Cheryl Buck has been a Technical Support Specialist with Autodesk for the last 5 years, and a beloved figure on the forums during our weekly Autodesk Community Forums Office Hours for the last two. If you’ve posted a question on the AutoCAD forum, chances are she’s helped you! Didn’t attend college right out of high school? Let Cheryl be an inspiration as she was in her mid 30s when she had a chance to go to college.
Question: What degree did you graduate with, and how has it affected your career? Or, what education / training do you have that has helped with your role?
Cheryl: Getting an Associates in Mechanical Engineering Technology from my local college was the key to landing four great jobs I would never have been considered for before. Since graduating, I’ve worked as Engineering/Stormwater Lab Technician, Technical Aircraft Illustrator, Structural Drafter, and Technical Support Specialist for AutoCAD/AutoCAD Mechanical.
Question: How would you describe your role at Autodesk? What does a typical workday look like? Which skills and qualities are important to be successful in your role?
Cheryl: My primary role at Autodesk is customer-facing, assisting with troubleshooting. This is often over the phone with screen shares, as well as email and chat. I also participate in the Autodesk Community Forums Office Hours on Tuesdays.
While an understanding of the program you support is important, I believe being able to multitask, communicate clearly with a variety of personalities, and have genuine empathy are key to success in this role.
Question: What do you find interesting about your role? What are the challenges? What do you find satisfying about your work?
Cheryl: The three things that truly energize me as a support specialist are the wide variety of people I meet, sharing tips and tricks that help improve their workflow, and discovering the fix for a problem they are experiencing.
Question: What advice would you give to a student who is interested in pursuing a role like yours? Is there anything that you would have done differently before you graduated to prepare for your role? Is there a piece of advice you would give yourself back on day one in your role?
Cheryl: The one piece of advice I can give for anyone interested in this role is to practice empathy. Make it a priority to understand the customer, not just the immediate issue they are requesting assistance with. Be flexible and adjust to how they communicate and their experience level with the program… and have fun.
Recognize Cheryl from the forums? Drop her a "hello" below!