Versatile IT athlete.

Germany must become more digital. But not head over heels. With the right tools and the right practices, much more can be achieved than with hasty actions and pointless provision of digital applications that still have to be printed out and sent off. Felix Herold supports public authorities and agencies in avoiding precisely this mistake and accompanies Germany’s digitalization on its long road to success.

This challenge is not too great for him, after all he trains for triathlons in his private life anyway and is used to surpassing himself. If you’re an IT athlete like that, then digitalization will work! Together with the rest of the virtual7 team, Felix enjoys being involved in many different projects and helping wherever he can.

How did you come to virtual7?

I came to virtual7 via the Pitch Club. It’s a recruiting event where companies and applicants can get to know each other in a speed dating session. I also got to know my future Team Development team and thus had a good insight into my future working environment.

I landed at virtual7 straight from Pitch Club. Now I’m here and I’m getting involved, trying to get involved in different topics and drive them forward.

Do you remember your first job at virtual7?

My very first task after being hired was to complete all the onboarding appointments at virtual7. You get to know the company, the culture, the strategy and the employees better. The first real task was the coffee app. I started at virtual7 during the coronavirus period, when everyone was working from home. Random meetings at the coffee machine, which lead to a short conversation or promote the exchange of new ideas, were to be mapped virtually. As the basic idea for the format already existed, I was involved in the final concept and technical implementation. The coffee app has now been running for a year and a half and continues to diligently bring employees together at random for a call.

What do you expect from a job that makes you happy as an employee?

It’s important to me that I work together with others and don’t just try to solve problems on my own. The exchange with colleagues on a wide range of topics is always very valuable. The other component is versatility. These two aspects were already “non-negotiable” for me during the interview at the Pitch Club.

What are your tasks at virtual7?

The tasks have become more complex. I’m now on my third customer project, where I’m dealing with infrastructure issues. I have both customer contact and organizational tasks. Another project, which deals with text classification, is now coming to an end. I have taken over the project management there. I’m also currently in the onboarding phase for a new project. It’s about making automated database jobs as simple as possible for end users. At virtual7, you can also get involved and help shape different areas by taking on different roles. I have the role of Content Creation, where I provide input from my cluster and customer project, and I work as a moderator on the podcast. I am also involved in tenders and contribute to the strategy of my cluster.

What can you achieve with your daily work?

Through my work, I can support customers in using the tools and am available as a contact person in the event of problems. This ensures that others can do their job well. It’s very nice to know that you can support and help others with your work. Direct feedback is one of the most important aspects of this.

What makes your job at virtual7 unique?

You have the opportunity to take on responsibility at a very early stage. Because responsibilities are linked to roles, you can decide which area you would like to get involved in by taking on these roles. You are then quickly given the opportunity to make your own decisions and drive issues forward. At the same time, I see the opportunity to develop and also look into other areas and discover, live out and promote new strengths and interests.

What do you particularly enjoy about your job?

I like the versatility. One minute you’re solving a deep technical problem and have to delve deep into the documentation, the next you’re sitting in an interview or talking to customers. You are confronted with new tasks almost every day, which I really like.

What would you like to change at virtual7?

We are very green on the outside in terms of our corporate colors. I would like to see us initiate a few internal projects in the future to make the company more ecologically green. In times of the energy crisis, we have already given some thought to this topic, so I believe that we as a company can also develop more in this area in the future. Otherwise, I think that other necessary changes will come when they are recognized. Thanks to the responsive company organization, we have a good basis for being able to change in many possible directions.

What makes you happy at the end of the working day? What motivates you?

At the end of a working day, a successfully completed to-do list motivates me. On the other hand, an exciting list motivates me for the next few days. I am happy when I have completed things and clearly know what the next steps are. I can see the results of my daily work and know what I can achieve with it.

What goals would you like to achieve in the coming year?

I would like to continue working on the cluster strategy and, in the next step, on the corporate strategy. I would also be happy to continue in the area of project management. I have already taken my first steps in this area and would like to pursue this further and complete further training in this area. In my private life, I am currently preparing for a triathlon and my goal is to complete each discipline of the long distance individually. 3.8 kilometer swim. 180 kilometers of cycling & 42.195 kilometers of running.

About the artist

Julia Körner

“I am Julia Körner aka Dyru, an illustrator, character designer, visual development artist from Germany, currently based in Mannheim.

Like most artists, I have been drawing for as long as I can remember and after completing my Master of Arts in Communication Design, I gradually began my career as a professional illustrator.

I now work as a freelance illustrator, character designer and visual development artist for the games and animation industry and also do illustrations for children’s books and magazines, cover illustrations, private commissions and my own illustration projects.

I love creating whimsical characters and worlds full of magic and enjoy playing with colors and lights to tell stories in my paintings.”

To the artist

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