Love is in the air today—after all, it is Valentine’s Day. Since I’m feeling mushy, I thought I’d share what I love about my job, which I’m sure you’ve heard me say a million times: it’s the people. Having the opportunity to work with this crazy, smart, funny, and interesting group of people on a daily basis puts a smile on my face.
I know many others feel the same way I do, so I reached out to some influential #AVTweeps and asked them what they love about their jobs.
Dave Labuskes, CEO, AVIXA
I love the people, the tech, and of course, the experience! But mostly the people. I have the blessing of working with an amazing team of professionals employed at AVIXA. They teach me new things about the world, themselves and myself every day. I have the privilege to work with amazing and selfless volunteers engaged at the most basic level all the way to the massively committed members of our board and committees. And I get to work with some of the most creative and fun-loving minds in the world who’ve chosen to make careers as audiovisual professionals, creating integrated experiences that can help people change the way they experience the world. What’s not to love!?
Tim Hennen, President, Sales and Engineering, IVCi
My passion for AV began a long time ago. I am the second generation in my family to work in this industry, so I have been around it since I was a teenager. Since then, I’ve witnessed amazing changes—specifically in the critical role of technology and its influence on the modern workplace. For example, it’s fascinating to witness the recent explosion of collaboration software platforms on the desktop, and also how they are making their way into rooms. As a result, I love the fact that our organization can assist our customers and their end users to connect with each other for accomplishing their work objectives.
Greg Goddard, Account Manager, Spinitar
I love working with different people on a daily basis—be it clients, manufacturers, my teammates, or anyone at Spinitar. It is fun to interact on different levels on a consistent basis, it is what my job is all about. I also love the fact that I’m doing different things every day: meeting clients, doing site surveys, working internally with engineers, project managers, foremen, etc. My role in sales is very people-orientated, and that makes my job in AV fun.
David Schwartz, President, Essential Communications
I love the technology I get to work with. I’ve been designing systems for many years, so I’ve seen the technology advance from analog to digital at a quick pace. And now with CAD, DSP, and all of the other available technology, it is easier and quicker to get a design from concept to completion. There’s also nothing better for me than seeing months and months of work suddenly come to life with the press of the power button—I still get goosebumps on my neck when I see and hear a system fired up for the first time.
Shane Chinonn-Rhoden, Integration Design Manager, ANC
The biggest thing for me is the flexibility in completing a job. You are given a task and a deadline and then have the flexibility to troubleshoot and solve the problem within your own schedule. There is very little micromanaging; it is on you to make sure the job is completed successfully. I also enjoy the ability to travel to different places and work with a variety of people each day. Every day is different and the challenges behind each job are ever changing. It encourages continued learning and keeps me sharp and ready for anything.
Melody Craigmyle, Vice President of Marketing, Almo Professional A/V
I love that Almo is a third-generation family-owned company, and that they treat employees and partners like family. It’s not uncommon to see entire families working at Almo because they walk the walk by providing a great corporate environment and put family first. That is a lovely thing in this day and age when profits sometimes overshadow values.
Jay Dishong, National Sales Manager, Vaddio
What I love the most about my job is really the industry. I have been working for decades in AV industry, which has the greatest people; I have developed decade long friendships with customers, colleagues, suppliers, and even competitors. And they are all great people!
Besides the people, the other thing I love is the constant change and evolution that we are able to develop while helping solve our customers’ problems. Like many technology-based industries, the AV industry is constantly changing, which I find to be rewarding as well as challenging. Basically, AV rocks, and I would not want to work anywhere else!
Christopher Jaynes, Founder and CTO, Mersive
Fundamentally, AV focuses on what people see and hear. This intersection between our environments and how we experience them is a compelling place for innovation. The AV industry has the opportunity to define how we work, learn, and interact and the innovation that happens everyday in this space is incredible. New technology breakthroughs lead to products that help people work better together. It’s an amazing transformation to be a part of.
