In this captivating series of articles, "Inside VNA," we delve into the intricate structure of Viscosity, much like unraveling the complexities of DNA to reveal its inner workings. Here, we shine a spotlight on the exceptional individuals who make up the heart and soul of Viscosity. Through their stories, we aim to inspire and empower professionals across industries, showcasing the incredible talent, resilience, and innovation that define our team. Today’s hero in this series is Sonya Carothers, Computer Software Consultant at Viscosity North America.
Hey Sonya! So, as a computer software consultant, your days must be jam-packed with all sorts of interesting stuff, right? What's a typical day like for you in that role?
Well, my typical day involves providing DBA support to multiple clients. Sometimes, it's all about planning for upcoming projects or resolving issues that pop up unexpectedly. From handling upgrades to performance tuning and troubleshooting, there's always something to keep me on my toes. So, you could say my days are a mix of structured tasks and unexpected twists, but that's what keeps things interesting!
Well, to be honest, when I was getting ready for college, I was pretty clueless about what I wanted to do with my life. It was a bit overwhelming, you know? Then, a friend of my mom's who was in computer science seemed to be doing really well. So, I thought, 'Why not give it a try?' And that's how I got started. Initially, it was more of a 'let's see where this goes' kind of thing. But once I delved into it, I found myself really enjoying it. So, I stuck with it, and here I am, still going strong.
Fascinating! Now, onto something a bit nostalgic. Sonya, you mentioned your first interaction with computers earlier. Could you tell us more about that? What was your first computer like, or your earliest memory of using one?
Ah, my first foray into computing was with the IBM 360 and IBM 8100. It's been quite a while, and the details have faded over time. Back then, we were still in the dial-up era, a concept that might seem ancient nowadays. I recently had a funny encounter when I tried to cancel my old email account associated with dial-up service. The customer service representative had never heard of dial-up before! It's moments like these that remind me of how far technology has come. It's always fun swapping stories about our tech origins with colleagues.
Alright, reflecting on your time at Viscosity, what specific qualities as an employee do you find most apparent or valuable to your personal growth? What aspects of working at Viscosity do you particularly enjoy?
The qualities as a Viscosity employee that I find most valuable for personal growth are adaptability and creativity. These qualities enable me to adjust to most situations as well as look at new ideas or approaches to things.
I really enjoy the people that I work with more than anything else. They tend to work together and want to help each other out. It's just a supportive environment. If you run into problems, there's always somebody who knows or is willing to work with you and help you. They're very supportive of one another.
I couldn’t agree more. Could you share an instance from your project at Viscosity where you had to think creatively to meet a tight deadline? What was the project, and how did you approach the challenge?
Oh, let's see. I think the one that I had the most fun with was when I was working with X, an American health insurance company. We were trying to improve the performance of some batch processes they had. What I really liked about it was working directly with the customer and seeing tangible improvements. During the initial analysis, I tried to get as much info as possible from the customer about their processing. It helped me to narrow down where the underlying issues were and address them appropriately.
When things were working better, there was a real sense of accomplishment knowing that we were helping them improve their processes. I remember feeling really excited about it and thinking, 'Okay, we can do even more here.' The client's positive feedback was really motivating and that was definitely a highlight for me.
Oh, my goodness, a fictional character. Let me think. I tend to like spy, action movies and thrillers, especially ones where women are powerful. It would be fascinating to experience life as a character like that for a day. Hmm… I think I would like to be the superhero Storm for one day. She is incredibly powerful, with the ability to manipulate the weather. This would definitely make me a hero in Texas this summer if I could keep the temp around 70 degrees for one day!! But more importantly, Storm uses her powers to help others.
This is hilarious! Making a serious face now, what is the weirdest requirement that you have ever received from a client?
Well, it wasn't necessarily weird, but more of a common occurrence in our line of work. I remember this one time when a client was incredibly frustrated with their application performance and just wanted it fixed immediately. No details, no context, just a demand to 'fix it.' It was almost comical because they were so worked up about it, yet they couldn't provide any information beyond blaming the database for everything. I couldn't help but chuckle probably didn't help the situation, but I just found it amusing. We were able to talk it through and address their issues.
It's great that you're able to keep a sense of humor about those situations! Moving on to teamwork, conflicts or misunderstandings can arise in any collaborative environment. Have you ever encountered such challenges while working on a project with colleagues? If so, how do you typically handle them?
Absolutely! I would say that keeping an open line of communication and being open to different ideas is essential when there's a difference of opinion within the team. You know, sometimes there's more than one right way to approach something, and it's important to recognize that. Instead of just sticking to my own view, I find it helpful to take a step back and really listen to what my colleagues are saying. Understanding where they're coming from often leads to finding common ground. And hey, compromises are part of the deal, especially when we're working with clients who have their own preferences. For example, we've had clients who prefer to be guided through tasks rather than having us do the work. So, it's all about being flexible and understanding each other's perspectives to get the job done right.
Thanks for being so frank today and sharing your personal stories, Sonya. It's been an absolute pleasure chatting with you.