Throughout the pandemic, the Staffing Resource Group has been looking for ways to continue assisting job seekers and employers. There are always stand-out individuals in the bunch. This month’s COVID Champion is Stephen Kelly.
About Stephen Kelly
Kelly’s inspiration for computers started when he took a Computer Basics class in junior high school and then he moved on to playing around on his cousin’s Commodore 64. According to Kelly, that is what really set the fire in him. That is when he started to learn what he could on his dad’s old Windows 3.11 PC.
As a teenager, he started helping his dad more and more with his work on the computer. After graduating high school, he began to work with call centers supporting hardware and software while also continuing to build his own PCs.
Now, when he isn’t working on computers or tech, he enjoys fishing and hunting. The outdoors brings a peaceful state of mind to Kelly that he can’t get in the office. “It is all about being out in the fresh air, being calm, clearing your thoughts, and if you’re not alone just being there in the presence of whoever is with you,” he said. He also loves watching a good action film or superhero movie when he has the time.
Discovering Rewards in What He Does
When asked, Kelly says what he finds most rewarding about his career is taking someone’s problem that is causing them frustration and resolving it for them. Similarly, if someone has a poor opinion of a company’s IT department, he enjoys going the extra mile, resolving the issue, and creating a more positive experience, and therefore the opinion of the company improves as well.
The best feeling, he says, is when that very same person who may have had a poor opinion before transitions into praise for not only you but the entire department or team. That smile of relief and gratitude is what it is all about for Kelly. It’s not even the words, it is the look and feels that matters the most.
He has held other jobs in diverse fields such as a corrections officer, volunteer firefighter/EMR, truck driver, working in manufacturing, fast food, and grocery stores. It is his IT career that has been the most rewarding though. Thanks to his career, he has been able to live in six different states, where he has had a plethora of experiences and made lifelong best friends. It has also helped teach him how to never give up because there is always a solution to a problem.
Discovering Your “Why”
For Kelly, his “why” is because he enjoys helping people and being able to turn someone’s tech problems into a positive experience. Anyone who may be considering IT support as a career needs to know why they want to do it. Is it for better money, is it for the feeling of helping others, or is it the need to try to solve any problem that may appear to be too big?
There are so many possible reasons and they are all good ones, but the key is to figure out what drives you to it and keep that reason alive. It is also important to remember that this is a constantly changing and fluctuating type of field so it is important to be adaptable and flexible. If you are, as they say, the sky will be your limit.
The Staffing Resource Group is dedicated to finding individuals like Stephen Kelly who are passionate about their careers and pairing them with companies that will benefit from their motivation. See how we can assist you in your job or candidate search.
