Hello everyone,
Each Monday, I have the pleasure of introducing you to a great new Devolutions team member. I’m always amazed at the different passions and hobbies among my new colleagues, and the star of today’s new employee spotlight is no exception: please meet Simon Chalifoux, Infrastructure Manager by day, and aspiring craftsman by night (and weekends).
I recently had the chance to chat with Simon to learn more about him. Here’s a snapshot of our conversation:
Can you tell me a bit about your background?
Like a lot of people, when I was young I wasn’t sure what I wanted my career to look like, and so I explored different programs. In fact, I’m probably still listed in about five different university databases!
Eventually, I realized that IT was the right path for me, and I enrolled in an entry level IT support program at a professional school. From there, I spent a few years as an IT technician with a local consulting firm, and then to improve my skills I moved to Montreal where I worked as a network specialist with an ISP. I stayed with that company for a few years, during which time I was promoted to a network analyst role in the engineering department. That’s when Devolutions made me an offer to join them that I couldn’t refuse.
What would you say is your biggest achievement?
I would say that my biggest achievement, by far, is the moment I went from being an IT support level 1 to an infrastructure manager. Having the authority to make important decisions related to technical architecture in an environment where colleagues trust my judgement is something that I'm proud of.
What was it about Devolutions that made you want to work here?
The biggest factor was the opportunity to work in a software development environment where I can learn more about building an infrastructure to support robust, scalable and secure applications. I’m very eager to work alongside software engineers and DevOps specialists in order to put all the required pieces together and end up with a great product!
What would you say are your top three strengths at work?
I love learning new stuff. I also learn fast and have a natural ability to share knowledge with people around me. Other than that, I’m a team player, and I always take the time to find the best way of executing a task in a given context.
What tasks do you carry out in your job, and what are some of the tools you use?
As a system and network administrator, I have quite a few responsibilities related to our internal corporate network and resources. My experience with and knowledge of the cloud environment will be useful in the management and deployment of our different cloud products.
What is your impression of working here?
It’s great so far! The people are very welcoming, and it is obvious that all of employees are considered very important assets of the whole strategy. The flexible and collaborative business culture is quite different from what I’m used to, so it will definitely take me some time to adapt. But it’s very positive.
What goals would you like to achieve at Devolutions?
To learn new stuff, to get better at my job, and to make key contributions that drive the success of our business and our products.
On a personal note, what are some of your hobbies and interests?
I’m a passionate person, and aside from technology, I love crafting things like furniture and decorations. Right now I’m mostly using wood, but in the future I’ll probably integrate more metal. I’m still a beginner in this field, but I’m developing my skills with each project. I believe that thanks to so much information available on the internet, you can learn almost anything you want. It’s only a matter of investing the required amount of time and effort.
Please share a few words with our community of IT pros:
No matter where you start, you can go wherever you want in this field. Learn to be a Google Ninja and you will quickly find that there aren’t many projects you can’t tackle!