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Meet Josh, Senior Systems Reliability Engineer at T-Mobile and our Hybrid Work Hero, from the Cisco Global Advocate Awards 2023: Americas occasion
Welcome, Josh! Thanks for becoming a member of us at this time. Let’s kick issues off by speaking about the place you began your profession, and what skilled determination or alternative helped lead you to your present function?
I began at an area flooring firm some 20 years in the past. I used to be straight out of highschool and beloved engaged on computer systems. I used to be blessed to have an organization take an opportunity on me and permit me to be taught and develop. Back in these days, I did every part as I used to be one in every of solely two IT employees and the opposite particular person was my supervisor. Printer, workstations, servers, firewalls: we did all of it. That gave me an amazing base for my subsequent profession transfer which was to work for an area consulting firm supporting 30 purchasers with completely different wants, requirements, and {hardware}.
There was nobody determination that led me to the place I’m at this time, clearly. It was extra a thousand tiny selections, effectively timed conversations, arduous work, and fairly a little bit of blessings out of my management. I’d say the principle factor that has propelled my profession ahead has been a very good basis of data, open dialog with others, and real curiosity. These instruments enable networking to occur and networking with others is the place I’ve discovered all my finest profession alternatives.
You’ve been awarded the Hybrid Work Hero award in our Cisco Global Advocate Awards 2023: Americas occasion. Congratulations! What does this award imply to you?
First, it tells me that the Cisco Global Advocacy crew and the Cisco Insider Advocates neighborhood listens to its members. They care about our tales and about supporting us. Forever, telling tales of success or failure have been a mainstay in studying, progress, and enchancment. And getting the prospect to share my story is one thing that enables me to course of the teachings I’ve realized and share them with others in hopes that they will get outcomes faster or make much less errors.
Talk to me about your journey at T-Mobile. What have been a number of the greatest challenges you confronted, and the way did you overcome them?
Just becoming a member of T-Mobile was probably the most tough problem I confronted. On Friday at my outdated job, I supported 300 customers, and on Monday after I began at T-Mobile, I immediately supported 90,000. Mentally that’s an insane leap to make and for those who concentrate on it for too lengthy in your first few days you may determine to stop. But the one piece that modified all of it was a tremendous crew. They helped me be taught, develop, revered my opinion and total, all of us supported one another to the purpose that all of us succeeded as a crew. The crew you’re employed with makes all of the distinction. And all my greatest challenges turned small after I labored with such an amazing crew.
Does T-Mobile have a clearly established hybrid work coverage (one that enables staff to work remotely, or requires a sure variety of days within the workplace, and many others.)?
Clear sufficient. Haha. If you reside inside a sure variety of miles of an workplace, you’ll want to are available in three days per week. If you’re a Director or greater, it’s 4 days per week. And if an worker has been designated a distant employee, then it’s solely throughout particular occasions and such that they might want to are available in. Managers assist direct that designation for his or her particular person crew members. But let’s be sincere, so long as we have now nice collaboration instruments and know-how, I’m able to really feel near being in the identical room with all my coworkers though we dwell half a rustic aside.
Does T-Mobile have a future plan for increasing their hybrid work surroundings past Webex and conferencing?
We shouldn’t have plans which can be in motion, however the one plan that we do have is to all the time keep present with the know-how on the market and be poised to make the most effective strides for the corporate. We wish to get monetary savings, effectively use the assets we get, and in the long run present the most effective expertise for all our staff regardless of the place they’re working.
Do T-Mobile staff have all of the digital instruments they should carry out their jobs wherever they’re?
Absolutely. But let me take that only a step farther, as a result of the digital instruments are just one piece. Our staff have the digital, bodily, and administration help to perform every part their job requires, regardless of the place they’re.
What have been T-Mobile’s greatest challenges when implementing hybrid work?
Finding the right combination. What instruments did each worker want? What instruments do just some want? How can we supply in that quantity? What type of coaching will they should be profitable when they aren’t on the workplace? How can we hold all that safe? So many issues wanted answered and time was not on our aspect. It needed to be performed rapidly. I heard this phrase and it all the time caught with me. You can have quick, low cost, or high quality. Choose two. And that has held true for me. We needed to make these choices again and again within the early days of the pandemic. But as soon as we obtained the software program and {hardware} wants sorted out, the selections turned quite a bit simpler.
How has partnering with Cisco helped you in your function?
How many phrases do I’ve? I’ll attempt to hold this brief. From the crew devoted to working with T-Mobile, to the TAC Engineers, massive room answer architects and the Global Customer Advocacy program, Cisco cares. I believe that’s the principle factor that shines repeatedly is that you simply really feel like an individual, utilizing know-how from individuals who love their firm and options, and it exhibits! It retains me enthusiastic about new releases of software program and {hardware}, and it will get high quality gear into my arms that’s simple to help so I can all the time do extra with much less. And most significantly, Cisco listens. When we have now bother with a function, they wish to make it higher and they’re thinking about listening to prospects’ ideas. In each manner, Cisco exhibits that they present as much as the desk and that makes all of the distinction.
Our crew was delighted that you simply have been in a position to attend the awards ceremony at Cisco Live in Las Vegas! How was your expertise on the occasion? You additionally participated in a buyer panel session. What have been your takeaways from the panel? What did you be taught out of your friends?
Thanks! Attending was an enormous deal with! It’s solely my second Cisco Live and my first as a speaker. I felt like I used to be at a convention however not there “to conference.” Per se.
I had so many alternative talking engagements that I used to be busy on daily basis and solely had a number of hours to see Cisco’s World of Solutions and attended no classes. Not upset in that, it was only a vastly completely different expertise from my first Cisco Live. And actually, extra enjoyable! Also, extra exhausting! Haha. But one in every of my greatest thanks and highlights was the Cisco Insider
Advocates lounge. There was ALWAYS seating out there — a should if you end up at a conference and in your toes all day – and pleasant faces, treats, and only a fantastic place to name dwelling in a overseas surroundings. That sales space, the talks they deliberate, the Global Advocate Awards ceremony, and total pleasant and quiet resting place was my solace throughout the hectic present and my most favourite a part of the entire expertise.
I realized how essential it’s to take a look at hybrid work from not only a solely technological standpoint. How can we earn the commute again into the workplace? How do we offer mutual experiences for individuals who are available in AND those that work at home? How can we make all really feel equal and the way can we compel folks to be taught and collaborate in new methods with out bringing further fatigue to folks’s work lives? And, how can we herald the appropriate tech the primary time to reduce change and maximize customers’ successes and their productiveness output? This is a brand new world we dwell in at this time from three years in the past, and nobody has all of the solutions, however in attending to share the stage with Marissa and listen to from some others after our buyer panel session, all of us have a extra full and holistic view and it’s an thrilling world we’re blazing ahead into.
You’re one in every of our Cisco Insider Advocate “Rockstars.” What made you wish to be part of, and the way has being a part of this neighborhood impacted you each professionally and personally?
This is type of embarrassing, however my first Cisco Live was in San Diego in 2019. And the Cisco Advocates space (known as The Cisco Gateway again then) had chairs, ice cream bars, and this factors chief board that had a Playstation on it. And I used to be intrigued. So I signed up considering, “There’s no way you’re ever going to get any cool rewards like that, but I might as well see.” And that was all it took! The neighborhood type of wrapped me up in it, I used to be studying extra and being uncovered to different Cisco applied sciences outdoors of my collaboration aspect, and I used to be being provided enjoyable alternatives. I might say that this can be a basic case of: you get as a lot, if no more, than you set into conditions. Being part of the Cisco Insider Advocates neighborhood has actually expanded my horizons on Cisco, gotten me in contact with Cisco management, in addition to given me a base to seek out different prospects who use the identical Cisco know-how. I also can get my questions answered in the neighborhood, share tales and options, and I simply actually get pleasure from serving to each other out. It’s been an enormous blessing to be a part of such an amazing neighborhood! To assume, I simply walked up as a result of they’d a spot to take a seat and ice cream. Kinda loopy.
Lastly, what recommendation would you give to somebody who desires to pursue a profession in your subject?
Get began. Doesn’t matter if it’s probably the most entry stage place, as a result of the most important problem you’ll face is getting your foot within the door someplace. And then as soon as you’re in, begin volunteering to be taught new stuff, seize new obligations, stretch your self and advocate to your profession needs. Good managers will wish to show you how to develop and can wish to show you how to get to
the following step. Also, say sure greater than no. Saying no, nobody learns, however for those who say sure you’ll be taught, develop, and grow to be an individual folks can depend on and trusted to your huge expertise, together with failure. And by no means let a very good failure go to waste. Talk about it, be taught from it, don’t bury it. I lately was making modifications to some older buildings and thought one was being de-commissioned that was not. Without considering, I deleted the 50ish Webex models out of the management hub. Then the calls began, folks’s conferences ending, rooms have been offline. It was a horrible feeling! But I had an amazing crew. I known as them, informed them what I had performed, and all of us scrambled to that constructing, had all 50 rooms reactivated in about 4 hours, and collectively we obtained out of the pinch. And in the long run, my crew coated for my mistake and I realized to pay nearer consideration when making mass modifications. Have enjoyable and develop.
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