Hello VOX Readers, I hope everyone is staying well and healthy. Earlier this week, I caught up with Vijay Mhaskar. Did you see his #LifeAtVeritas interview? Today I’d like to introduce my latest Veritas employee interview, which is with Andrew Melvin, UK Account Manager, based in our Reading, UK office. During this interview, Andrew shares how he started his IT career, offers advice for people trying to break into the industry, how to stay motivated in times of change, and some valuable tips for productive remote working during this pandemic. Read Andrew’s interview below.
Andrew: Firstly, may I say thank you for the opportunity to share my story! I got into IT by complete accident, I studied advertising and marketing, my first job was installing point of sale systems. I got my first real break running an online store, in the early days of internet shopping and then moved around the hardware vendors for a while.
Zoe: You’re welcome Andrew, it is a pleasure to feature our staff. Can you share a summary of a day in the life of an Account Manager?
Andrew: Well, I think that it is a little different in the current environment. Once the family is done and off on their day, I try to start my day with a little fresh air, a walk, or run. I am a sucker for social media, so I have to have my fix of LinkedIn, news, and check my email, okay normally that happens before I get out of bed. I try to plan ahead so I have customer calls every day and plan some free time before and after to ensure that when the call happens it is productive, but typically those little gaps get filled very easily.
Teamwork is important to me, so calling Hugo (my SE) throughout the day, touching base with Evrim (my manager), and one or two of the other Enterprise team is also a must, it is important to feel part of a team.
Zoe: What career advice would you give to those trying to secure their first IT role?
Andrew: Go for it! The IT industry is a great place to be, everything we do, everything that anyone does revolves around IT, there are so many avenues that people can choose in the IT sector.
When applying for a position at a company, make sure you do your homework, there is no excuse to arrive and not understand what that company does, their sales strategy, and their competition – no matter what role you are looking at, we are all in sales.
Zoe: What has been your career highlight to date? And what are you most proud of?
Andrew: It has to be the achievement of “Salesman of the Year” and I received it not because I sold the most, but because my management and peers recognised me.
Zoe: To some extent, we have been influenced in our personal and work lives by others. 
Andrew: It would be easy to say Richard Branson or Nelson Mandela, but I have smaller role models that I can talk to, people that can actually give me feedback – good and bad, that help me become a better person. I have looked up to many of my managers over the years, I try and “hangout” with successful and smart people in the hope they rub off on me. I look up to people that have come from very little, built empires, and remained grounded. And I admire successful people that work hard and play hard.
Zoe: What motivates you? Especially in these uncertain times.
Andrew: Winning, even the small wins. Set goals, tick them off; that’s a win. I am competitive, I check my numbers regularly, I check the teams just as often, who is ahead of me, who can I catch up to. I always tell my family, “I never let you win, if you win, it is because you beat me!”
Zoe: Wow, you’re very competitive at work and at home. :smiling_face_with_smiling_eyes: Do you have any remote working tips you can share with our blog readers?
Andrew: Get out of bed, get dressed and be in the home office on time – start work, don’t let the day get away from you. Make sure you take personal time, coffee, lunch, and fresh air are important to be productive. Sounds cliché but talk to people with a smile on your face. Try and leave gaps between meetings, this used to be travel time, now make it thinking time.
Zoe: Fantastic tips! Andrew, why should people choose to work at Veritas?
Andrew: The people! Have you met my team? The products! We are always innovating we are keeping up, knowing we are always ahead of the competition. Work life balance, support, and management that are approachable at every level.
Zoe: What’s your favourite Veritas solution or product?
Andrew: InfoScale, customers that own it forget that they have it – it is just so stable, does exactly what it says on the tin, and it is consistently evolving and adapting to the trends.
Andrew: I have a wife, two children, and two dogs – what free time? We like the outdoors, given the chance a walk and pub lunch. A ride through the woods or just socialising with friends.
Zoe: Finally, what technology can’t you live without?
Andrew: My iPhone is my life, it has everything on it. I am always connected, and you will never find me without it!
What a refreshing and honest interview! It is so nice to connect with my colleagues and have them share their #LifeAtVeritas experiences. Andrew’s top tips for working from home are so simple and yet really effective, essentially having a routine will set you up for success during your workday. And I love his smile while you’re talking tip too.
If you enjoyed this Life at Veritas blog post with Andrew Melvin, then stay tuned as there will be more interview-style posts from other people at Veritas. And if this has inspired you to join our team, check out our job vacancies on LinkedIn, and apply here.
