Ep. 64 - Account Manager - Luke Kohls, Palo Alto Networks

Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! This episode features a conversation with Luke Kohls, a former Van Buren High School math teacher who is an account manager for Palo Alto Networks. In the interview, Luke shares about what he does at Palo Alto, what it was like to change careers after seven years as a teacher, what teaching skills have served him best in his new career, and much more. Whether you are interested in a career in business or cybersecurity or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Luke shares today will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show! 1:52 - What is Palo Alto Networks, and what do business development representatives and account managers do? 4:25 - What Luke thought his career would be when he was leaving high school. 6:22 - The decision to transition from teaching to business 8:45 - “I want to give something else a try.” 9:36 - Stepping a bit backward to continue going forward 10:15 - Working as a teacher developed skills that were useful in business. 11:00 - Showing value and networking are huge when making a career change. 13:15 - Types of opportunities available in the business/cybersecurity fields 16:25 - Gaining the education needed for a business/cybersecurity career 18:05 - Most positive aspects of tech sales 19:53 - Tech sales are very competitive, which can make the career difficult. 22:00 - What Luke knows now about careers that he wishes he had known when he was in high school. Questions? Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/) or e-mail ([email protected]). Connect with Luke on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-kohls/) or by e-mail ([email protected]).