NOTE: After 6 years with Accent, Josh has moved on and is now Director of IT Infrastructure at a great company in Orange County. We wish him the best!
When Josh Garofolo started working at Accent Computer Solutions, he had his sights set on being a Technology Architect, but he wasn’t quite ready for that position yet. Over the next six years, he went from being a Help Desk Technician, to a Project Engineer, to a Technology Architect. As he advanced, he gained the knowledge and experience he needed to reach his goal, and now he’s a member of a collaborative team that designs and implements complex technology improvements for Accent clients.
“I could have stayed in my original position if I wanted to,” said Josh. “But my supervisors at Accent encouraged and empowered me to continue learning through different coursework and certifications. I have a completely different skill set than I had when I started.”
Commitment to Professional Development is Built Into the Culture
Accent backs up their commitment to support employees’ professional growth by covering the cost of approved certifications, and rewards achievement with cash bonuses. Sometimes they have onsite training brought in by vendors. It’s not unusual for Accent to cover the costs for an employee to travel out of town for specialized training. Josh feels that this is a huge benefit, especially in an industry that changes so rapidly.
“Accent invests in employees and encourages employees to invest in themselves,” said Josh. “Whatever you do to help the company in professional development, helps in your personal development, too.”
Dynamic Environment Keeps the Company Fresh
It’s not only important for employees at Accent to learn and adapt to an evolving industry, the company continues to improve itself. According to Josh, Accent is a different place than it was six years or even two years ago, but that’s good. It keeps things fresh.
“The teams have changed over the years and there is good leadership in place,” said Josh. “They are always iterating, and continuously improving to make the company a better place for employees and clients alike.”
For Accent, learning is a cornerstone of their operations. This is important because each project they tackle has its own special nuances. As a Technology Architect, Josh is part of the Professional Services team that collaborates and shares peer reviews for every design and installation they undertake. Team members learn from each other as they encounter new situations. The result is that their knowledge base gets bigger and bigger.
Reward Comes from Knowing He’s Making a Difference
For Josh, it’s personally rewarding to play an integral part in client success. Whether it’s moving an entire infrastructure to the cloud, leading a complex email migration, or designing fail-safe backup and disaster recovery solutions; he can see that the outcome of his work is truly helping the companies that Accent serves, and it’s very validating.
“Solving problems for clients is the job we do every day. I can point to some pretty complex projects and know without a doubt that the client made astounding progress because of our work with them,” said Josh. “I also know that personally, I’ve been able to have a big impact on the client experience and the outcome and that is very satisfying.”
Stuck in Your Current Position?
Do you feel like your tech career isn't going anywhere? Check out opportunities at Accent, one of the Inland Empire's Top Workplaces.
