Translated from 日本語 • View original Hello! It's a branding project!
It's been three months since I joined the company, and the probationary period was over, so I suddenly **quit as a "rookie" (laughs). **
However, we still have a reputation for low IT literacy, so I would like to get involved with many ISAO engineers.
I started like this.
**Let's interview ISAO engineers, the first installment! **
This time, we spoke with infrastructure engineer Tsukasa Kasuya!
Mr. Kasuya, Infrastructure Engineer
Harada: This is the first time I've talked to Mr. Kasuya like this, but thank you very much! Mr. Kasuya, do you have a long history of ISAO?
Kasuya: I'm kind of nervous~. Thank you very much. I think I joined the company in 2012. So, this year is the 7th year.
Harada: Is it your 7th year~? What kind of work is Mr. Kasuya currently involved in?
Kasuya: I am on a project team called MSP, which mainly provides server design, operation, and monitoring services to customers.
For example, if a customer is developing something and it is difficult to do all the infrastructure parts on their own, we ask them to build it on their own project, and then we do operation and monitoring from there.
Currently, I am mainly involved in the design part.
Harada: What about the design part?
Kasuya: For example, when I go to ask for a request from a customer with a sales member, I accompany them and propose a configuration that actually meets the customer's needs.
Harada: I see! Then you often go out, right?
Kasuya: That's right. Of course, sales people have some technical knowledge, but it is the design members who can make more detailed proposals, so they are often present when making sales proposals.
Harada: I had the image of an engineer in the company, but surprisingly, there are many face-to-face meetings with customers.
When I was a student, I declared that I would "master customer service!"
Harada: I heard that Mr. Kasuya actually has an unexpected background, but please tell us about your career so far.
Kasuya: It's surprising (laughs). When I was in college, I declared that I would "master customer service!" and worked part-time at a beef bowl restaurant with a famous orange sign. Even after graduating from university, I didn't look for a job and continued to work part-time, but the store I worked at at the time was closed.
At that time, I thought, "I have to think about this properly," and thought about getting a job.
I was originally interested in technology, but after graduating, I didn't do anything technical, so I decided to do some groundwork somewhere, and before ISAO, I worked as an assistant for information systems at another company for about two years.
I was making my own PC at home as a hobby, so I wondered if I could do it...
。
Harada: Hmm? Did you make a PC? Can I make a PC by myself? ?
Kasuya: Hmm? You can make a PC (laughs)?
Harada: No~, people who make PCs as a hobby! At least I can't. Isn't it a hobby to a technician?
Kasuya: Haha. Well, I had that kind of hobby, so I joined the company that was just looking for someone who could do PC kitting.
At that time, I didn't touch servers, etc., but I felt like I had gained some experience with some technology.
However, at that time, the information system department was also in charge of infrastructure, so as I watched it, I gradually became interested in infrastructure.
Harada: That... I have a fundamental question. Where and how to look and how to get interested in infrastructure (laughs)? ? Recently, I've been really interested in being an engineer.
Kasuya: Hmm, what is it? I guess it's because it was interesting to see the foundation of the system in motion and to tinker with it.
Of course, I think the services on the surface are interesting, but I think it would be even more fun if I could create the foundation for them to move I guess that's because.
Harada: I see, if you think that part is interesting, you can become an engineer (laughs).
Kasuya: No, in my case. Well, from there, my interest in infrastructure gradually arose, and I started looking for a job that mainly involved infrastructure, and I arrived at ISAO.
Days facing server creation
Harada: And at ISAO, you became an infrastructure engineer?
Kasuya: When I first joined ISAO, I joined the monitoring team as a contract employee.
However, at that time, I had zero knowledge, so I think I really caused trouble to those around me at first, but when I asked, someone told me. I was really grateful.
In the midst of this, as I became more and more interested in the server, as the alerts came out, I wondered, "Why are there such alerts?" and the feeling of "I want to touch it myself" came up more and more.
ISAO allows individuals to use the cloud verification environment, so they can use it to create their own servers, but at that time, I was practicing server creation while researching on my own and being taught by others.
Harada: Is it self-training to create a server?
Kasuya: That's right. Even during that practice, I was taught by other members what I couldn't do on my own.
In the process, I made something like an information sharing tool used by the monitoring team on the server, and it was adopted in actual work.
While doing so, a member recommended me and asked me if I would like to become an employee.
That led me to leave the monitoring team and start working as an infrastructure engineer in earnest, and I have reached the point where I am now.
Harada: I see. By the way, Mr. Kasuya has a GCP qualification, but what is this qualification in the first place?
Kasuya: There are the so-called three major clouds, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, and Google's cloud is called GCP (Google Cloud Platform), and it is a qualification to prove that you have that skill.
Harada: Has there been any change in your business since you obtained the GCP qualification?
Kasuya: First of all, it gives me confidence.
And when you gain confidence, it will change when you make proposals to customers, and it is difficult to learn unless you actually touch the service when studying for qualifications in the first place, so you can actually make it yourself and try to do it, so the range of your own proposals will expand more and more.
Harada: So studying for qualifications is directly connected to practice. How long did it take you to get that qualification?
Kasuya: Actually... I failed the first time (laughs).
The first time, I thought I would take it for the time being, so I took it without studying at all. That's why it falls.
At that time, there were not that many GCP projects in the company, and I had no practical involvement and no knowledge, so it was natural to fail.
However, from there, the number of projects at the company gradually increased, and I got my qualification in a little over a year after I started working in practice.
Harada: Do you have any recommended teaching materials for obtaining that qualification?
Kasuya: I don't think there were many teaching materials at that time. At that time, GCP was a new cloud, so at that time I was studying with something like an official manual.
Harada: I see~. It's quite tough to study for qualifications while working.
ISAO style "growth point"
Harada: I always ask ISAO people, but what are your "growth points" in your way?
Kasuya: That's right. When I started working as an infrastructure engineer from the monitoring team, it was a big change and a growth point.
After I started working as an infrastructure engineer, my main job was operation, and my first main job was to solve problems as a big customer, but as I went along, I had more opportunities to talk to customers, so I think I also acquired communication skills from an external perspective.
Harada: In terms of external aspects, Mr. Kasuya's skills from his student days of "mastering customer service" are also useful (laughs)?
Kasuya: Haha. What do you think? That may be a little helpful.
However, as I gained experience in operation, I gradually understood the systems that were already working, so I was able to derive more and more proposals while referring to them for other customers' systems.
Also, cloud products are updated at a really fast pace, so they are constantly updated as we operate.
Through this accumulation, we try to make better and new proposals for existing customers at that time.
Harada: That means that engineers also have to update every day, right?
Kasuya: Of course, that's right. Otherwise, you can't keep up.
Harada: Have you seen any changes in yourself within ISAO?
Kasuya: That's right. The larger the system, the more you need the ability to assign tasks, so the number of members involved with you will increase. In this context, the ability to direct how to assign tasks is quite necessary, and I feel that my own experience is increasing.
Harada: I see. Is it a directing ability?
Kasuya: I started designing from operation, so I started**** to think about what kind of explanation should be given to make it easier for the other party to understand.
Harada: When assigning such tasks, do you ask people who have free man-hours or who can do it?
Kasuya: I try not to do that. Projects similar to tasks that have already been experienced are basically handed over to people who have never done it before.
By doing so, I also have to explain to people for the first time, so my ability to explain there will increase, and I will be able to establish my own knowledge.
Of course, it takes longer than asking someone who has done it before, because I hand over the project to someone who has never done it.
But so as not to miss the delivery date, I try to follow up as much as possible.
Harada: That's a very important point. Time management skills!
Kasuya: However, there are many times when it comes to the last minute (laughs).
Harada: That's right. But it's great that such a formation is formed within the team!
Future Prospects
Harada: Is there anything you would like to take on personally in the future?
Kasuya: The first thing is to obtain qualifications for the three major clouds!
Harada: Are there many engineers who have all the qualifications?
Kasuya: I don't think there are many people who have obtained all three.
I have to study to get a qualification, so as a result, my range of proposals will expand, and it will lead to my confidence, so I want to do my best.
Harada: Then when will you take it? ? Oh, I'm not putting pressure on this (laughs).
Kasuya: That's right~, I would like to take AWS within this year. Microsoft will be around April 2020...
Harada: Oh! Did you tell me? ?
Kasuya: I was cornered~ (laughs). But I will do my best.
Harada: Finally, are there any major challenges in the project itself?
Kasuya: That's right! Until now, MSPs were in charge of the infrastructure layer and did not receive much development, but as we strengthen our relationships with web development members, we are now able to receive work in a seamless manner.
As an engineer, I think it will expand the possibility of gaining a wider range of experience not only in infrastructure.
In fact, I work with the development team, so I think there is a possibility that I will become a stronger person if I am an infrastructure engineer but also have a server-side.
Harada: I see! It will become a formation that can become stronger and stronger for each individual.
Kasuya: That's right. I think it is becoming an environment where not only infrastructure but also +α can grow, so I am looking forward to it myself.
Harada: Thank you very much for today!
