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EMEA SMB Sales Employee Spotlight: Rene Zimmermann
February 13, 2015
Internal mobility is one of the great ways that Googlers can develop and grow their careers. Meet René Zimmermann, a German university graduate, who started his Google career learning and working in SMB Sales and has now gone on to work together with the world’s biggest brands, in Google’s Large and Customer Sales (LCS) team. Take your first step towards a Google career by checking out our Associate Account Strategist positions in the SMB Sales and Global Customer Experience teams
here
.
Describe yourself in keywords
Hamburger, curious traveler, football lover, passionate foodie, movie and series fan, sports enthusiast, coffee drinker, entrepreneur, music lover and spreadsheet pioneer.
What was your path to Google?
I’m from Hamburg, Germany. I moved to Munich for my Bachelor’s in International Business at Munich Business School. I also spent a semester abroad at the University of Melbourne, followed by an internship in Beijing. Afterwards, I studied International Business with a focus on entrepreneurship at Maastricht University, in the Netherlands.
Your first job at Google was in the SMB Sales team. What did you do during this time?
After completing my studies in 2011, I joined Google’s SMB Sales Team where I worked with high potential new clients that were just starting their online advertising with Google products. My job was to advise them on how to best reach their marketing goals with Google’s advertising solutions and helped them to become successful right from the start.
I worked closely with new clients who were either traditional medium-sized business, without a lot of digital experience, or young start-ups who were trying to find new customers. I really enjoyed advising Chiefs of Marketing, founders and investors on their online advertising strategy. During that time, I gained insights into many different and interesting business models. It was great to learn about the clients’ value proposition, target audiences, and to help them successfully tailor Google’s products around their business.
How did working on the SMB team give you an advantage?
Starting off within Google’s SMB Sales team gave me the opportunity to work with many clients from different industries, gain a broad overview on different marketing strategies, and develop insights into how best to achieve them through online marketing. The deep product and solution knowledge has been a constant asset. The fast-paced work environment also honed my ability to optimize my priority setting and time management.
I developed a deep knowledge of online marketing, but also of Internet business models in general, as well as how digital marketing fits into the marketing and branding strategy of large traditional corporations. Since this industry is changing rapidly, I definitely learned to cope with changes quickly. Since my daily job is customer-facing, I also acquired valuable sales skills.
There are loads of opportunities for internal mobility. How have you progressed in your Google career?
After 2.5 years in SMB Sales, I joined the Large Customer Sales (LCS) team, working with the German Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) clients. I’m currently working in a newly founded global team called Global Clients & Agency Solutions (GCAS). GCAS is the team that helps serve some of the world's largest brands. I personally get to work with one of the largest international Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands to help them become more successful in digital advertising to achieve their local and international business goals, such as brand awareness.
What makes Google a great place to work?
I love working for a company in such a fast growing industry. There is something new to learn every day and it never gets boring. Since Google is very innovative, there will be future opportunities that we might not even be aware of yet.
Besides the thrilling industry, I really appreciate the environment at Google. The great food, the gym and sports classes enable me to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Last but not least, it is amazing to work in such an international environment, with smart people, from many different backgrounds. I’ve had the chance to make many friends during my time at Google.
You work at Google’s European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. What’s do you like about living in Ireland?
Dublin is a great city with a sunny mediterranean climate! Well, not really... The weather could definitely be better, but Dublin has a lot to offer, especially if you’re into films, music and good food. I was amazed by the density of excellent restaurants and I enjoy meeting friends for a beer (aka a pint)! Within the core city, you can reach everything in walking distance. In my free time I do a lot of sports, such as Squash or exercising in the Google gym. I also play for Google’s Football team, which competes against other companies in the Dublin area.
How do you see your future at Google?
I am currently very happy to have the opportunity of making branding more efficient through digital marketing — a major shift in the traditional advertising world. Since my team is truly international, I could imagine transferring internally to another market, such as the US, on a mid-term perspective.
What advice would you give a student interest in starting a Google career?
An SMB position would be a good match for you, if you enjoy working with people and desire a client-facing job. Candidates should be interested in online marketing, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, and have some sales talent. From a career perspective, people have the opportunity to either go for a sales-oriented path or to become a people manager in the future.
Whether it’s developing new business strategies, providing online marketing consultancy, selling a great advertising solution to our clients or bringing products to market, there are plenty of graduate opportunities at Google that don’t involve algorithms. Take your first step towards a Google career by checking out our opportunities
here
.
Posted by Shawn Dye, University Programs
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