From sheet metal to IT: the career changer from the Odenwald

spo-comm Marketing: Hello Christopher and thank you for taking the time for a short interview. Tell us, how did you actually get into spo-comm?

Christopher: I was looking for a job because I wanted to move to Nuremberg for love. When I saw the job advertisement, it immediately appealed to me. I originally come from the sheet metal sector, but I've always found IT exciting. Even though, to be honest, I've hardly dealt with it before. I immediately stalked the website and was thrilled that the company has such a young team with a cool spirit. Everything seemed so friendly and open. I found the references and the product portfolio really exciting. Precisely because Mini PCs are not a standard product, but require a certain amount of explanation. That is quite a challenge. As the tasks in the job advertisement also matched my previous activities well, I simply applied at random. I'm a career changer, but I thought "take the risk or lose a chance"(laughs).

Marketing: We're glad you took the risk. You just said you come from the sheet metal processing industry. What was your professional career like? What did you originally learn?

Christopher: Initially, I did a commercial apprenticeship as an industrial clerk at a façade construction company and worked mainly in sales during this time. However, I then left the company to do my vocational baccalaureate and then started a dual business studies program. Studying was my big goal and it was a good educational time. However, after just under a year I realized that it just wasn't the right thing for me, as I already had a lot of practical experience, and I de-registered. It wasn't an easy decision, but it ultimately led me to where I am now.

Marketing: And what happened next?

Christopher: First, I worked at my mother's advertising agency for two months and helped her with sales. In the meantime, I got a job in a sheet metal processing company by chance. After initially working in work preparation and internal sales, I was given the opportunity to become sales manager after six months. I then worked in key account management for three years, looked after major customers, acquired new customers through cold calling and took care of the entire strategic and operational direction of sales. I also created marketing documents, maintained the homepage and looked after topics such as annual sales planning and calculation parameters.

Marketing: Wow, you really have a lot of experience. Nevertheless, you are now in a completely new industry. How did you get on with IT and mini PCs in the first two months?

Christopher: I've actually always been very interested in IT because it's a growing industry in which I still see a lot of potential, for example in the field of artificial intelligence. In terms of spo-comm, I find it really exciting that there are so many different small mini PCs, which are always individually adapted to customer projects. But I have to be honest, my brain was pretty flooded at first. Both hardware and software are quite new to me. But my colleague Mustafa gave me really great training and prepared me for customer meetings. I was also able to learn a lot from problem cases and special customer requests, which forced me to do a lot of research myself.

Marketing: And you also had the difficulty of starting with us in the middle of the lockdown. We are all still mostly working from home. How did you fare during your induction?

Christopher: I thought it was really cool how well I was received by the team. I got to know my colleagues from Sales and Marketing beforehand in a team video call, which definitely made it easier for me to get started. Nevertheless, I was a bit tense and excited for the first few days. On the one hand, I had great respect for the change of industry, and on the other hand, starting a job in lockdown is not so easy for the company either. But everything went really well. I was perfectly equipped with a laptop, headset etc. from day one and could have worked completely from home straight away. However, I am mainly in the office at my own request and am also very grateful that I have the opportunity to do so. If I have any questions, I can simply go straight to my colleagues in Engineering and see the products in real life.

Marketing: It certainly makes a lot of things easier. How is the collaboration with your sales colleagues?

Christopher: Super! I've become a really big fan of Microsoft Teams. The colleagues carried out product training sessions with me and explained everything really well. It really felt like we were sitting right next to each other. They always have an open ear for questions and I can call them at any time if I have a problem. But I also think it's great to get to know everyone personally over time. Of course, working from home minimizes the risk of infection, but I'm just a friend of the office. Fortunately, we can coordinate flexibly in sales so that not too many people are at spo-comm HQ at the same time and we can continue to comply with all social distancing rules.

Marketing: And how do you like it here at spo-comm?

Christopher: I like it very much. There is a really close team spirit and a lot of mutual support. Just as I had imagined.

Marketing: We are pleased to hear that. Then we now have our final question for you: Which is actually your favorite PC?

Christopher: Definitely the new BOX J4125, which we have just officially launched.

Marketing: And why do you think it's so great?

Christopher:(totally enthusiastic) The BOX is simply incredible value for money. The customer really gets value for money. It is ultra small and still has a great interface layout. And it is suitable for so many areas. Simply a recommendable all-rounder.

Marketing: Our customers have something to look forward to. Thanks again for your time and welcome to the team!

Network with Christopher Adam on LinkedIn