Commercial real estate and high-end cosmetics have more in common than one might think.
At least, that’s been Resource Development Manager Kristy Alvarez’s experience. Alvarez, who works at tech company VTS, transitioned into her current role after nearly 20 years at Estée Lauder. During the pandemic, as one historically stable industry after another was upended, she found herself looking for a fresh start and wondering where she could take her considerable expertise in customer success management.
Enter VTS, a business focused on the commercial real estate sector. Through operating a leasing and asset management platform that centralizes the critical data and workflows that both landlords and brokers rely on, VTS positions itself as an all-in-one solution. As Alvarez considered where she might spend the next stage of her career, it felt like an exciting place to be.
“I figured I had nothing to lose,” she said, “so I went for it.”
That leap has paid off in more ways than one, including exposure to a rapidly-expanding industry and a crash course in a language she never expected to be fluent in.
Briefly describe your career to date, and why you decided to make the move into the tech industry.
I’ve spent the last 17 years of my career working in high-end cosmetics. I started working for The Estée Lauder Companies in 2004. I started as a part-time retail consultant for the Clinique brand and worked for many years in multiple roles, including account coordinator and retail education executive. In that latter position, I facilitated continuing education seminars across the United States. When Covid-19 hit, in-person seminars were no longer being held, and my role was ultimately eliminated. An opportunity in the tech industry became available to me.
How is the tech industry — and the skill set it demands of customer success managers — different from other industries you have worked in?
I think a lot of the skill set is the same. It takes a while to wrap your head around the actual tech product, but at the end of the day it’s about managing people and ensuring your customers are happy. The customer may be a bit different — companies versus individuals — but the goal remains the same.
What advice would you give to other customer success and consulting experts thinking about moving into the tech industry? What do you wish you had known before you made the leap?
Don’t be intimidated by the word “tech.” I’m not the most tech savvy person, but even in this industry there is a real human aspect, and if you have management and people skills, a lot of that translates over. Give yourself time to learn the product or tech service being provided. Sometimes it can feel like learning a whole new language (literally) but it will come if you give yourself time.
