How Adobe changed my life 15 years into my career

When Cristina Salgado applied to one of Adobe’s job openings in Madrid, she did not think that such a big company would be interested in her atypical career path, made up of various experiences abroad in 8 different countries—Angola, Cape-Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, Peru, Portugal, Tanzania and the UK, where she gained over 15 years of experience in sales!

But when Adobe reached back out to her to see if she was interested in a 6-month internship on their sales team, she was excited. At that time of her life, Salgado had just given birth to her second child and was halfway through an MBA at Esade Business School in Madrid. She knew it would be risky to join Adobe, but at the same time, Salgado knew exactly what she wanted in a perfect company: one with values that deeply aligned to her own, and where she could feel empowered to have a successful career and personal life. Although she received good offers from other companies for senior positions, she knew Adobe was the company she had been looking for. And it changed her life.

“Thanks to the Talent team and Julian Cañadas, who is the country leader in Adobe Iberica, I was given the chance to join this amazing family. At the time, no other company would have hired me as an intern because they would have thought I was ‘too old’ for one.”

From an intern to an accomplished salesperson

Since then, Salgado has been thriving, having been converted to a Business Development Representative after her internship, and advancing in her career with the help of Adobe’s learning fund and development programs. “As soon as I feel like I’m entering my comfort zone, I look for new challenges, because I believe it’s imperative to keep learning and improving.” It’s no wonder why she has four master’s degrees! And as a result of her learn-it-all mindset, she has most recently grown into a Commercial Account Executive.

“If there was some advice to give, I’d say that one has to be very conscious of their own goals and work hard to reach them.” Not only that, Salgado says it’s just as important to check-in with your manager as it is with other colleagues. “You not only learn more about your colleagues, but you also begin to understand where and how you can add value to their work, too.”

“I feel fulfilled being part of this amazing culture. I have worked at many different companies and I can confirm the way Adobe supports its employees is exceptional!”