Getting to know: James Spellman – IT Engineer

My name is James Spellman. I’m an IT engineer and I mostly work on servers and networking at Insource. I also do some client management and support users.

How did you find Insource?

I responded to an ad on Craigslist. I’d been working as the IT Manager of a small business for several years and it had started to become routine. I wasn’t being exposed to the variety of technologies and challenges you get in a consultative role.

I also found I was isolated for a lot of the time, without a team to learn from and bounce ideas off of. But it was comfortable which made it harder to leave. Then the company fell on hard times financially, and that turned out to be a blessing – one of the best things that happened as I found Insource as a result.

How was the interview process?

It was almost ten years ago – quite different, then, to what it’s like now. The first step was a phone interview with Russell, one of Insource’s Vice Presidents. Something clicked for me and I think Russell could tell I was sincere about getting into consulting.

The next day I was given a technical assessment by an engineer at Insource and then, at the end of the week, I had a panel assessment run by five IT specialists. I don’t think they do that anymore! A few days later, I met Insource President Bruce Hain and was offered the role the very next day.

What were your main goals going in?

I wanted to get some IT certifications that were overdue for me. I was able to get three certifications in my first few years at Insource. I wanted to start from the beginning – helpdesk work – and work my way up to engineer.

What was your biggest challenge?

Staying on top of new technologies: everything has changed so much in the last decade, especially in the last couple of years. Trying to balance studying for certifications while also doing my job is sometimes challenging.

The upside is a lot of the work I do is relevant to what I’m studying, so the two can work together really well.

What’s your day-to-day like?

I work at a client a couple of days a week and then I work from home a few days a week. Before the pandemic, the at-home days were Insource days. I do mostly engineering work but also get to manage one client and work with their staff

I enjoy the client interaction aspect of the role and I’m pleased to be able to keep doing that. At Insource, we offer support, management, and engineering in IT. I’m lucky I feel fortunate that I get to do some of all three.

What opportunities are available to you?

When I started in support, I was on-site at clients every day, sometimes two clients a day. I learned a lot that way and also had opportunities to work on more complicated tasks like cloud services, networking and server management.

I was also asked to teach classrooms full of teaching staff in charter schools. I never thought I’d do that as I have always resisted public speaking, but now I feel I’ve gotten a lot out of that experience.

What is the support like?

Great: you get a chance to work with people who are more experienced and knowledgeable than you are. They also have a knack for hiring people who are positive and open about sharing what they know and helping others. They have tech presentations every week to help us stay current.

What work you are most proud of?

I am most proud of the clients I get to help. As I get older, I wanted to make an impact on the community in some way. As soon as I started working in at Insource I was helping charter schools in Boston, community resource facilities, and disease research labs.

So I was able to help organizations with a purpose and support technologies with meaning. You feel that you’re really helping and making a difference.

What do you do for fun?

I’m a musician – I play guitar and bass and I sing a bit. I’ve played in bands since I was a teenager and I also do some home recording. I’ve even started writing a song for Insource and looking forward to completing it with some collaboration with other staff.

Was Insource the right fit for you?

Yes, I would say so. It’s met my needs for both personal growth and community impact. I feel it’s a good fit both ways: I have enough character traits in common with the company’s values but I’m also valued for what’s unique about me.

They have a really great staff of people and what amazes me is how we’ve not only survived the pandemic but thrived and grown. It’s a testament to how well the company is run and how much they care about their people.

Would you like to work at Insource?

If you’re looking for the next exciting chapter in your career, you’ll want to check out our careers page to see our latest vacancies. You can also stay up-to-date with everything Insource on our social channels:

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For anything else, email us at insource@insourceservices.com or call us on (781) 235-1490.