ALEX THOMPSON, 29 Iselin, NJ
Network Support Specialist

Everyone loves to root for home-grown talent; Alex Thompson has risen from his start at August eTech as a Level 1 Support Technician in the Fall of 2018, to the Network Support Specialist.

Alex’s career in IT began at Rutgers University, where he graduated following his studies in Psychology and Information Technology. Initially, he started at Rutgers with an undeclared path of study. During his sophomore year, he took an elective course in IT. “The course material got me interested in the IT field, and in the middle of the semester, we had some Alumni speakers who presented their experiences in IT. [They] all had different experiences but spoke highly of the field.” Following his completion of the course, he applied to the School of Communication and Information, and declared IT in his dual major upon acceptance.

In October of 2019, Alex joined the August eTech team as a Help Desk technician. The job was “fast paced, but not over-whelming”. He was able to learn about clients quickly by managing the juggle between all the calls, chats, and tickets that come through the business daily.

Alex became an integral part of the relationship between August eTech and clients. He believes that it is important to “not only support our clients in the most efficient way possible, but also [make] AET feel less like an outside service and more like an in-house team.” As a client-facing member on the Help Desk Team, Alex established his place in the foundation that “[makes] the support we provide rewarding”.

In his current role as Network Support Specialist, most of the support he provides is on the backend. This position is part of the AET Systems Team: These guys configure the infrastructure for clients’ services. An important aspect of Alex’s role is testing and trouble-shooting new ideas or potential issues in the systems. He enjoys the growth and hands-on approach of his job: “Sometimes I am presented with a project without much knowledge on how to complete it, and by the end I learn things I can use in the future”.

 

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Our interview with Alex:

How old are you? Where are you from?

I’m 29 and I currently live in Iselin NJ.

What did you study at school? Where did you receive your credentials?

I went to school at Rutgers University in New Brunswick and studied Psychology and Information Technology.

What inspired you to pursue this field of study?

I started school undecided and eventually picked up psychology then during my Sophomore year I took an elective IT course. The course material got me interested in the IT field and in the middle of the semester we had some Alumni speakers who presented their experiences in IT after graduation. All the presenters had different experiences but spoke highly of the field. When the course finished, I applied to join the School of Communication and Information and declared IT as my second major.

How long have you worked at August eTech?

I’ve been working at August eTech since October 2018.

What parts of our mission do you connect with?

I resonate with the idea that we strive to be a seamless addition to a company’s business family. I think it’s important to not only support our clients in the most efficient way possible, but to also build a relationship so that August eTech feels less like an outside service and more like an in-house team. When we have that foundation set the support we provide is rewarding.

What position were you brought in to do at August eTech? How would you describe the responsibilities of that job?

I was hired as a Help Desk Technician and I would describe the job as fast-paced, but not overwhelming. Between juggling chats, phone calls and tickets everything still felt manageable and I was learning about our clients quickly.

What is your job now? What does it entail?

Currently my role is Network Support Specialist, much of my support is now on the back-end or involves configuring/troubleshooting network equipment and systems.

What do you like most about your job?

I enjoy the growth and hands on aspects of my job. Sometimes I\’m presented with a project without much knowledge on how to complete it and by the end of it I learn things that I utilize in the future.

What is your team like?

Everyone at AET as a whole is great, someone\’s always willing to help when needed, communication between our departments is strong and everyone is very sociable.

What is the most unique part about working here?

The support we provide can be very different throughout the week, one day our support is completely remote and the next could be a full day of traveling and on-site support in another state.

FUN FACT Q&A

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

In my free time, I’m probably gaming, most likely Destiny 2, or spending time with friends/ family.

What is your personal mantra/motto/favorite inspirational quote?

“It’s more important to master the cards you’re holding than to complain about the ones your opponents were dealt.”

What is your favorite place in the world?

Honestly, I don’t have a favorite place yet.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Teleportation, I could probably find a favorite place with this.