Nerick & Tyler
A Managed Services Provider (MSP) takes care of the set-up, maintenance, and support of a company’s IT assets, network, applications, and infrastructure. They can improve a company’s IT service levels, support coverage, and even system performance. By engaging an MSP, an organization can get high quality technical expertise while controlling IT spend, enabling the organization to focus on business operations.
Meet Nerick & Tyler, Service Desk Technicians, who have been with the Managed Services Team for more than 4 years, respectively. They share what it’s like to work at an MSP, be part of a team, and why attention to detail and documentation are keys to serving customers successfully.
Tyler & Nerick
WHAT DO YOU DO AT MRE?
Nerick: My day ranges from answering service desk calls, working on projects, and going through regular maintenance tasks for each of our clients. Maintenance tasks can include reviewing servers for virus protection, existing assets for infrastructure risks and current license utilization for optimization. I also have client site visits once or twice a week for any in-person needs. Before MRE, I worked in IT Support at the Houston Airport System which included serving Bush, Hobby, and Ellington Field.
Tyler: I frequently visit our client locations in-person. I really enjoy working with different clients and getting to see their office locations. For example, this morning I was at the headquarters for a restaurant group. It was neat to get a sneak peek behind the scenes of a restaurant business. Before MRE, I worked as a mechanic and a field technical engineer for Dell and HP.
WHAT SKILLS DOES SOMEONE NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR ROLE?
Nerick: You have to pay attention to detail, take notes, and not be afraid to ask questions. We support all of our clients – whoever calls into the help desk, that’s the person you assist. That means you have to know a little bit about every client and take good notes. There will always be some things that you don’t know so you can’t be afraid to ask questions. The MRE team is here to support one another and help each other grow.
When we hire someone new, the whole team is involved. They will go through two weeks of training. This includes shadowing different people based on scheduled time slots so they can gain a lot of information and knowledge quickly. The whole team gets involved in to help set them up for success.
Tyler: You need to be a quick learner, pay attention to detail, and be good at documentation. As a Managed Services Provider, we have many clients and IT environments to support. It’s important to have an open mind and want to learn as much as you can. There’s a plethora of stuff to learn in an environment like this.
WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT WORKING AT MRE?
Nerick: The camaraderie here is awesome. Not just in our Managed Services Division but the whole MRE team – everyone at the office gets along and it’s always a nice atmosphere. You don’t dread going to work and if you do dread it, it’s because of the work and not because of the people, haha! Actually enjoying your work makes a big difference.
For me, I enjoy the people and the fact that I get to learn on a regular basis. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new. The team is awesome. Everybody’s always willing to help you. When you need to tackle a task you’ve never done before, no one will make you feel stupid or guilty for not knowing. It really helps you build the confidence to ask more questions of the team.
Tyler: There’s a ridiculous amount of knowledge and skills you can gain when you are in an environment like this, as long as you apply yourself. We work with so many different technologies and sectors that you can experience and learn about.
Also, everybody gets along really well. I really like the management and the people on my team. When things get tough, you can trust that everybody has your back. We all have good communication with each other about what’s going on and what we need to get things done.
Dru (the Managing Partner for the Managed Services Division) is also a character and is very business-oriented. He keeps us all on track, but he also knows how to relax and have fun as well. The other day he came around the corner with one of those little Nerf guns, and he was running around shooting balls!
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO IS JUST STARTING OUT?
Nerick: Go in with a positive attitude and don’t get discouraged. It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed when you see how much information you have to learn. Just go day by day and it will come to you.
Tyler: Keep an open mind, have an inquisitive mind, and be ready to adapt. We have 20+ clients as an Managed Services Provider, and each company has a different IT environment, so you need to be able to adapt and pick things up quickly. At the same time, it’s important to ask questions and be thorough. As far as skills go, there’s a plethora of knowledge to learn in an workplace like this.
WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT IN THE TECHNOLOGY SPACE?
Nerick: We’re setting up Microsoft Autopilot which streamlines how to order new machines for each client. We are responsible for creating and managing different images for each client and manufacturer such as Dell, HP, and Microsoft. When we order new machines from Dell, for example, they already know what applications are needed as part of the image and pre-install them. The machines are delivered ready for the user to login.
Tyler: I’m currently going through training classes on Azure Cloud, virtual machines, and infrastructure optimization. It’s exciting to have an opportunity to learn. If I have questions, I know there are a lot of people on the team I can go to for answers. Dustin is our Service Desk Manager, and he’s helped me significantly in getting started and doing the best job that I can.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?
Nerick: I love all of the Houston teams. I’m a die-hard fan of the Rockets, even last season when we finished 15th in the conference. I also enjoy playing basketball with my son on Saturday’s. I’m into all types and genres of music and even play the drums in my church with the church band. I listen to a lot of jazz and oldies, which people don’t expect. Our family loves animals, but especially our dog.
Tyler: I work on race cars with my dad. My dad does the vehicle fabrication and then I do the tuning and wiring. We primarily work on classic muscle cars. We also own a race car we play around with, an old Fox body Mustang. It would be fun to have a little Mazda Miata though because they’re such neat little cars that are versatile as well. There’s just something about them. I also build gaming desktops for fun in my free time for friends and family.
