Inside Sales Representative
While Averna is dedicated to helping global customers produce market-leading high-tech products, this could not be achieved without their talented team of employees. Averna understands that each group and department are linked, and every individual is required to make the company a success. In this series, Averna will chat with one of these individuals and understand their point of view on their contribution.
After nearly a decade with Averna, Mika Ebihara is still excited to learn new things in her role as an Inside Sales Representative. With a strong balance between work and family, she has learned to prioritize her time and ensure that all of those around her receive the support they need. As a multi-linguist and service expert, Mika’s contribution to the Japanese team has been an incredible asset.
Q: Where were you before Averna and how did you get here?
A: My previous job was an administrative position with a Taiwanese company. I was looking for something more international so I could make use of my ability to speak English, as well as my overseas sales and sales support experience. I remember applying to Averna as soon as I saw the post. It felt like a great fit, and the manager who interviewed me was clearly a very nice person. The job seemed very exciting, so I decided to join once I was offered the role, and it turns out I was right!
Q: What attracted you to test engineering?
A: I’ll be honest, at the beginning, I wasn’t attracted to test engineering, specifically. That wasn’t my background. I was interested in the role at Averna because I knew they were working with a lot of exciting companies and the job description fit what I like to do. I had experience in customer service and helping customers get what they are looking for. I was happy to work closely with Averna’s engineering team and our sales partners across Asia and over the years have learned more about the different technologies we test.
Q: What is your favorite aspect of your current role?
A: The best part of my current job is that I get to do a wide variety of tasks. I help as an inside sales representative, but I am also involved with marketing, translation, logistics, administration for Japanese operations. I like being involved through every stage of the sales cycle.
Q: Does the variety of test engineering applications make it more interesting to find customer solutions?
A: In my job, this doesn’t apply all the time. I am often dealing with logistics or communication or what have you. As I mentioned, I work closely with different engineering teams, but I mostly coordinate the interactions between teams to ensure the customer is happy. Having been in this industry now for as long as I have, I have definitely seen some very interesting test solutions and new products that we have developed, and for me that became a really nice bonus of what I do.
Q: Have you had any key mentors or people who deeply influenced who you are, what you believe in and what you’re committed to in your work and life?
A: My father is a very diligent person and he always liked to learn how to do things by himself. I’m deeply influenced by him, and this has helped me with my work at Averna. I am able to easily work within a team, but I also manage tasks independently.
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: This is a hard question for me to answer. If you are talking about work, I am very proud of how much I have learned in my 9 years at Averna. As I mentioned, test engineering wasn’t my initial background, but by investing myself into what we do and working closely with such talented engineers, I have picked up a lot of knowledge I didn’t have before. But I suppose what I am even more proud of is the fact that I have been able to do this and progress in my role while raising kids. Everyone has trials and troubles, but I see my kids and how proud I am of them, it reminds me that I have done a good job too.
Q: What have you learned from Averna that will be a takeaway for the rest of your life?
A: Before I joined Averna, I thought we should do whatever we’re told. But with Averna, I learned that it’s more important to listen to what the customer needs and figure out what it will take to get there. For example, there have been times where we have declined projects because we felt it would simply cost the customer too much. Neither party would have been happy with the results and so we thought it would be better to say no. This was new for me. I have also learned how to enjoy life by working hard and playing hard…typical Avernian lifestyle! 😊