Story Of My Life: Ross, Technical Support Engineer
What’s your story at AvePoint? How have you progressed within your career here?
I started my journey at AvePoint as a Technical Support Analyst in July 2021 after looking for a help desk position where I could gain more experience working with the Microsoft suite of products. Throughout the interview process and, eventually, through the training period, I was often told that I could move up in the company if I worked hard and showed that I wanted it. I am a naturally curious individual and love to learn, and I took every case as an opportunity to learn something new and grow in my knowledge of the different solutions that we provide to customers.
After pushing myself hard to learn everything I could and making sure to take time to practice what I was learning, in January 2022 I was promoted from Support Analyst to Support Engineer. This gave me the added validation that, not only did I enjoy my day-to-day responsibilities, but that what I was told from the beginning about hard work being rewarded was more than just talk. This is the point where I knew that AvePoint was going to be more than just a job and is where I planned on building a real career.
I continued volunteering to take on more challenging cases and sharing my growing knowledge every chance I could when someone would ask a question. In July 2022 I was promoted to the role of Senior Technical Support Engineer, which is where I am now working to elevate everyone on the Support team to be more successful through mentoring, training, and simply being available and willing to share what I know and learn with them when I don’t know the answers.
What advice would you give to future new hires?
Try to be the best at something that most people hate doing. This will not only help you to stand out among your peers, but it will also help you to grow and showcase your personal and professional brand. Just remember, if you are comfortable, you are probably not growing.
What do you like most about your job?
My favorite part of this job is that I am treated like an adult and not micro-managed. As part of the Support Team, you are held accountable for the work you are assigned and are given access to the resources to handle your business. What you do with that freedom can have a significant impact on your career with AvePoint. A lot of companies say that “working hard will get you places,” but my journey with AvePoint so far has proven that individuals who are willing to put in the work will be rewarded.
What does leadership mean to you?
True leadership is not about the job title, but about mutual trust and respect. As a leader, I trust that you will do what is needed, and I respect you enough that I will not ask you to do something that I would not be willing to do myself. When this type of two-way relationship is allowed to exist and encouraged, even a small group of individuals can do great things!
What do you like to do outside of work?
When I’m not at work, I enjoy spending time with my amazing wife and children. I also try to take some time for myself each day to read my Bible and practice PowerShell.
What is the weirdest job you’ve ever had?
I once held a job working for an individual who owned multiple wedding venues, event centers, and a couple of furniture stores. One day I would be helping unload a freight truck full of furniture, and the next I would be setting up tables and chairs for a garden wedding.
Tell us three things most people don’t know about you.
- I own a soldering iron and know how to use it. I have professional training and experience repairing most types of electronics.
- I was homeschooled until the 10th grade, at which time I started going to public high school.
- I have written over 20 PowerShell scripts this year. I use at least five of them every day at work to help me handle any time-consuming tasks and perform testing scenarios for customer cases.
What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years?
Life goes by way too fast to be spending time doing something that doesn’t fulfill you. Take some time to step back and really look at what you enjoy doing and work hard to do more of it.
