How did you first learn about AvePoint and what drew you to your current position?
Prior to joining AvePoint I worked very briefly in software development straight out of college. It turned out to not be my thing and I wasn’t in a great place at the time, but I had worked in more customer-oriented IT positions before, which I enjoyed (MSP NOC analyst work, etc.). I took the offer at AvePoint to try working more directly with clients and helping users more actively than I could in a programming position, and it’s been a much better fit for me.
What’s your story at AvePoint? How have you progressed within your career here?
I started out working in Support, then trained in Customer Success briefly (thank you to Sabrina for teaching me how renewals work) before I worked in the AvePoint Japan office to assist with Customer Success/Sales Operations activities there (thank you to Michelle for teaching me how CRM works).
When I returned to the U.S. I worked in Deployment Services for a while, and I learned a lot there – the guys really took me under their wing and taught me a lot when I was quite inexperienced. After that, I left the company for a short time to work in the non-profit sector for a while and then returned to the Support team. I actually asked to be placed back here specifically when I re-joined.
I’m currently working as a Cloud Governance specialist in Support. You could say I’ve been around the block within AvePoint so to speak. 😊
What advice would you give to future new hires?
For Support new hires, I’d say that a lot of us feel like we need to do too more work than we can handle, and that burns us out. As long as you’re doing your best, the team will have your back. Sometimes customers will get upset no matter how you try to meet their requirements and that’s just part of the job, so don’t blame yourself and try to make it a learning experience on how you can handle inquiries about the products in the future.
What does a typical day look like for you?
On quiet days, I spend a lot of time writing emails and updating JIRAs. Other times I’m putting out a lot of fires as soon as I’m online so I’m on calls for most of the day while trying to do the above and messaging a million people at once. It varies a lot depending on how busy we are.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I play video games or listen to music. (I’ve also been in an ongoing DnD campaign with friends for the last 2 years…we’re still at it.)
What is your motto or personal mantra?
It will be fine (probably)!
What does leadership mean to you?
Giving fair advice and criticism while also supporting your team under the assumption that everyone is putting forth their best effort and having their backs. I think our team has an excellent roster in that regard.
What do you like most about your job?
Every once in a while you get a customer that’s in a bad situation through no fault of their own, and you do everything you can to help them while they’re completely cooperating with you, and when it pays off and you can help them fix their problem they’re incredibly thankful for your help. Those are the best times, because you feel like you really made someone’s day just a little better.
