Interview with Sarah Griggs

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What is your role at cloudworx and how long have you been part of the team?

My role at cloudworx is Consulting Developer and I have been with the company since 2019.

What are your responsibilities at cloudworx?

They vary. I am involved in the entire sales cycle, which means we are in constant contact with Salesforce account managers who provide us with leads. We get to know them, keep in touch and work together in so-called disco calls, present cloudworx and what we do, and find out if there is any interest in working together. Then we go into workshops, analyse their processes in detail and develop a kind of digital ideal. Then we create a proposal and implement it. In other words, the entire process from sales to product development.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

It's actually the different facets, i.e. on the one hand being active in sales, talking to customers and convincing them why they should work with us and not with someone else. If you don't feel like talking to people on a particular day, you can concentrate on the technical side and implement the projects.

How did you end up at cloudworx?

I was very unhappy in my previous job and was looking for something new. I actually came across a job search app quite by chance and got in touch with headhunters who introduced me to the position. I found it very interesting right away, which is why I'm here now!

What does it take to be a successful Salesforce consultant & developer?

I think one thing is patience, because it's a job where you learn a lot. There are always new technical challenges and it sometimes takes a little time to get into it and become versatile. You need empathy to get along with customers and be able to focus on one topic.

Which areas interest you the most? In which direction would you like to develop at cloudworx?

I've been relatively less active in sales so far, and I'm actually finding that I really enjoy it. I like convincing customers and working with them to solve a problem. They may have an idea, but then we have to work together to find a solution, and it's my job to communicate the whole thing in a way that's understandable. I'm focusing on that a bit more at the moment, partly because I have fewer projects right now. I always want to develop and improve myself in general. I would also like to move more towards a team leader role and teach others – I think that's cool too.

How did your induction at cloudworx go?

It was a bit different here back then. We worked more with existing customers from Timo's network. On the one hand, I had a lot of time to learn things for myself. For example, I did a lot with trails. On the other hand, I looked over Daniel's shoulder, worked with him on tickets, did the technical implementation and fixed problems. But as I said, it was also a lot of self-learning, because there were only three of us at the time and my colleagues didn't always have that much time. It was a bit slower than now, but it was a lot of fun to delve deeply into complex topics. I also had days with Timo where we went through code together and I created organisational charts, for example, to illustrate the logic behind it. I learned a lot and that gave me a good foundation to continue on my own.

What qualities help you most in your job as a consultant and developer?

Well, I think it takes a lot of determination. When I started, I couldn't code. I had never programmed anything in my life. I had to work very hard to understand and learn it. It definitely helped me to want to stick with it. Nowadays, I'm still learning new things and have to ask questions here and there to be versatile.

Do you have any wishes or goals for your professional future?

As I said, I want to continue learning and passing on my knowledge.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

Well, little girls always have different ideas. I wanted to be a singer, then an actress, then a vet. Eventually, I ended up wanting to be a language teacher, but later decided that I wanted to go into consulting in the IT field.

But those were my original plans – when I was three years old.

What book are you reading at the moment? / What series are you watching at the moment?

I've started reading ‘A la recherche du temps perdu’ by Marcel Proust in French. My current series is ‘Stranger Things’.

What is your favourite food/sweet?

I generally like food, I'm not very fussy. But I would say cheese – I'm always up for cheese! As for sweets, I like Haribo's, anything fruity and chewy!

Which film have you seen more than three times?

Probably everything by Pixar. The Incredibles was always my favourite film as a teenager and I still watch it when I'm ill.

What is your tip for potential applicants?

Yes, I would say be interested in several topics. And you should bring a little patience with you. The most important thing is actually authenticity – that's what we're looking for and what goes down well.