Here at Sierra w/o Wires, we take pride in getting to know our employees, we’re like a family here! This month we wanted to put the spotlight on one team member, Justin Marks. Justin has been with the SWOW family for 2 months working as a Server Operations Engineer. Justin has an associate’s degree in Information Technology and Network Administration from the Pittsburgh Technology Institute. On top of that, he also has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from California University of Pennsylvania.
Justin has a wide range of interests and hobbies that tell a lot about his personality. When not working at Sierra, Justin likes to keep up on new technologies, progressive metal, political reform and PC gaming. If you don’t find him playing his bass guitar or kayaking, he’s’ probably is riding his motorcycle or volunteering!
We asked Justin what his favorite place he ever traveled to and he said:
“I went to Australia the summer before my high school senior year. It’s the furthest I’ve been away from home, and had a pretty awesome time omeprazole 20 mg cap. I got to bring home a didgeridoo that I learned to play, tried all kinds of good food, and slept in a heavy sleeping bag in the desert under the stars.”
Sounds like a great trip to us! Australia is an amazing place that not many people get to visit in their life time so we think Justin is a lucky guy!
Most business professionals have their own tips and tricks that they like to abide by. Here’s one from Justin that we think everyone can benefit from:
“Go to networking events, meet people, shake hands, and make connections. Make a LinkedIn profile, keep it up to date, and keep in touch. Knowing people ends up being more valuable than a degree.”
Networking can be a really powerful tool when used properly. “Networking is considered the most effective way of finding a job – particularly in challenging economic times. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of all jobs are found through networking.” (Networking) Networking is a great opportunity to find jobs that haven’t even been posted yet. Employers are more comfortable hiring someone they have met prior to any interview processes because they know the persons personality, which is usually reflected in their work. Like Justin said, keep in touch! Keeping in touch is a key success factor when it comes to networking. While you might not be looking for a job you will find many references that may come in hand in the future. If you’re going to a company sponsored event, a trade show, or even just the mall, have your business card… you never know who you are going to run in to! Who knew something so simple could be so effective? The Sierra team now challenges you to go out and network to see what untapped opportunities are in store!
“Networking.” Networking. Yale University, Web. 27 Apr. 2015. ` <http://ocs.yale.edu/content/networking>.
