appreciate my worth. I finally found success, earning a role in tech at my previous company, Gartner after a total of 11 interviews over the course of 20 months. I never gave up. I learned from each interview, took the feedback and improved my approach for the next one. In November 2015 I was offered the role as a Business Development Manager. Two years later, I was promoted to Account Executive.
I Deserve Credit for…
Never giving up on what I wanted and the path I took to get there. I learned to receive a ‘No’ and learn from it.
Along the way, I learned to always be true to myself. Never forgetting who I am and supporting my clients with the utmost integrity. My clients/ customers would often say ‘Wow, you are very honest and what you see is what you get.’ I just thought this was a given, however I learned that many people would always say, ‘ you really need to have a poker face or ‘no-one will be able to take you seriously the way you are acting’. Acting? I just strive to be real. This just gave me more drive to succeed. In 2020, by the end of Q1, I had already achieved 60% of my sales quota. Little did I know, a pandemic was just around the corner.
I Hope to See…
Women not giving up on their dreams or compromising on what they believe is rightfully theirs.
Fast forward 5 years and I look back on my journey, now as an Enterprise Relationship Manager for Vonage. In my last role, I had built relationships with Senior stakeholders within Vonage, which gave me the courage to ask for a shot after I lost my previous job due to COVID-19. Vonage was my first choice and where I saw my career progressing.
My Message for Others…
Resilience is everything, feedback is everything, constant improvement and learning is everything.
Be confident but not arrogant and don’t let challenges bring you down. Instead, use them as a learning experience.
Now, I have team camaraderie like I have never experienced before and a strong female leader who listens. I have a voice and I see change and further progress in sight.
Top comments (1)
Fantastic post, thank you for sharing these words.