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A Day in the Life as a Support Specialist

Nucleus is growing and that means we’re on a hiring frenzy. We are looking to hire numerous Support Specialists to be a part of our award-winning Managed IT Service Provider (MSP) workplace. We sat down with Barry, one of our Support Specialists based out of Vancouver, to learn what it’s like to work on our IT help desk.
Professional Background
Prior to joining Nucleus, Barry spent his professional IT career doing contract work in Manitoba. He went from one contract to another supporting users onsite. Starting to feel unfulfilled in contract work, he began researching different approaches to IT management and learned about Managed IT Services. He found the industry so compelling that he and his fiancé decided to move from Winnipeg to Vancouver (the weather and scenery had no influence in their decision 😉.Barry launched his career in managed services in 2019 at another Vancouver MSP where he got his feet wet before landing a position at Nucleus in 2021. 
The Nucleus Way
You don’t need to work at Nucleus long to get a sense of the unique culture. While the work itself is fast-paced, the culture is laid-back and relaxed. 
“There are no egos.” In fact, one of our core values is No Ego. No one tries to one up another. We don’t forget where our passion comes from or the mentors that help us develop our skills. Nucleus is a supportive environment where we all have an opportunity to grow. 
Recognition is built into our culture. We have a bi-weekly team meeting where we get to share positive feedback. Internal and external feedback helps drive success on our support team. External feedback is captured through a tool we use called Simplesat. You can read real client reviews here. 
We also have opportunities to learn. If there is an area of IT that you’d like to develop skills in, either through hands-on training or from a course, you have the opportunity to do so and grow. 
What’s a Typical Day like on the Support Team?
Every day is different on the support desk. The team itself is structured into six PODs. When you onboard with Nucleus you kickoff support with a dedicated “POD.” Clients interact with the same group of Nucleus IT professionals that specialize in supporting their IT environment and business. 
Support Specialists begin their day by logging in and reviewing yesterday’s tickets and emails, going through their queues, and planning the day out. This includes setting up appointments to resolve issues with clients, resolving technical issues, participating in POD meetings, sending out emails and following-up on tickets to drive resolution.
As a Support Specialist your main job is to help people. When asked about why Barry chose this career path, he replied, saying “Believe it or not my decision to work in IT support has nothing to do with the technology. I feel good every day because I help people. Sometimes I don’t simply fix an issue but I get to educate clients on an issue. I work with the clients to give them a better technology experience.” At the end of each day, Barry goes home knowing he made a bunch of people’s work day better.
What’s your favourite Nucleus Perk?
Social activities, lunch and learns, and virtual team building games. For instance, this summer a group of us went to the PNE. But my ultimate favourite perk are “donut” talks. 
Donut is a software that matches colleagues based on their interests. Employees meet for about half an hour every couple of weeks. The hope is that everyone will eventually meet everyone at the “virtual watercooler.”
What work tool could you not live without?
Slack. Why? Because it’s our main communication tool. A tool like Slack is your best friend at Nucleus. Some people who work here use it outside of work as their chat tool. We have groups that are not work-related in Slack. 
support specialist
 
How do you balance work and life?
 
I maintain set work hours. I sit at my work desk and when work is over, I shut my computer off and leave my desk. 
 
And, of course British Columbia’s natural beauty was part of lure to move out west and work in the MSP industry. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring the beaches and forests around Vancouver. I am also an avid biker and video gamer. 
 
Find Barry’s role interesting? Visit our careers page for current job openings. 

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