Communication Is Important For A Philadelphia IT Business Owner
Bob Riesenbach works at CMIT Solutions of Cherry Hill, an IT services and solutions provider for small and medium-sized businesses. Riesenbach has over twenty years of experience in convenience and food retailing, credit card and automotive services with such companies as WaWa, JPMorgan, Chase and Subaru.
What sort of education is needed to successfully do your job?
"I have a bachelor's degree in economics from Haverford College. In addition, I have a master's degree in marketing from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. While both degrees have been useful in helping me progress throughout the different stages of my career, my current role requires skills that are not taught in a classroom. As a strategic technology adviser for small and medium-sized businesses, I need to be able to listen and communicate with owners to understand their challenges and share an effective solution. I have developed these communication skills through many years of on-the-job training."
What is the most relevant aspect of your education that applies to your day-to -day job?
"My education has given me the tools to communicate with senior executives and lower-level employees. Through individual presentations and group projects, I learned how to balance between being a player and a coach. Today, I am applying these skills to my job as a business owner and a team member, achieving equilibrium between working in my business and on my business."
What is the most fun aspect of your job?
"I gain deep satisfaction from showing business owners in my community how they can use technology to achieve their strategic business goals. We have the unique opportunity to embed ourselves into an organization, troubleshoot problems, propose solutions and track the results of our efforts. We are charged with helping companies build and rebuild from the ground-up. It's a special role that we find to be incredibly rewarding."
What advice would you give someone just starting out in the field of technology?
"I would advise anyone considering a career in technology to remain teachable. I am learning and growing every day, which continues to help me become a more productive, effective leader and business owner. Furthermore, I would recommend keeping an open-mind. While technical skill and expertise are important, it is useless unless you fully understand the needs and goals of the end-user. In my job, I am committed to understanding how best to use technology to help my clients increase productivity and drive profits."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She reports on various topics such as: Social Media, Local Events, Entertainment, Food and Drink and more. Her work can be found at http://firstsendmedia.com/
