After being introduced to Rick Rivero through a mutual friend, Carlos began working with Connections Marketing in late 2009, shortly after Rick started the company. Rick was needing some of the first projects wrapped up, and Carlos stepped in to help. Their relationship grew from there.
What first sparked your interest in technology?
Well, I always enjoyed video games when I was kid, probably like most any other kid, but I really became interested in technology in high school. I took a computer science class when I was a junior and I thought it was so cool to control a computer. It would do whatever I could imagine for it to do, the possibilities seemed endless. I’m sure it helped that I was good at it, too. From that point on, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
For us non-director-of-technology-people, what does your job entail?
My job entails everything from technical sales, systems management, security, software development – even down to end user support. Remember when I setup your email? (Carlos is our go-to guy for getting us all up and running with our emails.) So, that means I help Rick communicate with clients such as pinning down technical requirements or explaining how some technology works. We provide hosting for our clients, too, and that requires me to architect, maintain, and monitor the servers we use for that. We see ourselves as not just developers of software but problem solvers and solution providers for clients. Ultimately, that’s my job.
What is the most difficult part of your job?
The most difficult part of my job is also the most rewarding, solving problems. It could be an architectural issue with a new project or a technical issue that pops up out of nowhere, but you have to figure it out. Sometimes it’s painful, and you’re banging your head against the wall, but once you figure it out, it’s very rewarding.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love the challenges and the variety of industries we work in. Every project has unique constraints and problems that have to be overcome, worked around, or worked through. The constant change and evolution of technology makes it a really exciting field, and technology is a part of every industry.
What’s one of your favorite quotes and why?
I always liked Henry Ford’s “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Not sure if that’s the exact quote but it’s something along those lines. I like it because it says that whether you can do something is up to you. As the saying goes, if you put your mind to it you can do anything, which is really to say you have to be persistent and focused. I think this is especially true in the field of technology. Often times, you find yourself in unfamiliar territory and you need to figure things out. Persistence is the key to getting there. And to continue my explanation of a quote via quotes I’ll finish with “energy and persistence conquer all things.” (Ben Franklin)