April 3rd 2000, I started as a technical support engineer with a mid-size company named Quest Software. Many of my friends and co-workers had moved there over the years from the previous company we all worked at. In fact, if memory serves me right, I was the seventh in a group of nine of us. It also took me a year of work to get hired. I look back and realize this was one of my first lessons in how perseverance can be of huge benefit in the business world. The individuals I moved there with, and the people I worked alongside of became like family to me.
After supporting customers on multiple products as a technical support engineer, I was ready for a new challenge. Something new and exciting, something I could learn new skills in doing.
June 2005 I took on the role of the first support release manager at Quest Software. It came about as the result of work I had been doing with new software releases as a support engineer, along with my VP seeing the need to expand how our global support team ensured readiness prior to customers having access to software. The changed allowed me great opportunities to grow with project/program management skills. It also gave me a view into the business of software and the big picture of a product life cycle. This has been invaluable to my career.
Over the years, I became interested in the marketing side of business. It offered a new way to not only look at business opportunity, but also a different way to interact with customers. Social media became a fascination of mine. An ever expanding set of communication tools; open to those that choose to make use of them. I have used them to gain insight into many things, from my own personal meditation practice, to interacting with thought leaders across the globe, to meeting people who I have grown to consider life-long friends. Social media continues to amaze.
November of 2012, another interesting change occurred not only in my own career, but all of those working for Quest Software. After years of acquiring other software companies to expand our portfolio of products, we became the target of a massive acquisition by none other than Dell!
Dell not only saw the acquisition of Quest Software as a way to expand their own software portfolio, but it also marked a major milestone for the company in offering customers end-to-end solutions. Personally, this has offered an even larger oppurtunity to grow my business knowledge and the big picture I spoke of, got much bigger.
During this time, I again worked on taking a more serious look at what I could do to take my career in a new direction. Dell is an excellent company that puts value in career growth for its employees. Dell is also known for it’s own social media presence. Opportunity knocks for those who listen. I have been fortunate enough to find someone in the Marketing department willing to assist me with expanding my career again. As this move has also taken me a year of work, perseverance yet again pays off.
Tomorrow I start a new role as Social Media & Communities Sr. Advisor with Dell Software. I will be able to take the skills I’ve learned as a technical support engineer, as a support release manager, and, the skills I have learned with my use and study of social media to new levels. I will be able to talk to an even larger number of customers and new friends across the globe.
Exciting times indeed! Let’s connect — links to each of my social media profiles are on Google.com/+KrisFreedain.