Follow Your Inner Voice and Just Go For It
Things often turn out differently than expected. Today’s Network Engineer Florian Tschiedel has completed a commercial apprenticeship. When he realized that his real interest is in technics, he retrained. Originally Florian comes from Hanover and moved to Berlin for his job. When the offer came to start at Anexia, he decided to pack his belongings and move to Vienna. Florian is a man who isn’t afraid of any complications: that is why the Corona security measures didn’t stop him from settling during spring 2020. In this #joinourrevolution interview Florian explains why he is always willing to change.
Who are you and what are you doing at Anexia?
I am Florian and I have been working at Anexia since the beginning of April, when I started my career in the Network Operations department. I completed the training for this in January. I already knew Anexia from former colleagues who moved here before me and told me about their work. Currently I take care of the daily business and the network documentation, especially the last one is good to get better acquainted with the Anexia network world.
What do you like about your work as a network engineer?
I like the complexity of the tasks. Every day is different because there is always something different coming up. And right now, the situation with Corona offers special challenges. It’s very exciting that we have to deal with a different location of ours every day (Editor’s note: all locations of the Anexia World Wide Cloud can be found here ) and are confronted with different tasks: commissioning remote hands, coordinating deliveries or technical problems and troubleshooting.
Did you always know that you wanted to do something in the field of IT?
I graduated from secondary school in Germany and then switched to a school with a focus on business. Since that appealed to me, I did an apprenticeship in the commercial sector and then worked in the sales department of a data center provider. I realized there, that the topic of IT had haunted me all my life, but I never took the step to start an apprenticeship in this field. That’s why I left the permanent employment and returned to the apprenticeship by starting one as an IT specialist for system integration in September 2017. I completed this training this January. So, I first completed a commercial and now a technical apprenticeship.
Technicians and salespeople are often two completely different types: As a young sales employee, how were you able to assert yourself with the more experienced colleagues in the technical department?
I deliberately protected myself from being accused of lacking technical know-how. That’s why this didn’t happen to me. At customer meetings I roughly knew already what it would be about. When I noticed that there were topics where I was not so firm yet, I asked a technician to support me. I also communicated this openly during appointments so that problems could be solved from technician to technician.
“Knowing something is never wrong. That’s why I try to acquire as much knowledge as possible to be able to answer every upcoming question.”
Are you a solution-oriented person who ambitiously tries to solve every problem?
You always have to make the best out of any situation. Knowing something is never wrong. That’s why I try to acquire as much knowledge as possible to be able to answer every upcoming question. The subject matter was so interesting to me, that I threw myself into it. It’s not different now. I learned the basics in my apprenticeship of course, but when you start working in your new profession, there are also things that you haven’t seen at vocational school or during your apprenticeship.
You emigrated from Germany to Austria during a global pandemic. How did you feel about that?
The move was very exciting. Because all those who wanted to emigrate to Austria at that time were given conditions that were imposed by the Austrian Embassy. Before entering the country, a test was made, and I had to be registered here in Austria before I could cross the border. I had the move done by a company, and Anexia always supported me with this and other questions. My superiors Stefan (Funke) and Theo (Voss), who both also moved from Germany to Austria, were also helpful in many ways.
Running the entire company on home office was something completely new for Anexia. How did your onboarding go?
I was very satisfied with both the application process and the entire onboarding. A lot of effort was put into getting the best out of the situation. Various colleagues from the team split up and gave me crash courses, in which they taught me different topics. We communicated online via Teamspeak and sometimes shared the screen via Skype or TeamViewer, and I took notes on the side
“I find it very exciting to see new things and travel through cities and countries. I like the feeling of coming to places where everything is new, and I know nothing yet.”
You have lived in Berlin and now in Vienna. Do you only feel comfortable in big cities like Vienna or Berlin or do smaller cities also have their special atmosphere for you?
I could already gain some experiences, since I’ve moved a few times. I find it very exciting to see new things and travel through cities and countries. I like the feeling of coming to places where everything is new, and I know nothing yet. For example, I moved from Hanover to Berlin: there’s no comparison. Berlin is immensely large and very anonymous, whereas Hanover is a provincial town. This anonymity is also the attraction that many see in Berlin. I believe that Vienna is exactly the middle ground between small provinces and large metropolises. For me, it’s the perfect city because there’s still a lot going on and you can experience a lot. I have been travelling a lot through Vienna in the past few weeks, have looked around the city and find it beautiful here. You can do and see so much here, there is a lot going on and it has a lot on offer. But you can still meet people by chance, I find that very charming. In Berlin it doesn’t happen that you walk through the city and you run into somebody you know.
And what do you do in your free time when you are not strolling through Vienna?
I started playing American football when I was 10 years old. I actively pursued that for years. Currently I’m only a spectator, but I’m thinking about getting a coaching license or becoming a referee so I can take part in the game again. I’ve been out too long to play actively, and I got older and calmer. But when I go to games and stand at the sideline, I feel the adrenaline rushing through my body and I want to run up and play. I have always benefited from having good coaches and fair referees, so I want to get involved and give something back. I think it is important to give something back to your fellows when you get the chance to do so.
What do they teach you in American football? Is it a tactical game?
They say football is grass chess. It’s a highly complex tactical game where you learn tactical understanding. You must understand the position of your opponents and the position of your team, interpret it an react accordingly. Team cohesion is very important. You never win the game alone, there are always 10 others on the field. Only if the whole machinery works and everybody sticks together, you win a game at the end of the day. Especially when everything hurts at the end, it is important to be able to rely on your teammates. Team spirit is very important, you simply must trust the others.
“I think it is important to give something back to your fellows when you get the chance to do so.”
Final question: What advice do you have for others who want to come to Austria or generally change their place of residence for the job?
The first step is always the most difficult one, so just do it! I think you shouldn’t think about it for so long. If you have an inner voice that tells you “This is interesting”, then it is important to follow it and definitely take the step. I had this inner voice, listened to it, put it into practice and Anexia supported me very well. So, everything went smoothly.
You want to enrich our colourful team with your strengths? Then take Florian’s words to heart, take a look at our open positions and #joinourrevolution.