I need a VACATION!
I wake up this morning.. to a sea of notes and all I can think of is at the end of today I will be on vacation for a week.
I am a very lucky man. I have a good job at IBM, and have taken on a new role this year as a channel sales leader for a product called DataPower. Which is a network software appliance. All is good, and I am learning about products and refreshing some skills such as security knowledge that is the reason I came up to New York. But, boy do I need a holiday.
Work for me is typically an Oasis in my life. I have been with IBM in some capacity since December, 1984. So, IBM is comfortable and in times of stress personally I love to work and fall into this comfortable world that I am good at, knowledgeable, and have had the luxury of changing jobs while working for the same company.
The funny thing is, jobs at IBM are hard to explain to the real world. So, I always feel like I can't share too much with outsiders without seeing their eyes glaze over. But, people always think I have worked for IBM so long and that it must be doing the same kind of job.. but lets see how many different jobs I have had:
1984: Co-Op while in college working for one of the first Software marketing teams at IBM. Software was a new engine to sell more hardware. Relational Databases were new (DB2). The PC of choice was an AT, and the leading PC Application was 123.
1987: Started with IBM after college as what was a marketing rep (sales) trainee. Was supposed to turn into a Systems engineer, but the hiring manager was promoted.
1988: Customer Center Sales professional for about three months and then became a New Account Sales Person. Was the focal point for AS/400 launch in Jacksonville, and was a top performer in IBM training.
1989 and 1990: New Account sales and two 100% clubs.
1991 - 1992: Finally became a systems engineer for a little remembered PC Operating System called OS/2. (worked with pilot customers such as blue cross blue shield of Florida)
1992-1992: Atlanta: Was a southern area (GA, FL, TN, AL, MS) OS/2 Sales leader. Southern Area Executive Award.
1994: Fort Lauderdale: OS/2 Sales leader of a team in South Florida.
1995: Networking Software sales specialist focused on Internet Security. Became the leading firewall salesman in the US by creating an all in one software and services offering supporting travel and government in Florida.
1996-1997 Mount Pleasant, NY: Internet Briefing Center for IBM. Became a host and the resident Internet Security Specialist.
1998-1999 Hawthorne, NY: Commerce Software Product marketing for AS/400 and Business to Business. Helped build a strategy for Business to Business Commerce and launch a BtoB offering that generated 10 million in sales in its first day.
2000 Hawthorne, NY: WebSphere Commerce Business to Business Worldwide sales executive
2001 Somers, NY: WebSphere GTM Marketing manager. Was the Go to Market execution manager for all of WebSphere. Managed a team of 15 people and a multi-billion revenue objective.
2002-2003 Piscataway, NJ: WebSphere and PeopleSoft alliance sales exec. PeopleSoft became the second largest revenue generating ISV for WebSphere (behind SAP) while PeopleSoft launched their own middleware offerings.
2004-2005: Piscataway, NJ: World Wide WebSphere SMB (Small and Medium business) Sales executive. Responsible for all SMB sales WW, and actually accomplished creation of unique sales offerings, plays, and promotions for the SMB market.
2006-2007: Piscataway, NJ: Americas Channel Sales Leader for WebSphere. Focused on sales, partner enablement, and creation of unique programs for our distributors and high value partners.
2008: Piscataway, NJ: Americas DataPower Channel Sales leader
The point is not so much all of the above, but that I have actually been able to change careers within IBM and not had to leave the company. Which is a great testament to the strength of IBM. One thing that gives me strength in the current job is I have a mixture of sales, marketing and technical skills that help me every day not only to do my job but also to see things from points of view of extended team members and their objectives for work.
Working at IBM is great, and in today's world provides not only great opportunity career wise. But, also provides flexibility in my personal life. At IBM most employees are mobility in my world. That means we work from home and because I have been a world wide or Americas wide professional for more than a decade I could basically live any where and do my job. When, Harry and I would winter most months in Fort Lauderdale. He would go to the beach and I would either go into the local office or work from the condo. I can work from Provincetown or Highland Park.. or frankly could decide to sell the homes and shake things up and live almost any where there is a nearby airport and a DSL line.
So, after all of this discussion of work and what has been a rapid start of my new role over the last two months, I need a vacation. So, I am off to Key West and Fort Lauderdale. Need walk time, and a nice Key West sunset I think is just what the doctor ordered.
I am a very lucky man. I have a good job at IBM, and have taken on a new role this year as a channel sales leader for a product called DataPower. Which is a network software appliance. All is good, and I am learning about products and refreshing some skills such as security knowledge that is the reason I came up to New York. But, boy do I need a holiday.
Work for me is typically an Oasis in my life. I have been with IBM in some capacity since December, 1984. So, IBM is comfortable and in times of stress personally I love to work and fall into this comfortable world that I am good at, knowledgeable, and have had the luxury of changing jobs while working for the same company.
The funny thing is, jobs at IBM are hard to explain to the real world. So, I always feel like I can't share too much with outsiders without seeing their eyes glaze over. But, people always think I have worked for IBM so long and that it must be doing the same kind of job.. but lets see how many different jobs I have had:
1984: Co-Op while in college working for one of the first Software marketing teams at IBM. Software was a new engine to sell more hardware. Relational Databases were new (DB2). The PC of choice was an AT, and the leading PC Application was 123.
1987: Started with IBM after college as what was a marketing rep (sales) trainee. Was supposed to turn into a Systems engineer, but the hiring manager was promoted.
1988: Customer Center Sales professional for about three months and then became a New Account Sales Person. Was the focal point for AS/400 launch in Jacksonville, and was a top performer in IBM training.
1989 and 1990: New Account sales and two 100% clubs.
1991 - 1992: Finally became a systems engineer for a little remembered PC Operating System called OS/2. (worked with pilot customers such as blue cross blue shield of Florida)
1992-1992: Atlanta: Was a southern area (GA, FL, TN, AL, MS) OS/2 Sales leader. Southern Area Executive Award.
1994: Fort Lauderdale: OS/2 Sales leader of a team in South Florida.
1995: Networking Software sales specialist focused on Internet Security. Became the leading firewall salesman in the US by creating an all in one software and services offering supporting travel and government in Florida.
1996-1997 Mount Pleasant, NY: Internet Briefing Center for IBM. Became a host and the resident Internet Security Specialist.
1998-1999 Hawthorne, NY: Commerce Software Product marketing for AS/400 and Business to Business. Helped build a strategy for Business to Business Commerce and launch a BtoB offering that generated 10 million in sales in its first day.
2000 Hawthorne, NY: WebSphere Commerce Business to Business Worldwide sales executive
2001 Somers, NY: WebSphere GTM Marketing manager. Was the Go to Market execution manager for all of WebSphere. Managed a team of 15 people and a multi-billion revenue objective.
2002-2003 Piscataway, NJ: WebSphere and PeopleSoft alliance sales exec. PeopleSoft became the second largest revenue generating ISV for WebSphere (behind SAP) while PeopleSoft launched their own middleware offerings.
2004-2005: Piscataway, NJ: World Wide WebSphere SMB (Small and Medium business) Sales executive. Responsible for all SMB sales WW, and actually accomplished creation of unique sales offerings, plays, and promotions for the SMB market.
2006-2007: Piscataway, NJ: Americas Channel Sales Leader for WebSphere. Focused on sales, partner enablement, and creation of unique programs for our distributors and high value partners.
2008: Piscataway, NJ: Americas DataPower Channel Sales leader
The point is not so much all of the above, but that I have actually been able to change careers within IBM and not had to leave the company. Which is a great testament to the strength of IBM. One thing that gives me strength in the current job is I have a mixture of sales, marketing and technical skills that help me every day not only to do my job but also to see things from points of view of extended team members and their objectives for work.
Working at IBM is great, and in today's world provides not only great opportunity career wise. But, also provides flexibility in my personal life. At IBM most employees are mobility in my world. That means we work from home and because I have been a world wide or Americas wide professional for more than a decade I could basically live any where and do my job. When, Harry and I would winter most months in Fort Lauderdale. He would go to the beach and I would either go into the local office or work from the condo. I can work from Provincetown or Highland Park.. or frankly could decide to sell the homes and shake things up and live almost any where there is a nearby airport and a DSL line.
So, after all of this discussion of work and what has been a rapid start of my new role over the last two months, I need a vacation. So, I am off to Key West and Fort Lauderdale. Need walk time, and a nice Key West sunset I think is just what the doctor ordered.
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