Think Coreio is a great place to work? We have a remarkable number of long-term team members who would agree. More than 40% of our staff have been here for 10 years or more…but they never stop learning and growing: that’s the nature of our industry and our culture of continuous improvement. Each quarter, we celebrate these honorees of 20+ years of service to our clients, and we ask them a few questions to learn more about what they’ve experienced in their years with us.
Our honorees for Fall 2016 include (in ascending order of seniority):
Our Honorees: Standing (L-R) Denny, Kubrom Gaim, Doug; Sitting (L-R); Diana, Dorothy, Rosetta (Tess and Maria DaSilva not pictured)
- Dorothy, Order Desk Queue Administrator – Joined December 16, 1996 (20 Years)
- Tess, QCC Technician – Joined October 4, 1996 (20 Years)
- Denny, Senior QCC Technician – Joined September 23, 1996 (20 Years)
- Maria, Contract Administrator – Joined September 18, 1995 (21 Years)
- Kubrom, QCC Technician, Project Manager – Joined December 5, 1994 (21 Years)
- Doug, Coreio On-Site Server Team Lead & Sr. Systems Engineer – Joined October 11, 1994 (22 Years)
- Rosetta, Team Lead Accounts Payable – Joined December 4, 1994 (26 Years)
- Diana, Manager, Sales Operations – Joined November 1, 1988 (28 Years)
Denny, Maria and Diana sat down to talk with us recently.
What most amazes you about how the IT world has evolved in your 20+ years in the industry?
Denny: The growth in speed of processing power and computer memory size–moving from MB to GB hard drive at 1Tbite software. At the same time, computing is more user friendly, moving from DOS to iCloud and wireless.
Maria: What amazes me the most is how we went from typewriters, HUGE computers, pagers and brick cell phones to monitors wired to a terminal, cellphones that can be used as your computer.
What is the most important thing you have learned from your coworkers or clients in your 20+ years here?
Diana: In order for anyone to succeed at their job, they have to work as a team and treat each other with respect. Your job shouldn’t just be a place where you earn a pay cheque; you should be motivated to do your best work. Every task is ‘important’ and if you enjoy yourself, you will find that the outcome at the end of the day makes you look forward to the next. When dealing with clients (external/internal), remember: they are the customer, they are the priority and they too need to be treated with respect.
Maria: The most important thing I have learned is that working together as a team, no matter what department we work for, makes us feel like family after all these years. I look forward to coming to work; to me it’s like coming home.
Honoree: Maria DaSilva
How have client needs changed, or have they not changed?
Maria: On my end, clients’ needs have not changed–maybe the type of needs have changed, but in the big picture, nothing has changed much.
What is the most important piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in their IT career?
Denny: Don’t take anything for granted.
Maria: Always love what you do, because it will bring you amazing opportunities and keep learning, and in this industry, knowledge is key.
Do you feel like you’re still the same person who started here more than 20 years ago?
Maria: Definitely not! I grew up here, and I went through all my life milestones here. It’s been a big part of who I am today.
Diana: With regards to my work ethic, I don’t feel I have changed much. Even when I was a teenager, I loved working and doing a great job and doing my best is what motivated me at that time and still does today. At the end of each project, you get a feeling of accomplishment which you can only feel when you put all your effort into it.
20 Years Ago: Diana and Rosetta with a former colleague
What job did you have when you started? Did you end up where you expected to be?
Diana: Accounts Payable Coordinator. I knew I would end up working with numbers; fortunately, today I get to work with numbers and clients which is better than what I expected to be doing.
Maria: I started as Service Department Reception. Through the years I had the pleasure of working in a few departments and grew into the position I have today. I did not expect to be where I am today, to be honest. It’s a funny story: it was supposed to be a “temporary job” because before started here, I owned and ran a restaurant full time with my husband. When I decided it was time for me to look for a job, I applied here and was contacted for an interview. It was for receptionist role and at the time I was looking for an Admin Assistant role, so I wasn’t going to follow through until one of my regular customers at the restaurant convinced me to at least go to the interview. Turns out, he worked at an insurance firm that was one of the company’s clients. His advice was to get my foot in the door and grow from there–so here I am 21 years later!
Ok, what we really want to know is this: What was the best place to get lunch around Head Office (55 Director Court, Woodbridge) when you started? Is it still around?
Dennis: Definitely Jamaican House restaurant.
Maria: My favorite place is Siamese Thai Cuisine on Hwy 7. The best Thai food anywhere! I crave it even on the weekends.
Recent Comments