Florian Parzhuber, our first German-speaking Senior Account Executive at Equinix in Asia-Pacific, shares his experience of working at Equinix.
Tell me about yourself and what you do
I’m a senior account executive for our corporate sales team in Singapore, where we help mid-market enterprises and start-ups embark on their digital transformation journeys. Or in more concrete terms, we help new and existing customers discover the possibilities on Platform Equinix and how they can leverage them to unlock value for their businesses.
What makes you happy and excited in your work?
One exciting part about working in sales is that no day is like any other, and you can never be 100% sure of what to expect. While that may seem daunting at first, the great thing about Equinix is that you have multiple teams standing behind you, willing to help with any task that might come your way.
How have you developed in your role since joining Equinix?
Equinix has a very structured and thorough onboarding program where you learn not only about company history and products and services, but also about all the different departments and how they work together to delight our customers. These onboarding initiatives include fun and enriching activities such as:
- Meeting senior Equinix executives
- Getting a crash course on Equinix products and services from our Global Solution Architect team
- Taking a data center tour with our system engineer counterparts
- E-Learning content on processes and systems
- Taking a test that tests your knowledge, to reveal any gaps
How are you and your team helping to make an impact?
I speak to existing and prospective customers on a day-to-day basis. I listen to their pain points and goals and explain how the Equinix global infrastructure platform can help them. I especially highlight how Equinix can facilitate the seamless exchange of data between ecosystem partners to help them create the products of tomorrow and make the world a better place.
What are your top tips for someone new joining Equinix? How does someone stand out in the interview?
- Don’t be afraid to be your authentic self. We at Equinix preach and practice a culture where everyone can say: “I’m safe; I belong; I matter.”
- Come prepared. Do your homework about the company, the person with whom you’ll be speaking, the expectations for the role you’re applying for, and how your skillset and past projects can help you deliver results at Equinix.
What does diversity mean to you? Why is it important to you?
Besides obvious benefits such as getting to try food from multiple other cultures, one key benefit of diversity is that it allows all of us to see things from a fresh perspective. Growing up, you might have been taught to do things a certain way and might not even realize that there are alternative ways to achieve the same, or even better, results. Equinix not only embraces diversity, but also makes everyone feel safe and included, so that they can speak up and share their unique opinions and feedback. This allows us all to continuously find new and better ways to do things and helps us expand our horizon.
What did you see at Equinix that you did not see at other companies?
Something that is truly unique about Equinix is that its core values and culture are not just a box to tick. They are actively practiced by employees from all teams and levels. When confronted with a new challenge or evaluating actions to take, people from Equinix often take a step back and review the core values of Openness, Honesty, Service, Courage and Growth to make sure that their actions align with the spirit of Equinix.
What does Equinix do to champion diversity in the workplace? How does Equinix make sure everyone feels included?
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the sheer number of workshops and events that Equinix organizes to discuss and learn about different cultures. Examples include a workshop about business culture in Japan, negotiation etiquette in India, and Deepavali snacks in our pantry, as well as a day where people come together to decorate the Christmas tree in our office. These events provide a fantastic opportunity for people to share their background and beliefs and give everyone a platform from which to ask questions and learn about other cultures.
How would you describe the culture within your team?
Collaborative. Even though we all have our own targets and quotas to carry, our team always has each other’s backs when we want to bounce an idea off one another, get feedback on a particularly tricky situation, or just have a chat and take a mental break.
Learn more about opportunities with Equinix sales team.