Sophos Community: Staff Spotlight - Fernan Tutor

Our staff spotlight is our blog series where we get up-close and personal with our amazing team members at Sophos.

Up next is , Technical Support Engineer.

Let's Talk Career

1. Can you tell us about your role at Sophos?
I am working as a Technical Support Engineer. It involves handling escalation calls, mentoring, and assisting in support operations whenever & wherever required. 

2. How did you get to the role you're in now?
I joined Sophos in March 2020, as a member of the Global Support Team with the tag "Technical Support Engineer 1-1". Over time, I enhanced my technical skills along with my customer-handling capabilities which helped me level up to Senior L1 engineer.

3. What inspired you to get into IT and security?

I pursued IT because I've been playing computer games since Pentium 3 and I just wanted to know how to fix our computer whenever it has issues.

While still working in my previous company as a Service Desk Representative, I studied security for 2 years and passed my certification in ITIL4, CompTIA secuirity+, and CySA+. I then decided it was about time to look for a job related specifically to security.

4. What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy my current role as no day will pass without me learning something new. I really like the feeling of fixing something that I've never encountered before.

5. What's something you've done during your time in the organization that you're proud of?
Giving advice to new hires because I know how hard it is to adjust to a new job.

6. Describe a typical day in your Sophos life.
I usually start my day by checking if there are any critical cases that need to be attended to asap. Most of my time is spent researching complex issues that Sophos users/customers are having.

7. What's the best advice you can give to someone who has just started their career?

Never stop learning and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Especially the latter, because you can't make good decisions if something else is bothering you or if you're not feeling well.

8. What would you do (for a career) if you weren't doing this?
Not sure, I can't see myself doing any job aside from IT. Maybe a game moderator? Or a college teacher.

Role in the Sophos Community 

9. What's a fun fact about you that you could share with the Community?
I've had this big Snoopy stuffed animal that's always with me when I sleep -- for almost 19 years now.

10. Have you posted any Recommended Read guides on the Community?
Not yet, as I've only started contributing to the community for 3+ months. I've been mostly answering posts/questions of Sophos users. Maybe in the near future.

Who is Fernan? 

11. What are your hobbies outside of work?
Dota 2, and finishing challenges in tryhackme.

12. What’s something you’re planning on doing in the next year that you’ve never done?
Well, I have a PenTest exam for CEH Practical later this year. I will probably continue studying pen-testing until next year.

13. What's one thing you're really good at?
Being calm and level-headed whatever the situation is, for me to make the proper decisions.

14. If you could learn how to do anything, what would it be?
I wish to be proficient in Spanish.

15. Tell us about where you live (and your journey getting there - if applicable).
I was born in Laguna Philippines and have been here ever since. It's like 2 hours away from the capital and the Sophos office, but I don't plan on moving away from this place.

16. What's your favorite thing about where you live?
Our house is located at the end of the street. It's really quiet here and I love that.

17. Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
I have never cooked rice in my whole life. Never been to a Starbucks as well.

18. Any favorite line from a movie?
Get To Da Choppa!

19. If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Teleportation, so I can bypass traffic.