Full name: James West
Current job title: Operations Manager
Tell us what brought you to Pearl and what skills you acquired in each of your previous roles that helped get you to your current role?
10+ years ago I started in the call center industry as a tech support rep troubleshooting personal electronic devices. With lots of hard work and dedication, I was able to move up to a supervisor role, where I could leverage my data analytic skills to performance manage my team. From there, I was promoted to an analytical role and further developed my data science methodology and standards. When the position ended, I moved back to a supervisory position and then into an operations manager position here at Pearl.
What are your career goals?
In the future I hope to develop an analytics app that removes the need for human intervention
What has been the biggest lesson you have learned in your job? One thing I have learned over the years is that, regardless of how much work or money you put into something, sometimes things just don’t work out. Don’t dismiss red flags and learn to cut your losses before they compound.
What is your advice for someone who may be interested in pursuing a role in your current field?
Know your tech and software, understand the math and processes “behind the curtain”, apply the scientific method (Question, Research, Hypothesis, Experiment, Data Analysis, Conclusion, and Communication), and don’t be afraid to make mistakes and to ask for help when needed.
What is a Fun Fact that many of your coworkers may not know?
I’m a huge fan of Star Trek and Magnum Pi.
Do you have a special talent or any hobbies?
When I’m not working, I enjoy playing Holdfast: Nations at War, A Napoleonic Combat RP simulator. I manage an infantry company of ~200 individuals (with members from over 13 countries) where I host daily line battles for several regions, as well as other non-gaming fun activities.