Imagine having a job where your duty was to only handle the tasks that have been deemed particularly complex and difficult? That’s a day in the life if you’re John Parks, the escalations manager on our tech and web development team.
John didn’t initially picture himself in web dev. – in fact, he went to college to study Game Design. This background allowed him to experience both development and basic design essentials – something he says is a rarity in tech. When it came time to chose a career path, he realized web dev. was significantly more reasonable, both in terms of job prospects and overall satisfaction.
Now, John’s senior tech role has expanded to include educating our account management and content marketing strategists on the world of tech.
“I value being able to legitimately help people (and being appreciated for that),” he said. “I enjoy teaching, so having the chance to share knowledge around, that gives me the warm and fuzzies.”
While our strategists are immersed in content integration best practices, some marketers aren’t aware the importance of having a tech resource as an extension of their marketing teams.
“I think it’s important to have a tech team for the same reason it’s important to know a good carpenter…if you are looking to change things, or something breaks, it’s generally a good idea to know someone who can make that happen for you,” John said. “If a marketer has some basic knowledge of tech, it easier to convey what they’d like to see happen and know what type of stuff is easy versus hard. All of this makes the process of implementing marketing-driven changes smoother and faster. Chances are, those changes will also be more effective.”
Learn more about John in our Brafton Q&A:
Q: As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Like every other kid out there, I was interested in being a pilot, of course. But the other thing I was always interested in was robotics…how they work, what controls them, etc.
Q: What do you think is the most important quality you need to have for success?
For success in the tech world, you need to have a drive to understand the inner workings of things (the big question is “why?”), tempered by a sense of practicality. Sometimes, knowing the solution is more important than knowing the reason…the real trick is knowing when to draw that line.
Q: What is your most treasured possession?
Silly as this sounds, I have a stuffed “Littlefoot” from the movie Land Before Time that I’ve had since I was two (he was as big as me back then!).
Q: What personality trait are you always trying to improve?
Hands down, discipline…if I don’t have external pressure, I tend to sink into video games.
Q: Which day of the work week are you the most productive?
Tuesday: I’m in the swing of things after recovering from the weekend, but haven’t been worn out by a week of work yet.
Q: What’s your favorite aspect of your job?
Honestly, I am a big fan of the people I work with here at Brafton/ContentLEAD. In terms of the technical aspects, I enjoy (and hate) the wide variety of different platforms and website set ups we encounter…makes it hard, but also keeps it fresh. I also really enjoy being the go-to guy when it comes to trying to institute new tech-related products, and when some tech consultancy is needed.
Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Honestly, thus far, just the fact that I’ve managed to “make it”…I’m independent, can pay the bills and still have enough left over to do what I want!
Q: Have any “hidden talents” ?
The big one would probably be my card tricks. I suspect I can also still do a no-handed cartwheel, from my Capoeira days.
Q: If Brafton were a TV show, which character – from any sitcom, drama or reality show (of any time period) – would represent you?
I don’t watch much “main stream” TV, but to pull from Anime, I’ve always related to L, from Death Note…I’m eccentric, and although I’m good at my job, most don’t seem to understand what/how I do.
