6 Months Into the Job With Fiona Falcone
Having been with her previous company for 11 years, Fiona Falcone was making a big change by joining Adobe. She was moving from a consulting role to a sales role and from a firm where she had spent over a decade building her brand and strong relationships, to a new organisational structure. Luckily the onboarding process at Adobe enabled her to throw herself into work from day 1 and her learning experience smoothly morphed into the day-to-day activities of her new role.
As a Senior Account Manager in the Professional Services team, Fiona is always working on something new. As she says, “There’s so much variety here – in the people and in the work. If you enjoy constant change, this is the place to be.” In a typical week she will be working closely with implementation teams to scope new pieces of work, pitching to Heads of Marketing or Chief Technology Officers or attending new learning sessions run by Adobe internal teams.
To get a better understanding on Fiona’s first 6 months at Adobe, we sat down with her to chat about her new #AdobeLife.
What initially drew you to join Adobe and this opportunity on the Professional Services team?
I have to say, the brand attracted me. It’s a massive global brand, and compared to other companies that are as old or older than Adobe, it feels quite young and new. I had an old colleague of mine reach out to me about this opportunity, and I’m glad I took the call. Once I started to learn more about Adobe’s business, the opportunity for growth became clear.
How has your onboarding process been like on the Professional Services team?
Adobe is a fast-moving company and I’ve seen that the most successful people are those who cope well with this environment. We’re constantly working with multiple business units and teams, and we’re always on the go. Everyone was welcoming during my first couple of weeks – helping me get settled into my role and introducing me to key people in Adobe’s and my client’s businesses.
What was your perception of Adobe before you joined? What is it now that you’ve joined?
The thing I find surprising is how “young” and agile this 35-year old company can be. I feel that there’s a lot of flexibility in everything we do, sort of like a startup. But we’re also very well established and we have a massive scope to help enable change.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about Adobe?
I was really surprised by our benefits package. Our wellbeing package is amazing and I’m using it for everything from biking equipment for my children to gym classes for me. I’ve also used the Learning Fund to pay for French lessons and to join Women in Tech groups. I’ve not seen this level of benefits, especially the freedom and encouragement to use it, anywhere else.
What do you hope to accomplish in your role? And what challenges are you most excited about?
As a sales person I am goal oriented so I hope my sales numbers will reflect my accomplishments. As the team grows I will be excited to not be the new person; I’m looking forward to getting more years under my belt. The organization is changing quickly, when I joined, some of the battle stories I heard were only a few months old, and I hope that at the end of the year I will have properly evolved from the newbie to a fully-fledged sales person.
For candidates considering Adobe, what would you say to them?
I was really comfortable in my old job. While I was on the fence with Adobe, my now current manager called me and asked what my hesitation was—I was being offered more money and Adobe is known as a great place to work. And yet, I still wasn’t sure. Hearing my hesitation he said, “Don’t worry about it. If I have to come in an hour earlier and leave 3 hours later to make you the best sales person we have, I will do that.” That’s what really won me over. If you’re on the fence, you need to give someone the chance to tell you those magic words, whatever they might be. Come and interview with us, let us see how talented you are and let us design a proposition that will work for you.
Since being here for 6 months, I can say it’s a super great place to work. Anyone planning to come to London, give me a call!! We can run around the rooftop running track. Or get a drink in the bar next door!
Interested in starting your journey at Adobe? Apply today!