James Porter is a system integration engineer who began working with SPK in October 2017. Prior to joining our team, James was attending college to get a degree in computer science. He was simultaneously working nights as a front desk agent at a hotel. Now, he ensures systems work properly for our clients.
My Role at SPK
I am currently a system integration engineer at SPK which means I take systems that are either in production or need to be put in production and ensure they work properly. My work often involves helping clients troubleshoot issues with software, infrastructure, or networks in order to help operate their products. I have worked with many different systems ranging from brand new to over 10 years old. Needless to say, my team does a lot of discovery work.
The first thing I do in my day-to-day work is check emails and ensure there are no pressing or critical updates. I then move on to my typical work of troubleshooting and monitoring systems to ensure everything’s working correctly. When doing so, I commonly work with databases like Postgres and SQL. Additionally, I manage a few client’s NetApp and other infrastructure for more integrated services. These include data collection, storage, management, and analysis. I also use VMware to migrate physical machines to virtual machines or get them migrated into cloud solutions such as AWS or Azure. In addition to using these tools, I also have a daily huddle with my team to discuss any pressing matters from the infrastructure team. In the afternoon, I work on existing client needs or any new tickets that have come in that day.
What Motivates Me
My favorite part of this job is the puzzle-solving aspect. Outside of work that is something I enjoy pursuing. Most of my work involves being given problems and addressing them. Often, there is no documentation on the issue, or if there is, it is extremely outdated. This means I frequently have to come up with new solutions. Once I find a way to solve the problem, I must then be able to replicate it to ensure it can be repeated for similar issues. I like finding out the “why” of the solution. Why does it work?
Career Advice
My best piece of advice for others in this field is “don’t get down if you cannot solve a problem right away”, and “do everything you can to reach a solution.” It is very easy to get overwhelmed in certain situations, but you have to be willing to take on new experiences and challenges. Stay flexible, as the more things you do, the more you may discover that you actually like doing another task more than your typical work.
On the other hand, the best piece of advice I have received was from my fellow expert, Mike Solinap. When I first started, I was working nonstop, which was not the right mentality to have. He told me that my job will always be here, and I need to take a step back and think about myself. What I took from that was I still need to get my work done and get it done well, but I don’t have to work overnight just to solve an issue that I can solve the next day. Instead of working those extra hours, I should take the rest I need to do my best work tomorrow.
Extracurriculars
In my free time, I do a lot of model-building. I’ve made a lot of scale models such as ones inspired by Gundam. I also make models for miniature games like Warhammer 40,000, and Age of Sigmar which focus on battle simulation. I’ve built and painted many models over the years.
Looking To The Future
James Porter’s extensive work over the past 7 years has helped many clients achieve their goals. His ability to solve problems that would otherwise cost organizations unnecessary amounts of time and money is invaluable. We are proud to have him as a member of our team. Moving forward, we hope to see James adapt to new projects as he has done in the past, achieving new heights for our clients.
