meet the experts – Sharita Wolswijk

‘I like seeing how surprised people are when they realize how much I know in terms of technology.’

She was just twenty, and she was looking for a job. She wanted something in marketing because that is what Sharita Wolswijk had studied. It didn’t work at all due to her lack of experience. But that did not stop her from trying. Sharita continued to apply, even for positions that had nothing to do with marketing. That’s how she applied for a job at GSS – a member of the Infinite Group, to which Ynvolve also belongs.

‘I did two or three interviews, and all of them were nice conversations, but to be honest, everything they talked about was like Chinese to me – I didn’t even know what a server was, so I had no idea what would be expected of me. So I wasn’t surprised when I got the call with bad news: they had found someone with more experience. I fully understood why, but I also  felt a bit frustrated. Because how on earth do you get experience if you don’t get hired anywhere? I asked them if I could at least work for free for a few months to show them my value. That wouldn’t cost them anything, but at least I could gain experience. They agreed and gave me a chance’

Sharita started in finance, but that wasn’t the right fit. Things clicked better with Ynvolve’s Support department. In fact, after a few months, they offered her a contract. ‘I quickly had to combine my support position with other roles in the  HR, Facility, and even internal IT departments for 3 years. Back then it was feasible because we were only seventeen people– now we employ more than a hundred.’

As the company grew, Sharita then worked solely for the Support department for another 5 years. She then needed a change to go to the next level, but where to?  ‘I’m definitely not a salesperson, so if that’s the only position left to grow within this company, I have to look for another job elsewhere.’  That’s what she told the CEO Martijn Niessen a long time ago. You’ve guessed where the story is going, right? She became a Sales accelerator for the MSP team, and she now has been selling for a year. ‘I was gently reminded of that fact on my tenth work anniversary which we celebrated a few months ago.’

Why did you stay? 

‘I was young when I started working here—still a girl, and maybe not the easiest one. I have always remembered that they nevertheless saw my potential and allowed me to grow. I also like the atmosphere at Ynvolve: my colleagues do not feel like colleagues; I have made true friends here. That doesn’t mean it’s always been rainbows and unicorns. There were some challenging times, and once or twice, I even said I did not want to continue working here. Still, I stayed because they talked me into pushing through and convinced me I had more to offer. And because I am tenacious. When I do something, I strive to do it well. I won’t let go; I’m kind of a pit bull, in a nice way. During my time in the Support department, I didn’t just send an engineer when something went wrong at night. I kept in touch with the engineer; I wanted to know how things were going so that I could inform my customers first thing in the morning about the status of the intervention. And that’s still how I perform within my sales role.’

How did they convince you to open your mind to getting in sales?

‘That’s a long story, but the bottom line is that I had worked here for eight years and thought I couldn’t grow further. I was pretty much done.  So, when Martijn talked to me about this sales position, I initially said ‘no.’ That’s not for me, I’m not technical enough for that and have no idea how to sell. He begged to differ, as the two sales guys with whom I ended up working with did. So, I decided to give it a shot. After all, trying out a new position was going to help me gain a better understanding of both the role and my strengths. Also, because it is such a great company – it’s just hard to leave. What drives me, too, is that a woman in IT still raises eyebrows. I never expected to find this stuff interesting, but I stuck to it and have learned a lot already, and still have a lot to learn. I like seeing how surprised people are when they realize how much I know in terms of technology. In some ways, I find that very motivating!’

On to fifteen years, then, Sharita?

‘I’m smart enough now not to answer that question with just a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. We’ll see where the Ynvolve journey takes me, but currently, I’m super happy with my position in sales. The past ten years flew by, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I reach fifteen years. I am still young, there’s a lot to explore in this IT world. ‘