Employee Spotlight: Dan FitzGerald

Once a month, fusionSpan will share the talent and hard work of the people that we call our team. From operations to delivery and engineering to program management – we pause to get a little bit personal, showcasing the faces behind the technology solutions that we work on each day. This month we meet fusionSpan Software Engineer, Dan FitzGerald.

What was your first job? Tell us about it.

I had my very first job when I was in high school. I worked for a large sporting goods chain, restocking merchandise and helping customers. It wasn’t the greatest job, but I’m glad I had the experience. Working in retail can really teach you to appreciate all the people working those jobs. Since then, I’ve had a number of other jobs, including bartender and working in technical support for a large corporation.

About a year ago I completed my Computer Science degree at the University of Maryland and started my career in Software Development with fusionSpan.

Who has influenced you most in your professional path/career?

My father worked in the technology industry while I was growing up, so I was exposed to the field from an early age. He didn’t believe in getting service plans for our computers, so if we ever had an issue, I’d get to help him take it apart and troubleshoot the problem. Ever since then, I’ve loved working with technology, and wouldn’t be in the field now if not for him.

What’s your favorite part about working in the technology industry? What drew you to it?

My favorite part is that we get to work with so many different technologies. From the Salesforce related technologies (Visualforce, Apex, SOQL, Javascript) to the DevOps tools we use to backup and deploy code, there is always something new to learn and explore.

After working in a few fields I didn’t have much interest in, it’s amazing to do something I really enjoy.

Looking back, what career advice would you tell your 18-year-old self?

Make sure you consider factors beyond just salary. There are so many other things that can make a job a good or bad fit. Company culture, management, and co-workers are more important than you think, so don’t settle when it’s a bad fit, and don’t take it for granted when it’s good.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?

With everything going on, I’ve been doing more indoor activities lately, but I really do enjoy watching movies and TV. I’m a big sports fan – I follow most of the local DC area teams. I’m also an avid PC gamer and recently started getting into Virtual Reality.

What words would you use to describe fusionSpan? What have you enjoyed most about being here?

Fast-paced, adaptable, and full of opportunities. I’ve only been with fusionSpan for about a year and a half, and in that short time, I’ve already seen how quickly the company has been able to adapt and expand despite the challenging time we’re in. We’ve quickly adopted tools and processes that have allowed us to remain productive while working remotely. And there are constantly new opportunities to learn and grow within the company.

Besides working with technology, the thing I’ve enjoyed the most is the great group of people here. From the top of the company to the bottom, I’ve had so many positive experiences with everyone that I’ve had the opportunity to work with.