At the risk of losing his secretive and mysterious aura, Isaac Peterson, 3D Help Desk Administrator, graciously agreed to do the following “Meet Team 3D” interview with 3D’s Marketing Manager Gail Gromaski.
1. [Gail] First of all, where are you originally from?
[Isaac] I’m from a small ‘hobby’ farm in the outskirts of West Fargo, North Dakota.
2. Where did you previously work and study, and for how long?
I received my Associates Degree in Computer Networking at Minnesota State Community and Technical College. I first got into the technology field during an internship at Village Family Service Center. After graduating from tech school, I got a job as a computer tech at Phoenix International, a John Deere Company, and worked there for about 2 years.
3. How did you come to work at 3D, and how long have you worked here?
Before I moved out to Washington State, I saw an ad for a Network Engineer position at 3D. Two days before I moved away from Fargo, I set up an interview to meet with 3D’s Technical Manager Chris McCoy the following week. Chris M. wanted to hire me, but they had to fill the position before I arrived in Washington. He asked me to check back 3 months later, so I did, and here I am. I started working at 3D just over a year ago on October 20th, 2008.
4. Why did you want to work at 3D?
During my junior year in high school, Cisco classes were made available to students for the first time and counted as credits towards the diploma. After completing these classes, I figured out that this was something along the lines of what I wanted to pursue as a career. While I was still living in Fargo, I had tried to find a job like what 3D provides to customers, but I discovered that such a job was basically non-existent there. The only choices were between help desk (working exclusively with users) and system administrators (working exclusively with servers). I can work in both areas at 3D, and after my first phone interview, I knew that this was the type of work that I had been looking for.
5. What were your expectations in coming to work at 3D, and were they fulfilled?
At the time when I was hired, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that this job would be like nothing I had done before and it would be difficult at first to adjust to such a diverse role. After my first week of work, I knew I was working with an elite crew. That’s when I set expectations for myself to learn what I can from my co-workers and use that knowledge to succeed. With expectations like this, however, the process never ends. Every day provides a new challenge, and I learn something new every day.
6. What do you do as a Help Desk Administrator, and do you wear any other hats at 3D?
I am part of the help desk team, which is the first point of contact when a client has an issue or request. In some cases, we will proactively contact a client when an issue appears on their system that they are unaware of. Occasionally, I will also work downstairs in the repair department, which handles things like hardware-related problems and virus removal for business computers.
7. What is your favorite thing about working at 3D?
One of the biggest reasons I enjoy showing up to work every day is the people. I’ve gotten to know a good number of our clients on a first name basis and have even made a few friends since I’ve started. I often get a sense of accomplishment knowing that I made someone’s day, or when I help someone understand the complexity of technology so they can make a more informed decision. I also enjoy the fact that we are the leading technology company north of Seattle. Couple that with a team that doesn’t hesitate to point out when I make a mistake and you got yourself a good day on the job.
8. What do you think are your biggest strengths, and how do you think they contribute to your work at 3D?
I’ve been told before that I have this uncanny ability to put something in a way that virtually anyone can understand. I basically bridge the gap between how a tech thinks and what a client understands. When I have a client that asks about the nuts and bolts of a computer—and they want to learn without going into the ‘technical jargon and dry explanations’ as some would say—I help them understand so they see the value in the type of work we perform for them.
9. What are your greatest achievements, either at 3D or elsewhere?
Moving 1,500 miles (2 time zones) away from everything I know into an environment in which I will succeed far beyond what I first thought possible.
10. What are your professional goals at 3D, and how do you think 3D will support you in achieving these goals?
I hope to one day earn the status of Senior Engineer. This status takes years of experience and knowledge to obtain and is a role that gets used in all aspects of what IT means to a company. From the drawing board to implementation and support, we provide this to all our clients when they ask of it. That being said, my role at this time handles the support aspect, but I have the drive to not only know something about a product but how it works with other products in the bigger picture. With our current top level engineers, I do believe that this goal is obtainable as long as I keep my nose to the grindstone, so to speak.
11. How big is your family, and what do you enjoy doing with them?
I’m currently single and living on my own; however, the thought of having a canine to chew up my furniture has crossed my mind more than once. As for my family, they are all back home in Fargo and various parts of Minnesota. My parents are still married, and I have three sisters. Two of those sisters have kids of their own, and I recently obtained a brother-in-law since I moved out here. Right now I am looking forward to going home for Christmas to see them all and spend some time with my latest nephew who was born about a month before I moved out to Washington State.
12. Finally, what do you like to do outside of work?
I like Bellingham due to its unique locations and activities that are all within reach. We have mountains on one side, ocean on the other; the culture of people who thought it would be great to say “eh” after the letters C, N and D; and Seattle to the south. In other words, I enjoy almost everything this area has to offer. I also enjoy utilizing the technology in my personal collection for its entertainment value; however, I don’t own a TV.
3D is happy to have Isaac as a member of our team and is always looking for talented individuals like him to join. To find out more about how to become part of the 3D team, visit our website at http://www.3dcorp.us/.
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