AMS Consultant at Clarkston Technology Solutions: A Q&A with Griffin
Griffin, Labs System Consultant at Clarkston Technology Solutions, shares his experience during his first year with the firm and helpful career advice!
How long have you been with Clarkston?
I celebrated my 1-year anniversary with CTS this past February. Since joining I have had so many unique experiences and while the time feels like it has gone by fast, my first day feels like a century ago!
What is your role at Clarkston?
I came into Clarkston as a Lab Systems Consultant due to my background in Biology and Chemistry. However, during my bootcamp training I spent a significant amount of time studying programming languages such as JavsScript. Through this studying and the support of my managers I have taken on more of a developer role. In my more recent projects, I have been creating custom solutions for clients in the trade promotion management space.
Tell us about a new skill you’ve developed recently.
A client recently reached out needing a custom software solution deployment done over their internal network. This required me to learn about IT protocols and how to deploy both a front and back-end website over the intranet. This was a step outside of my recent comfort zone of programming and allowed me to tackle a new and exciting problem to meet my client’s needs.
If you had to choose, which of Clarkston’s core values do you feel resonates with you the most?
I feel the value that resonates with me the most is Flexibility and Adaptability. I frequently embrace change and like to run head on into new challenges. I find it enjoyable to throw my name into the hat of a new client challenge or an opportunity to learn a new technology. As a company Clarkston has enabled me to step outside my comfort zone and increase my knowledge and abilities as a consultant.
Which internal initiatives, communities, or projects are you involved in at Clarkston?
During my time at Clarkston, I have become involved in many internal initiatives. I am currently part of the Quality & Compliance community and recently became a regional collaboration lead to help bring stewards together through in-person events.
What advice would you give to someone starting at Clarkston?
Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone to try something that you find interesting. I started at CTS with minimal technical experience and a year later I have had the opportunity to learn multiple programming languages and work on many different software implementations. Through this I have discovered a passion for technologies I was never exposed to during my college career and have expanded my knowledge set many times over.
Can you share some advice that someone at Clarkston has given you during your time here?
Some of the best advice I have received in my time here is to be confident behind my words and my knowledge. It can be difficult stepping into this space and speaking confidently on topics but learning to trust myself and my knowledge set has made me a much stronger consultant.
What drove you to accept Clarkston’s employment offer?
A big driving force behind my decision to join Clarkston was their commitment to growing their stewards. This promise was kept through a technical bootcamp at the start of my career, programming course opportunities and many mentors who have shared years of experience with me. I have achieved significant personal growth since joining the team and I continue to gain new technical knowledge every day when working here.