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(This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/mother99/jacksonholdingcompany.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114Cisco\u2019s advocacy community, Cisco Insider Advocates<\/strong>, brings our customers together and provides a way for them to make powerful connections, expand their professional and personal networks, and learn\u2026 Read more on Cisco Blogs<\/a><\/p>\n \u200b<\/p>\n Cisco\u2019s advocacy community, Cisco Insider Advocates<\/strong>, brings our customers together and provides a way for them to make powerful connections, expand their professional and personal networks, and learn from top experts in their field. One of our goals with our advocacy community is to deepen our relationships with our customers. Our Q&A series allows us to shine a spotlight on some of our most passionate customer advocates as we learn more about their stories and backgrounds.<\/p>\n Today, we have one of the friendliest faces in the community joining us for a chat. I\u2019m excited to welcome Damian Erni from Swisscom<\/a>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s an interesting question. In Switzerland, you usually start your apprenticeship or your study when you turn 16. At that time, I was very interested in mechanical engineering or building construction.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s a long story. I started my professional career in the printing and advertising business as a typesetter and graphic designer. During all those years, I always maintained and supported the IT infrastructure of the companies I was working for. It was kind of a hobby on top of my regular job, which was great fun with a lot of learning. In 1999, during a visit to an IT fair, I met someone from Cisco, who was recruiting for a networking boot camp. I signed up for that opportunity and soon started my IT career as a project engineer, building large MPLS networks globally.<\/p>\n It all began with the fact that Cisco made it possible for me to start my career in IT, many years ago. I\u2019m still thankful for that opportunity. Today, many years later, I continue to be connected to Cisco as an advocate and ambassador of Cisco Insider Advocacy programs, which are fantastic. For the daily business, I can count on the local Cisco team here in Switzerland.<\/p>\n My job is always evolving and that\u2019s what makes it great. Of course, there are lots of challenges in this fast-turning industry, but one of the bigger challenges we face is the shortage of skilled IT workers. At Swisscom, we have several programs to attract young talent, including our \u201cjunior program,\u201d which exposes participants to career opportunities in a range of fields. For example, those in the program for system engineers can become certified engineers for Cisco, Dell, or Microsoft with specializations in areas like data center engineering or network engineering. <\/p>\n The Cisco Insider Advocates<\/a> community is a group of people that are enthusiastic about what they do. They all have an intrinsic motivation to learn and explore technology and are passionate about Cisco. I met some of them at Cisco Live, and it felt as if we had known each other for a long time. We all had a great time during the event and are still in contact since then.<\/p>\n\n I joined about four years ago when I was at the local Cisco office for an event. They promoted Cisco Insider Advocates, and I was curious and signed-up. At that time, I didn\u2019t know what to expect. During my time in the community, I got more and more involved in different activities, from being part of a challenge to participation at a panel discussion at Cisco Live. I think for both, the personal and professional side, I get more visibility for my work, and I can count on the support and knowledge of a huge and highly skilled community. \u00a0<\/p>\n Inspiring would be the best word to summarize my experience. If I compare it to other Cisco Live events, my favorite is still the one in Barcelona in 2019. But every Cisco Live has its own highlights, which I don\u2019t want to miss.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n It was a great experience, getting out of my comfort zone and being in the spotlight. We were a group of five advocates. We spoke about the intersection of customer experience and customer advocacy and how we see that happening in practice through the Cisco Customer Experience and customer advocacy programs and initiatives. \u00a0<\/p>\n As I mentioned earlier, it felt like we\u2019ve known each other for a long time although we\u2019d never met in person. The day we met felt like seeing old friends. You feel that they all share the same passion. We had great fun. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing them all again in 2024 in Amsterdam.\u00a0<\/p>\n My family and friends For our customers who have already joined our Cisco Insider Advocates <\/a>community, say hello to Damian if you haven\u2019t met yet. And if you\u2019re a Cisco customer but aren\u2019t a community member, consider joining. You\u2019ll be able to:<\/p>\n Connect with peers in a gamified, online community \u00a0\u00a0Damian Erni is passionate about technology and enthusiastic about Cisco. Learn how he combines both in his role at Swisscom and through his engagement in Cisco Insider Advocates.\u00a0\u00a0Read More<\/a>\u00a0Cisco Blogs\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <\/p>\n Cisco\u2019s advocacy community, Cisco Insider Advocates<\/strong>, brings our customers together and provides a way for them to make powerful connections, expand their professional and personal networks, and learn\u2026 Read more on Cisco Blogs<\/a><\/p>\n \u200b<\/p>\n Cisco\u2019s advocacy community, Cisco Insider Advocates<\/strong>, brings our customers together and provides a way for them to make powerful connections, expand their professional and personal networks, and learn from top experts in their field. One of our goals with our advocacy community is to deepen our relationships with our customers. Our Q&A series allows us to shine a spotlight on some of our most passionate customer advocates as we learn more about their stories and backgrounds.<\/p>\n Today, we have one of the friendliest faces in the community joining us for a chat. I\u2019m excited to welcome Damian Erni from Swisscom<\/a>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s an interesting question. In Switzerland, you usually start your apprenticeship or your study when you turn 16. At that time, I was very interested in mechanical engineering or building construction.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s a long story. I started my professional career in the printing and advertising business as a typesetter and graphic designer. During all those years, I always maintained and supported the IT infrastructure of the companies I was working for. It was kind of a hobby on top of my regular job, which was great fun with a lot of learning. In 1999, during a visit to an IT fair, I met someone from Cisco, who was recruiting for a networking boot camp. I signed up for that opportunity and soon started my IT career as a project engineer, building large MPLS networks globally.<\/p>\n It all began with the fact that Cisco made it possible for me to start my career in IT, many years ago. I\u2019m still thankful for that opportunity. Today, many years later, I continue to be connected to Cisco as an advocate and ambassador of Cisco Insider Advocacy programs, which are fantastic. For the daily business, I can count on the local Cisco team here in Switzerland.<\/p>\n My job is always evolving and that\u2019s what makes it great. Of course, there are lots of challenges in this fast-turning industry, but one of the bigger challenges we face is the shortage of skilled IT workers. At Swisscom, we have several programs to attract young talent, including our \u201cjunior program,\u201d which exposes participants to career opportunities in a range of fields. For example, those in the program for system engineers can become certified engineers for Cisco, Dell, or Microsoft with specializations in areas like data center engineering or network engineering. <\/p>\n The Cisco Insider Advocates<\/a> community is a group of people that are enthusiastic about what they do. They all have an intrinsic motivation to learn and explore technology and are passionate about Cisco. I met some of them at Cisco Live, and it felt as if we had known each other for a long time. We all had a great time during the event and are still in contact since then.<\/p>\n I joined about four years ago when I was at the local Cisco office for an event. They promoted Cisco Insider Advocates, and I was curious and signed-up. At that time, I didn\u2019t know what to expect. During my time in the community, I got more and more involved in different activities, from being part of a challenge to participation at a panel discussion at Cisco Live. I think for both, the personal and professional side, I get more visibility for my work, and I can count on the support and knowledge of a huge and highly skilled community. \u00a0<\/p>\n Inspiring would be the best word to summarize my experience. If I compare it to other Cisco Live events, my favorite is still the one in Barcelona in 2019. But every Cisco Live has its own highlights, which I don\u2019t want to miss.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was a great experience, getting out of my comfort zone and being in the spotlight. We were a group of five advocates. We spoke about the intersection of customer experience and customer advocacy and how we see that happening in practice through the Cisco Customer Experience and customer advocacy programs and initiatives. \u00a0<\/p>\n As I mentioned earlier, it felt like we\u2019ve known each other for a long time although we\u2019d never met in person. The day we met felt like seeing old friends. You feel that they all share the same passion. We had great fun. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing them all again in 2024 in Amsterdam.\u00a0<\/p>\n My family and friends For our customers who have already joined our Cisco Insider Advocates <\/a>community, say hello to Damian if you haven\u2019t met yet. And if you\u2019re a Cisco customer but aren\u2019t a community member, consider joining. You\u2019ll be able to:<\/p>\n Connect with peers in a gamified, online communityWelcome, Damian! Let\u2019s kick things off by talking about what you wanted to be when you were 16 years old?<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
An apprenticeship is a very hands-on way to combine education and career. <\/strong>Speaking of careers, where did you start yours? And what professional decision or opportunity helped lead you to your current role?\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
Wow! You and Cisco have had a connection for quite some time.\u00a0How has partnering with Cisco helped you in your career and your current role?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
What\u2019s been your biggest challenge in your company recently, and how did you overcome it? <\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
Let\u2019s move on to our customer advocacy community! How would you describe Cisco Insider Advocates to those who aren\u2019t familiar with it?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
You\u2019re one of our community \u201cRockstars,\u201d Damian. What made you want to join, and how has being part of this community impacted you both professionally and personally? <\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
Cisco Live 2024 is just a few months away! We would love to know more about your experience at Cisco Live 2023 Amsterdam this past February. If you could describe your experience in one word, what would it be? How did it compare to previous Cisco Live conferences you\u2019ve attended?\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
During the conference, you spoke at one of our customer panel sessions. How was your experience, and what did you discuss on the panel?\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
You also had a chance to meet for the first time or reconnect with peers from the Cisco Insider Advocates community, as well as some of my colleagues from Cisco\u2019s Global Customer Marketing team! How did you enjoy that reconnection? \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
We can\u2019t wait to host you again, Damian! We\u2019re almost at the end of the interview and we\u2019d love to finish with three things you can\u2019t live without?<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
\nHaving a job where I can learn something new every day
\nA sense of humor<\/p>\nGreat list! <\/strong><\/em>It\u2019s been a pleasure and thank you again for joining us, Damian!<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
Read more advocate interviews<\/h2>\n
You might enjoy this interview with Jyrki Halonen<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Join us!<\/h2>\n
\nHave an opportunity to meet with Cisco\u2019s executives
\nShare your feedback, questions, and best practices
\nGet access to \u2018insider\u2019 content and resources
\nGrow your professional and personal brand
\nAmplify your company\u2019s success story with Cisco technology<\/p>\nReady to get started?<\/h2>\n
Head over to the Cisco Insider Advocates<\/a> Community\u00a0and say hello!<\/strong><\/h3>\n
(Requires registration \/ login)<\/h4>\n
Connect with us on social<\/h2>\n
Follow Cisco Advocacy on social for the latest Cisco customer stories and more!<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Twitter<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Instagram<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 LinkedIn<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<\/strong>YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Welcome, Damian! Let\u2019s kick things off by talking about what you wanted to be when you were 16 years old?<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
An apprenticeship is a very hands-on way to combine education and career. <\/strong>Speaking of careers, where did you start yours? And what professional decision or opportunity helped lead you to your current role?\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
Wow! You and Cisco have had a connection for quite some time.\u00a0How has partnering with Cisco helped you in your career and your current role?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
What\u2019s been your biggest challenge in your company recently, and how did you overcome it? <\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
Let\u2019s move on to our customer advocacy community! How would you describe Cisco Insider Advocates to those who aren\u2019t familiar with it?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
You\u2019re one of our community \u201cRockstars,\u201d Damian. What made you want to join, and how has being part of this community impacted you both professionally and personally? <\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
Cisco Live 2024 is just a few months away! We would love to know more about your experience at Cisco Live 2023 Amsterdam this past February. If you could describe your experience in one word, what would it be? How did it compare to previous Cisco Live conferences you\u2019ve attended?\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
During the conference, you spoke at one of our customer panel sessions. How was your experience, and what did you discuss on the panel?\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
You also had a chance to meet for the first time or reconnect with peers from the Cisco Insider Advocates community, as well as some of my colleagues from Cisco\u2019s Global Customer Marketing team! How did you enjoy that reconnection? \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
We can\u2019t wait to host you again, Damian! We\u2019re almost at the end of the interview and we\u2019d love to finish with three things you can\u2019t live without?<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
\nHaving a job where I can learn something new every day
\nA sense of humor<\/p>\nGreat list! <\/strong><\/em>It\u2019s been a pleasure and thank you again for joining us, Damian!<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
Read more advocate interviews<\/h2>\n
You might enjoy this interview with Jyrki Halonen<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Join us!<\/h2>\n
\nHave an opportunity to meet with Cisco\u2019s executives
\nShare your feedback, questions, and best practices
\nGet access to \u2018insider\u2019 content and resources
\nGrow your professional and personal brand
\nAmplify your company\u2019s success story with Cisco technology<\/p>\nReady to get started?<\/h2>\n
Head over to the Cisco Insider Advocates<\/a> Community\u00a0and say hello!<\/strong><\/h3>\n
(Requires registration \/ login)<\/h4>\n
Connect with us on social<\/h2>\n
Follow Cisco Advocacy on social for the latest Cisco customer stories and more!<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Twitter<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Instagram<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 LinkedIn<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<\/strong>YouTube<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n