Laura Schwarz’s first 60 days with Adobe

There’s no doubt that starting a new job can be daunting. In those first few months, there’s a lot to learn and take in—new faces, new places. But there’s definitely an excitement in the air. To get a closer look at this, we reached out to Laura Schwarz, Senior Enterprise Account Executive, to learn a little bit more about how her first few months at Adobe has been like, and what’s surprised her the most since joining.

Thanks for chatting with me, Laura. First of all, what drew you to join Adobe?

I had just moved to a new city and was on the lookout for new opportunities. I had an old colleague who asked if I was interested in Adobe. Honestly, at first I couldn’t imagine myself working here. I didn’t want to work for a large company, since I had been in startups and mid-sized companies for the last 10 years. I wasn’t sure if Adobe was the right thing for me. But after starting the interview process, I had a hugely positive experience and was surprised to learn about the breadth of technology and solutions we offer. I wanted to be part of that customer journey.

How has your experience been so far?

It’s been very intense! It’s a lot of hard work and I still feel that I have a lot to learn and people to meet. I was immediately thrust into work, and I was meeting customers in my first week. The team expects a lot from you, but I believe that’s a good thing. I’d rather be doing challenging work than cast aside.

Would you say that’s what surprised you the most since joining? Or is there something else?

Actually, what’s surprised me the most was learning more about our offerings. There’s magic in what Adobe does. We are truly market leaders, which tells you something about the quality of our products. Our teams are always creating new and unique solutions, and that’s very exciting.

What challenges are you most excited about?

As an account executive, I really want to make an impact in my vertical. My main goal is to enlighten the market and show my customers what Adobe can really do—especially outside of Photoshop and PDF. Once you break this belief, you get the chance to talk to the right people about the right solutions. That’s how you get meaningful conversations about what Adobe can do to help them with digital transformation.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received? And do you feel it’s come in handy since joining?

Many paths lead to Rome. You don’t always have to follow a set career path. There are so many opportunities to end up at a job that makes you happy, and which will move you forward. When I was young, I thought I had to follow a very strict path to get where I wanted to go. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Be intelligent, be humble, and learn quickly. This is something that’s always rung true in my career, and being at Adobe is no exception.

For candidates considering Adobe, what would you say to them?

Be prepared to be shaken and challenged. The first few months are demanding, but when you join the team, you are saying “yes” to working for one of the best and brightest companies in the industry.

Ready to start your Adobe Life experience? Apply for opportunities on our career site.