Within my professional career (now almost 30 years) within the IT environment I have collected several competencies. Some of them are technical skills, some of them are social skills but to go into this in detail would take us too far afield. Therefore, I only would like to list some of them which I think may interest you. If you like to hear more then just drop me a line at hello <at> andre-grahl <dot> de
Social Skills
- Customer Success Manager
A Customer Success Manager (CSM) is a professional who acts as a liaison between a company and its customers, proactively ensuring clients achieve desired outcomes with the company’s products or services. Their goal is to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships by helping customers maximize value, leading to increased loyalty, reduced churn, and higher customer lifetime value. - Conflict Management
Conflict management is the process of identifying and handling disagreements or differences of opinion by using effective strategies to minimize negative effects and maximize potential benefits. The goal is to resolve conflicts fairly and efficiently, fostering better teamwork, critical thinking, and positive group outcomes, even while acknowledging that conflicts can sometimes bring new ideas and perspectives. - ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
ITIL, which stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library, is a globally recognized framework of best practices for IT service management (ITSM) that helps organizations align their IT services with business needs and goals. It provides a systematic, process-based approach to designing, delivering, managing, and continually improving IT services to create value for customers and the business. - Coaching
Coaching is a collaborative, goal-oriented partnership where a coach helps a colleague or customer unlock their full potential to achieve personal and professional goals. It involves a non-directive process of asking questions and providing support to empower the colleague or customer to learn, grow, and create their own solutions, rather than being taught or given answers by the coach. - Communication
Communication is the active process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, and emotions to create understanding and connection between individuals or groups.
Languages: Native-German, English-fluent with accent, german sign language
Technical Skills
- Certified Ethical Hacker
A Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is a cybersecurity professional certified by the EC-Council who uses the same tools and techniques as a malicious hacker to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks, but does so legally and with the organization’s permission to improve security. - Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Model (LLM)
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is a type of AI that creates new content—such as text, images, audio, or video—by learning from existing data to understand patterns and relationships, then generating novel outputs based on user prompts.
An LLM, or Large Language Model, is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that uses deep learning to understand and generate human-like text. Trained on vast amounts of text and data, LLMs learn complex patterns and relationships within language to perform various natural language processing (NLP) tasks, such as answering questions, translating languages, summarizing text, writing code, and creating conversational AI. - UNIX
UNIX is a family of multi-user, multi-tasking operating systems characterized by its robustness, flexibility, and powerful command-line interface. It features a hierarchical file system, a command-line shell, and a kernel that manages system resources, forming the foundation for many modern operating systems like Linux and macOS.
Combined Skills
- Analytical Skills
Analytical skills are abilities that allow you to gather, interpret, and analyze complex information to identify patterns, solve problems, and make informed decisions. They involve a combination of hard skills, like data analysis and research, and soft skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, and communication. These skills are vital in many professions, helping professionals to draw logical conclusions, devise creative solutions, and improve processes and outcomes. - IP Contact Center (IPCC) and VoIP
IP Contact Center (IPCC) services include cloud hosting, Voice over IP (VoIP) inbound, interactive voice response (IVR), managed options and more. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a technology that allows you to make voice calls over a broadband internet connection instead of traditional copper phone lines. I am not an engineer here but I have a good knowledge when it should be used and how it works on a high level. - Projects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2)
PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments) is a globally recognized, process-based project management methodology used to manage projects of any size and complexity. It provides a flexible framework built on seven principles, seven themes, and seven processes that guide project activities from initiation to closure, focusing on controlled environments and product delivery. The method is adaptable and can be tailored to suit different project needs, ensuring clear roles, responsibilities, and a focus on business justification. - Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a data-driven management methodology used to improve business processes by minimizing defects and reducing variation, with the goal of achieving near-perfection by producing only 3.4 defects per million opportunities. It combines statistical tools with the DMAIC framework (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) to solve problems, reduce waste, and increase customer satisfaction, ultimately boosting profits and efficiency.
For most of the skills I also have received certifications. Some of them may not be valid anymore but this wouldn’t mean that I’ve forgotten all the learned.
The combination of all these skills are an excellent foundation in finding solutions and to solve problems.
